DivX 7 launches, enhances HD support

H.264, AAC and MKV now supported

6 January 2009 13:00 GMT / By Chris Hall

DivX have announced the latest version of their software suite, DivX 7, the news of the anticipated launch we brought you last week.

The new suite of software apps continues the trend of previous versions, providing separate tools for each function in the bundle, giving you the DivX Player, and Web Player, as well as codecs and filters. The download also gives you a 15-day trial of DivX Converter and DivX Pro Codec.

On installation you’ll be asked whether you want the DivX Player to be the default player for .MKV files, which is rapidly becoming the format of HD downloads.

DivX 7 is claiming smoother “commercial grade” playback for H.264 videos and “lower CPU usage” when against existing playback options. You also get surround sound AAC audio support, allowing the creation of the new DivX Plus format.

DivX Converter will allow you to take advantage of great compression enhancements, taking common formats such as WMV, MOV and AVI and compressing them into DivX format for playback on certified players, including many DVD players, mobile phones, the PlayStation 3 and so on. A new certification programme for DivX Plus will see support for the new format in compatible devices.

DivX claims AVCHD camcorder files benefit from a massive 25:1 compression, offering a real advantage to HD camcorder owners looking to share content.

Available free as a download, a 15-day trail lets you sample all the goodies; continued access to DivX Pro features will require you to pay a small fee.