Why can't you sell old DIVX movies on Ebay? (1 Viewer)

[David Lambert]

I agree that DivX is in the process of becoming accepted as something more legitimate than what it started out as being. Just like MP3's became more "legitimate" with widespread use and popularity. Amazing how that works!
As to how fair or unfair the characterization is, suit yourself. I'm not trying to start any fights, and therefore this will be my last word on the subject. The key phrase in your statement is that "DivX is now a...".
And I certainly didn't know about the other FAQ. Thanks for listing it, so folks can see another point of view. That point of view obviously isn't held by eBay, though!

 

[GaryEA]

Well, I haven't gotten anywhere with Ebay. Their help system is an automated nightmare - maybe it's me and I'm not finding the right place to find a real live person and not an auto reply.
As for the perceived threat of ripping off buyers, my listing was very clear that these were both store bought items, still sealed, and that any bidder should reserach DIVX before bidding. Questions were welcome.
Where Ebay is pretty clear, and I thank everybody for their input. I'm either going to toss them or offer them to HT fan who want them as memorabilia.
Wow, this format's a pain in the ass. Can't even sell them off without a headache.
-g

 

[SteveA]

MAN I miss DIVX! No late-fees and no dreaded black bars! A lot of movies were released exclusively to DIVX (such as Sleeping With The Enema) and are still unavailable on DVD.

 

[GaryEA]

SteveA wrote:

(such as Sleeping With The Enema)

A GREAT movie! One of the best hospital dramas to come out of the 90's!

-g

 

[Peter Kline]

Actually, it gave me cramps.

 

[David Lambert]

I would ALMOST offer to take those Divx discs off your hands and hold onto them as a nostalgia item. But the missus (who's watching me type this!!) would kill me if I offerred to pay you shipping fees just to have more junk cluttering up the house!

 

[Daniel J]

I agree that DivX is in the process of becoming accepted as something more legitimate than what it started out as being. Just like MP3's became more "legitimate" with widespread use and popularity. Amazing how that works!

You guys are misrepresenting DivX 's origins. It was originally a Microsoft Video compression codec based on the prelimenary specifications set out for MPEG-4. MS used this codec as the basis for the "Windows Media" formats.
to make a long story short, MS released a "MS-MPEG 4" codec (just like Indeo, cinepak, or MPEG-12, only better) and people started using it. Then MS decided that they didn't want people to use the more advanced version (V.3) of the codec, so they locked it and told people to stop using it as a standalone compressor, limiting it to their own WMV encoding software.
More than a few pros were slightly annoyed to see that work was now stored in a restricted format, so one of them decided to crack said format. Thus, DivX was born. Nothing to do with piracy, everything to do with a hack of the bast video compression codec we've ever seen.
After enough people saw what MS-MPEG 4 and DivX could do with video, (compressing 2 hours of high-res vid to 700MB) some of them realized they could use it to store and share things like TV shows, Movies, music videos, or their own work. Thus, DivX became know as a piracy format.
DivXNetworks [nothing to do with DivX ] was formed to take advantage of the basic specs of MPEG-4 the same way MS did with WMV. The codec is completely different than DivX , but they decided to snatch up the name to steal the user base.
Is DivX (of any version) used for piracy? Absolutley. Is Mpeg-1 audio layer 3 used for piracy? Without a doubt. Does this make them "pirate" formats? In no way, shape, or form.

 

[Tony Scello]

I miss that annoying TV pitch man that Circiut City used when they flooded the airwaves just after the the DIVX launch. He'd say things like "If your buying a DVD player, make sure it has DIVX..."...Yeah right:rolleyes
Thank goodness that this misguided venture crashed and burned so quickly(although it was kinda fun to read Steve T.'s latest DIVX rants over at the DVD Resource site).

 

[GaryEA]

I would ALMOST offer to take those Divx discs off your hands and hold onto them as a nostalgia item. But the missus (who's watching me type this!!) would kill me if I offered to pay you shipping fees just to have more junk cluttering up the house!

David, if you'd like them just to add to your HT collection, I'll pay the shipping myself. Honest.
The only reason I was selling them was because I couldn't bear to throw them away if some HT enthusiast would find a use for it, even if to be a collectible. (I guess that makes me nuts, huh?)
Ebay is a bust on this and I believe that it has no live people working there, just computers. ...spooky.
Email me at [email protected] give me your address and I'll mail them next week parcel post.
LMK if you're interested - and don't tell the missus!
-g

 

[Jesse Skeen]

USED DIVX discs were actually the most un-sellable items, since if you were to buy a used disc on Ebay you would then be charged by your player if you watched it! God, this was such a ridiculous invention! At least if they were still sealed and the system was still working, you could play it for 48 hours. (The movie "48 HRS" was one of the titles I chose for my DIVX collection BTW, I found it very appropriate. If I had unlimited money and space I would have bought one of every title like I'm doing with CED, but CEDs at least let me watch the movies but these don't )

 

[David Lambert]

God help me, Gary...but you've got mail! :b

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Maybe I should make a DivX;-) disc out of my copy of the CC/Divx training video...naaah, not worth the time.

- Steve

 

[Robert Dunnill]

USED DIVX discs were actually the most un-sellable items, since if you were to buy a used disc on Ebay you would then be charged by your player if you watched it!

If the disc was one of the rarer titles like Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure or Two For The Road, that might have been the only way you could get one.

RD

 

[GaryEA]

God help me, Gary...but you've got mail!

Right back at ya Dave!
-g

 

[David Lambert]

I saw your email, Gary. Hmmm...that's what I need! Some new TG16 games and a TurboExpress. I shoulda thought of that for Father's Day. Darn it. Oh eBay....