DivX for the Xbox SDK Announced

Factor 5, the renowned gaming software development house, and DivXNetworks, the company that created the revolutionary patent-pending DivX video compression technology, today announced the release of the DivX for Xbox Software Development Kit (SDK). An easy-to-use tool, the DivX SDK allows Xbox developers to easily create DVD-quality cinematics at 1/10th the size of a DVD.

Factor 5, creators of the multimillion selling "Star Wars®: Rogue Squadron(TM)" game franchise and the MusyX sound tools for multiple game platforms, previously partnered with DivXNetworks to create the popular DivX for Gamecube SDK. The new DivX for Xbox SDK includes a number of new features for the highest-quality in-game cinematics, including:

• Hand-optimized Pentium assembly code for maximum performance

• DVD-quality at file sizes 7-10 times smaller than MPEG-2

• Full usage of PixelShader Technology to offload CPU performance onto the graphics chip

• Full beyond-HDTV resolution support of up to 1920x1080 progressive scan video

• Full-screen and surface-mapped rendering support for video on 3D scenery

Additionally, the DivX for Xbox SDK and the newest revision of the DivX for Gamecube SDK feature support for the popular and highly efficient Vorbis audio compression. Vorbis audio from Factor 5 provides a 13 to 1 compression ratio with sound quality that is far superior to MP3 and a custom data format optimized for game console memory limitations. Vorbis support in the DivX for Xbox SDK also offers full multi-channel and multi-stream support for discrete 5.1 soundtracks and multi-language releases.

News source: TeamXbox