[LMB] MP3 advice

[Mark Allums]

Phil Boswell wrote:
> To be pedantic (and in this business it can pay to be numbingly so,
> given the bite-back when something turns out to be *nearly* true) OGG
> is a *container* format: it cna contain files of any variety,
> including non-free formats like MP3, MPEG-4 and the like:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogg#Ogg_codecs
> 
> OGG does define audio (Vorbis) and video (Theora) formats for the
> contents of the container, but you're technically free to use whatever
> works for you and your clients ;-) In fact, if I've understood
> correctly, you can package multiple formats inside the container and
> let the end-user select which is most appropriate to use.
> 
> I would assume that those player which "understand OGG formats" are
> actually understanding the *content* formats...I would be happy to be
> proved wrong here, since it would certainly be nice if they grokked
> the container concept also, then you could bundle up several tracks in
> one gulp.

Quite right, and I believe what the players that can use OGG files are 
decoding are actually Vorbis encoded sound.  At any rate, they did pick 
a confusing file extension, it should have been VOR, I'm thinking.  That 
would be less confusing, and ObLMB as well.  :)

As someone mentioned there are alternatives to Windows Media Player and 
iTunes.  There is the MusicMatch Jukebox, Realplayer, Foobar 2000, 
WinAmp, and several more.  Many of these use Windows DirectShow behind 
the scenes, including Windows Media Player.  To add Ogg Vorbis 
capability to all of them, just download a plugin for DirectShow, and 
you're in business.  The reason to pick one over the other is more for 
taste and style than features, although most of them will let you add 
OGG files to your library and playlist, which iTunes and Windows Media 
Player will not do.

Most people can skip the whole issue, and stick to MP3s and WMAs.

There are also a few more codecs to mention, such as FLAC, and Monkey's 
Audio.  These two are each *lossless* compression.  There is no 
degrading of sound quality with them.  They can compress audio to about 
1/2 the size of the original WAV file.  1/2 doesn't sound like much, but 
anything is better than nothing, and lets you save some space on your 
computer or player.  Windows has WMA Lossless as well, a very few 
players can play WMA Lossless.  I don't know offhand of any player that 
can play Monkey's Audio, although I suppose it's only a matter of time 
before someone hacks an iPod to do it.

iPods have been hacked to run Linux, and to run Rockbox, an 
"alternative" firmware OS for a few players.  A Rockbox'ed player is 
mostly for cool points, not utility, but it does allow the playing of 
OGG Vorbis, and will void your warranty.

--Mark A.