Now that more people are downloading the HD versions of our shows, I'm wondering if it'd be okay to release the stuff that has no HD version (like old DVD encodes) in 264/MP4 format.

So for anything that has an HD version, we keep Xvid/Avi for the SD version.

But for old DVD encodes, we'll just use the 264/MP4 format and drop Xvid for that. It'd be better quality encodes for maybe smaller file size, but my question to the fanbase is how many people would that leave out in the cold?

EDIT: Video comparisons http://www.sendspace.com/file/t8p0d5

Get rid of Xvid. It's outdated.

I'm a bit confused by what you're suggesting. Would you be doing x264 encoding for the SDs for your ongoing projects now, despite the HDs too? Or for the upcoming ones in the future?

Also, would this mean redoing DVD releases in the x264 format? Would you also be looking into replacing the non HD series' SD encodes with x264 DVD encodes? Either way, I'm all for dropping the xvid format.

I don't think they mean re encode older releases. They just mean start encoding SD stuff for now on with h264

the main reason I download SD is for purposes of saving space on my drive. I download HD for movies, and SD for weekly episodes. As long as the file size stays relatively the same, then I see no problem with the change.

Crap, then I would have to watch everything on my PC @_@

Same problem with me. I usually burn the episodes to a dvd so that I can view the show without needing to use my laptop, and so that I'm not taking up more space on my laptop.

While I would be able to deal with it, it's just not really convenient.

makes no difference to me as i get hd when i can and to soleve space issues i have an external drive dedicated to just tv nihon stuff

I prefer the SD format since it takes less space for me on my portable hard drive and that would mean i wouldn't have to convert them to AVI format later.

It's slightly misleading to imply - in the poll - that you'd need a machine capable of playing x264 HD in order to play the SD. The requirements are vastly different.

IMO, I think it's a good idea. Especially if you use --tune fastdecode and keep the level fairly low, you'll end up with something with similar playback requirements to the Xvid but looks a lot better for it.

A lot of standalone devices nowadays support h264 - probably more support that than just support avi, I'd imagine. Keeping the xvid to appease people with the few, old devices that can only play it is a bit of a false economy.

well, if there's anyone who downloaded SD format, It will be me who downloaded SD all the time.. b'coz i watched the file by connecting flashdrive into a pocket dvd via usb..

I have to admit I'm at a bit of a loss for what people would be watching TVN encodes on these days that can't handle H.264 SD. I could see HD being an issue on hardware that doesn't support High Profile, but Main Profile is low enough in complexity that SD should be doable in software on just about anything. Is it guys who are burning the files to disc for their DVD players that can also play XviD? In which case it would be pretty easy to use a DVD authoring suite that can just transcode it to MPEG-2 on the fly (which would work on any DVD player).

Otherwise I can't think of too many devices that support XviD and not H.264 in some way.

Hm... I have a minor problem and the problem are not with the encode, but how I see and sort things... My collections are in xvid, and mkv only and only if I can't find the xvid or never watch it at all. Maybe because I used to run things in my P4 machine.

But I did vote for the new encode. It's Tv-Nihon stuff after all, might worth it. If it isn't, I'll just have to skip and find those good old xvid somewhere else and stick with only current/new show.

As long as it plays on Windows Media Player, then I'm fine.

But would it still be able to be played on the PS3? I really value the ability to do that.

Also - I've been fine with the SD versions. I always feel like the quick movement in HD is a little harder to watch, rather than in SD. (It feels more smooth with less definition, I guess.)

May I offer a small suggestion before you do anything? Since some of us have no idea what the difference is, do you think it possible to test release some of the proposed SD encodes so we can tell what they work on and how we like them? Better to do that first instead of just taking a poll without some knowing what the effects might be in the end.