Encode or re-encode, one progran as good as another?
 

I have a video that needs to be encoded or re-encoded, whichever is the correct term, and it worked, I found a copy the first divxtodvd as freeware, it worked fine and easy, did I loose quality with it compared to version 4 which I have seen recommended and is about $40-$50?

I would suggest that ConvertXToDVD is much better that the earlier versions of the software from whence it came. Version 3 of ConvertXToDVD is what I use, and it's excellent. I'm using it this very minute to quickly process some H.264 16:9 video to a widescreen DVD (with no menu). And the quality is stellar on it. No complaints. It's almost the same caliber as MainConcept Reference is! (That's a heck of a compliment!)

Get it here: https://secure.avangate.com/affiliat...so-software.fr

Buy VSO ConvertXToDVD

There should be a trial version available, too. So give that a spin first.
Version 4 introduced two-pass encoding.