DivX 4.xx code

[TheShadow091]

I was just wondering, divx networks say they built the new codec from scratch, but it can still play old divx 3.11a movies. so this means it still must contain some of the old code, right? i was just wondering, i usually am not one to question the legitamacy of things.

[TheShadow091]

its just kinda wierd, how many codecs do you know of that can support another codec and still be an entirly different codec?

[setarip]

It's quite possible and not at all uncommon. An example far more extreme than a small codec would be the Virtual Game Station - the marvelous Connectix software-only emulator of the the Sony PlayStation. Sony took Connectix to court several times, all unsuccessfully, attempting to stop Connectix from selling the product. But Connectix was able to prove that its product was not a "reverse engineered" ripoff of Sony's code. At a loss for what to do, Sony dug deep into its pockets and created a joint venture with Connectix regarding this product - and promptly stopped its sale.

The most basic analogy would be to say that you can get from Point A to Point B by walking, while I can get there by driving a car. We'll both get to the same destination, but in VERY different ways.

[TheShadow091]

Very good point of view. I wonder what other people think of it...
I never heard about that Sony case, when was it?

[setarip]

Last year...