DivX recently came out with version 5.0 of their codec. When the version 3 drivers appeared, they allowed the user to specify the bitrate but not the quality level. Specifying the bitrate means that you can control the output video file size. It often has side-effects which include the notorious block artifacts. However, in many situations such as archiving video, it is crucial to keep a certain quality level for later viewing. Beginning with version 4, DivX included a quality level setting which guarantees the specified output video quality.

From 4 tests done on DVD movies, we found that a quality level of 95 should be suitable for most users in archiving video and is certainly near DVD quality but at a quarter of the file size.

One caveat: It is important to note that on large screens such as those found in home theaters (i.e. greater than 300cm), even a quality level of 95 will give a noticeable reduction in video quality. Keeping the original mpeg2 streams is important for true videophiles.