DivX Inc. has announced the release of DivX 6.5 for the Mac. The new version of the video conversion and playback software features the first “official” release of DivX for Mac player, which lets Mac users watch DivX-encoded video either in a Web browser or from the desktop.
DivX — no relation to the failed optical disk format — is video compression software offered as an alternative to QuickTime and other formats. It produces high-quality compressed video that can be played back on computers, some portable devices and DivX-capable DVD players. This announcement marks the end of a public beta test of DivX 6.5 for Mac.
DivX 6.5 for the Mac lets users watch DivX videos in full-screen playback. It also includes a desktop dimmer, mouse gesture controls, Windows fade-out and other features.
Included with the 6.5 release is DivX Converter, which outputs video files and necessary HTML code to embed those movies into Web sites used in conjunction with the DivX player. Also included is the DivX 6 codec, a plug-in for QuickTime, to enable QuickTime Player and other QuickTime-enabled software t play back DivX-encoded video.
DivX for Mac 6.5 rquires QuickTime 7 and Mac OS X v10.3.9. It’s available as a Universal Binary that works natively on Intel and PowerPC-based Macs. DivX for Mac 6.5 costs $19.99, but it’s available for download as a trial version.
At the end of 15 days you must register to continue using DivX Converter; after six months the DivX Codec for Mac with “Pro” features expires unless you register. The ability to play back DivX content doesn’t expire at any time, however.