iTunes 6 Supports MP4 but not DIVX/XVID

I hate to admit it, but the new video iPod has been tempting me somewhat. However, I have ripped a large number of my (legally purchased and still owned) DVDs to DIVX for use with a few DIVX players that I bought earlier in the year. The vPod is not much use to me if I can not play videos, so I was curious to see what it might handle. Its specs say that it will handle MP4 video, but DIVX (what I use to rip DVDs) and XVID (what most online downloads of movies are from) are both versions of MP4 video with slight tweaks for their own codecs. When most DIVX plays *SAY* MP4, they mean DIVX and XVID. (The one I bought this year actually will not play .MP4 files, though it is happy with .AVI files.)

Anyway, so I did a little experimentation with iTunes 6, which is the gateway into the new vPod. I assume if iTunes will play it, then the vPod will similarly play. What my experimentation shows is... MP4 files - GOOD. DIVX or XVID - BAD. So apparently if I want to use a vPod, I would have to rerip my entire collection to MP4 (doable with HandBrake, the software I use) or convert it from DIVX to MP4 (doable with QuickTime Pro, but slower than doing a rip). Considering it takes about a half day to rip a DVD, and a full day to convert DIVX to MP4, this would be a HUGE investment of time.

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