|
The Internet Web sites, web development, email, chat, bandwidth, the net and society |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
09-29-2010, 09:50 PM | #1 |
Profitable Prophet
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 30
|
Help picking audio format
I'm trying to download a CD online and am being given a choice of 5 audio formats to choose from:
1) AAC (iTunes/iPod compatible) 2) MP3 HD (lossless MP3, iTunes/iPod compatible) 3) MP3 only (320 kbs) 4) Apple Lossless & MP3 5) FLAC & MP3 I've got to admit that I've never seen some of those before (lossless? FLAC? AAC?). Does anyone know about this stuff and have a recommendation for what I should select? I'd like to be able to play it both on iTunes and WMP. If it matters...the site is rockapella.com, and the menu comes up when you click to pre-order their CD. Thanks very much for any advice/input! |
09-29-2010, 10:07 PM | #3 |
Nearly done.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Teetering on the edge.
Posts: 1,134
|
With what type of device do you intend to play this 'CD'?
|
09-29-2010, 10:33 PM | #4 |
Profitable Prophet
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 30
|
Thanks classic. I pop in fairly regularly on a reading basis....but just don't post that much. You all have the wickedly-clever-posts-thing down pat and I'm pretty sure my posts couldn't even tie your posts' shoes!
|
09-30-2010, 02:03 AM | #5 | |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
|
Quote:
Besides, somebody has to supply the straight lines.
__________________
The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
|
09-30-2010, 07:25 AM | #6 |
I hear them call the tide
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Perpetual Chaos
Posts: 30,852
|
That's OK, they use the Velcro fastenings.
(Sorry, I don't have anything useful to add.)
__________________
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart |
09-30-2010, 01:52 PM | #7 |
Turns out my CRS is a symptom of TMB.
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Chicago suburbs
Posts: 2,916
|
What, no ogg?
MP3 should be playable on just about everything. The MP3 format has a lot of options for compression. The HD thing is just MP3 with all compression turned off. The files you'll get will be large. (I'd guess 30-40MB per song) The other MP3 format is the same but with whatever compression options they think are appropriate turned on. (Smaller, but not pure)
__________________
Talk nerdy to me. Last edited by Pete Zicato; 09-30-2010 at 01:53 PM. Reason: for clarity |
09-29-2010, 10:36 PM | #8 |
Profitable Prophet
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 30
|
Rhianne - sorry I wasn't very clear....
With the CD pre-order we get both the physical CD and a digital download of the album. I'd like to be able to play the digital download both on iTunes and on Windows Media Player....but just don't know what audio format to select of the options given. |
09-29-2010, 11:02 PM | #9 |
Elite Elitist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 322
|
MP3 is the safest bet, especially for compatibility on any media player that is worth anything. MP3 HD may not be supported by everything yet (heck, it's the first time I've heard of it).
From Wikipedia: "Lossless data compression is a class of data compression algorithms that allows the exact original data to be reconstructed from the compressed data. The term lossless is in contrast to lossy data compression, which only allows an approximation of the original data to be reconstructed, in exchange for better compression rates." If you want a lossless format as well, I'd go with option 5 (FLAC = Free Lossless Audio Codec, which is open source).
__________________
Every oak tree started out as a couple of nuts who stood their ground. - Anonymous http://informationthreshold.blogspot.com, http://spiritualthreshold.blogspot.com |
09-29-2010, 11:08 PM | #10 |
Hoodoo Guru
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 286
|
MP3 is the most useable. If there's some slim chance you'll turn into an audio weenie, and don't mind the harddrive space and download time, go with FLAC + MP3. Otherwise MP3 only.
AAC/Apple Lossless/MP3 HD will give you more compatibility issues. FLAC is easy to find programs that support on all platforms, but is (to my ears) overkill. |
09-30-2010, 12:42 AM | #11 |
Your Bartender
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Philly Burbs, PA
Posts: 7,651
|
Get FLAC. It's lossless & can be converted to anything else you want later.
|
09-30-2010, 04:28 AM | #12 |
Nearly done.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Teetering on the edge.
Posts: 1,134
|
If you don't know what the other formats are then you almost certainly don't need them so stick to the KISS method and use MP3s - but if you do find you'd like it another way (sorry about the double entendre), well, you have the CD anyway so you can convert to whatever you like whenever you like.
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
|