# Tech question: Real Media -\> DivX **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2001, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463 "2001-03-26T00:41:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Outrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@Outrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outrider)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463/1 "2001-03-26T00:41:39Z")
My friend recently gave me an anime series that is encoded in Real Media format, but I stubbornly refuse to install Real Player on my computer. Last I checked, it was an evil piece of spyware/bloatware and I’d really like to avoid installing it if possible. So here’s the question: is there a method by which one can convert files in .RM format to the much nicer DivX format, or anything else for that matter? I did the customary Google search, but it seems like people think that the only way to re-encode RM is to directly rip the video frames while the movie is playing. Needless to say, this is a bad solution for me because it not only requires me to install Real Player, but also to spend 5+ hours to re-encode 5+ hours of video. Is there a better way to do it, or is the Real format so secure that I have no choice but to install Real Player in order to view the files? ---
**Author:** ![cykrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@cykrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cykrider)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463/2 "2001-03-26T01:32:34Z")
I don’t know the answer to your question (sorry.) But what program do you have that runs DivX files? And where can I obtain this precious piece of software for a reasonably free price? ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463/3 "2001-03-26T02:55:34Z")
You could probably do this, but you don’t want to. Recompressing video streams turns them into mush. You can’t recompress a file that was originally compressed with “lossy compression” like realplayer, mpg, divx, etc, without basically ruining the content. You know what I’m talking about, haven’ t you ever seen a jpg that was recompressed? They look like crap. ---
**Author:** ![Outrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@Outrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outrider)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463/4 "2001-03-26T03:15:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cykrider \* > \*\*I don’t know the answer to your question (sorry.) But what program do you have that runs DivX files? And where can I obtain this precious piece of software for a reasonably free price? \*\* Strangely enough, you can find this piece of software at [http://www.divx.com](http://www.divx.com) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Outrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@Outrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outrider)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463/5 "2001-03-26T03:37:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chas.E \* > \*\*You could probably do this, but you don’t want to. Recompressing video streams turns them into mush. You can’t recompress a file that was originally compressed with “lossy compression” like realplayer, mpg, divx, etc, without basically ruining the content. You know what I’m talking about, haven’ t you ever seen a jpg that was recompressed? They look like crap. \*\* Hmm…that’s a good point. I wish I had considered that earlier. I suppose I would have had to download Real Player sooner or later anyway. Thanks for the input. ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463/6 "2001-03-26T04:34:00Z")
Actually, **cykrider** , the latest Divx codec can be found at [http://www.projectmayo.com](http://www.projectmayo.com). Of course there’s a link to it from [divx.com](http://divx.com) so no problems. I should point out that this divx is a compression codec which is entirely unrelated to the failed divx dvd format. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463/7 "2001-03-26T08:36:15Z")
Yeah, **outrider** you’re just better off using RealPlayer, though there might be freeware RM players out there. Out of curiousity, what’s the series? ---
**Author:** ![Outrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@Outrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outrider)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-question-real-media-divx/59463/8 "2001-03-31T22:25:02Z")
The series is Ruroni Kenshin.