Sound formats

[Dan Shafer]

Xavier....

WAV and AIFF files are HUGE compared to MP3's.; on the order of 20x.  
For Internet delivery, my understanding is that mp3 is really pretty  
standard. Microsoft claims ( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ 
windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/mediaadvice/0071.aspx#417) that Windows  
Media Player (Version 9 and later) supports the .mp3 format as well,  
but my audio consultant tells me that's just a lie as far as he can  
tell.

If I'm understanding this correctly -- and as I've already said, I'm  
clearly not the multimedia guru in these parts -- it is not possible  
to find a single file format that can be guaranteed to play on both  
Windows and OS X without requiring the user of one system or the  
other (or both) to download either an app or a codec. My survey  
suggests that MP3 is the default standard for compressed audio but  
that if you want higher-fidelity delivery (generally not over the Net  
but rather on CD/DVD), you offer both AIFF and WAV formats and pretty  
much cover the waterfront.

I've noticed that sites that make sound files available generally  
default to .mp3 files; I assume Windows users must have some fairly  
convenient if not automatic way of playing them.

Maybe it's just me but this state of affairs seems quite abominable  
given how long we've been at this stuff.


On Sep 24, 2005, at 12:09 PM, MisterX wrote:

> Hi Jacque
>
> WAVs are far more common BUT you have to use the right bitrate  
> (rather high
> than low)
> or as you say, you hear noise (rev missinterprets something - QT  
> player will
> not
> though....)
>
> mp3s (which are more compact than high bitrate wavs) are only  
> playable on
> quicktime
> equipped pcs only though...
>
> never tried pcm... ;)
>
> cheers
> Xavier
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: use-revolution-bounces at lists.runrev.com
> [mailto:use-revolution-bounces at lists.runrev.com] On Behalf Of J.  
> Landman Gay
> Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2005 8:52 PM
> To: Revolution Mailing List
> Subject: Sound formats
>
> I'm converting some sound files on my Mac that eventually may need  
> to play
> on Windows. Using Virtual PC, it looks like the "PCM" format plays  
> okay
> (other encodings just screech.) Can someone confirm that this will  
> work so I
> don't have to drag my ancient PC out of the closet and set it up?  
> Thanks.
>
> -- 
> Jacqueline Landman Gay         |     jacque at hyperactivesw.com
> HyperActive Software           |     http://www.hyperactivesw.com
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dan Shafer, Information Product Consultant and Author
http://www.shafermedia.com
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