MP3s and Linux [ogg format]

Daniel Stonier snorri_dj at operamail.com
Tue Apr 6 11:08:44 UTC 2004


Good, thanks for the info. I never really found the time or the need
to go chasing up on the info, but its nice to know how their algorithms 
compare.

Cheers,
Daniel.

On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 11:10:10 +0100, Dave Cross <dave at dave.org.uk> wrote:

> On Tue, Apr 06, 2004 at 07:44:41PM +1000, Daniel Stonier wrote:
>>
>> I just had a look at the script itself and that is how it works.
>> Still, how much information does this lose? I have no idea - you would
>> have to have a look at the algorithms for mp3 and ogg to work out what
>> each captures and loses. It may still be in the transfer there is
>> little loss to get worried about (the mp3 to wav product may just be
>> exactly what ogg captures anyway). I'd be interested in hearing from
>> anyone who might know.
>
> The Ogg Vorbis people would probably know. From their FAQ:
>
> Can I convert my MP3 collection to the Ogg Vorbis format?
>
> You can convert any audio format to Ogg Vorbis. However, converting from
> one lossy format, like MP3, to another lossy format, like Vorbis, is
> generally a bad idea. Both MP3 and Vorbis encoders achieve high
> compression ratios by throwing away parts of the audio waveform that you
> probably won't hear. However, the MP3 and Vorbis codecs are very
> different, so they each will throw away different parts of the audio,
> although there certainly is some overlap. Converting a MP3 to Vorbis
> involves decoding the MP3 file back to an uncompressed format, like WAV,
> and recompressing it using the Ogg Vorbis encoder. The decoded MP3 will
> be missing the parts of the original audio that the MP3 encoder chose to
> discard. The Ogg Vorbis encoder will then discard other audio components
> when it compresses the data. At best, the result will be an Ogg file
> that sounds the same as your original MP3, but it is most likely that
> the resulting file will sound worse than your original MP3. In no case
> will you get a file that sounds better than the original MP3.
>
> Since many music players can play both MP3 and Ogg files, there is no
> reason that you should have to switch all of your files to one format or
> the other. If you like Ogg Vorbis, then we would encourage you to use it
> when you encode from original, lossless audio sources (like CDs). When
> encoding from originals, you will find that you can make Ogg files that
> are smaller or of better quality (or both) than your MP3s.
>
> http://www.vorbis.com/faq.psp#transcode
>
>> At any rate, I couldn't come across a file where I could distinguish
>> between one or the other by ear which was the only test that needed to
>> satisfy me. I only converted a dozen or so files of some music that I
>> had from a group whose music I can't get in oz though - the rest I
>> ripped straight from my CD's to ogg format, so I haven't really tried
>> it out thoroughly.
>
> That may be a limitation of the equipment you are using.
>
> Dave...
>



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