Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,955
axiomite
|
OP
axiomite
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,955 |
Just getting back from some travel to read the great advice and say thanks.
'm now hoping to convert my CDs to FLAC and tinker with the add ons for Windows Media Player. I'm not a big fan of the MS player but I already own Dell Media Player software. It pretends to be it's own WMC software but it obviously is just a front end for Windows Media Player except that it lets me use a remote control. I use an RF remote control and an IR blaster to change my tunes from anywhere in the house.
One Question for the last poster. If WMA Lossless is already 'lossless' then why use FLAC first and then change to WMA? Better compression?
With great power comes Awesome irresponsibility.
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,467
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,467 |
There is no reason to go from FLAC to WMA unless you have already ripped your entire collection of music on your computer as FLAC and want some low-quality copies of your music for an MP3 player or something.
M22s|VP100|QS4s|HSU STF2
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 45
buff
|
buff
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 45 |
Quote:
One Question for the last poster. If WMA Lossless is already 'lossless' then why use FLAC first and then change to WMA? Better compression?
I like WMA lossless because it integrates better with Windows Media Center (I'm buying a Vista Media Center PC for my living room in the next couple months, now that CableCard HTPCs are finally starting to pop up). FLAC requires a bit too much hackwork for my own liking to get it to read the music tags in Media Center & Media Player. It can be done, but I just don't like how it works. It's a shame that Microsoft doesn't have native support for FLAC in its media players.
I imagine that there's a way to rip directly to Lossless WMA with AlbumGain using EAC. I just don't know how to do it.
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,859
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,859 |
Who is selling PC's with cablecard support? I've been looking every once in a while, but haven't seen one yet.
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,349
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,349 |
I use Apple Lossless for music that might be subjected to critical listening. Otherwise, 192kb MP3's for me.
For the vast majority of music, I usually can't tell a difference between the original CD and the 192kb MP3 - but every now and then there will be something that sneaks in that sounds compressed. I'm thinking things like subtle overtones on a saxophone, or brush strokes on a quiet cymbol. I have heard compression artifacts there on 192kb mp3's when doing critical listening. They are subtle, very rare, and require concentration to hear them, but I've heard them. For every other circumstance (in the car, working out, background at a party, etc) they're fine.
I have never heard any sort of compression artifacts using the Apple Lossless format (Rip CD -> Reburn to CD -> play on stereo), and I've found that CD's usually boil down to about 300mb, which is roughly 50% compression.
M80v2 | VP150v2 | QS8v2 SVS Pci+ 20-39 Emotiva UMC-1 & LPA-1 M22ti + T-Amp, in the Office
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 45
buff
|
buff
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 45 |
Quote:
Who is selling PC's with cablecard support? I've been looking every once in a while, but haven't seen one yet.
There are a couple places selling them for ridiculous $10k prices. The closest thing to a reasonably-priced setup is through Velocity Micro (~$2000-3000+ depending on configuration). Looks like there's about a 1-month wait once you order, though.
Sony also appears to have a model out there for just over 3-large (with Blu-Ray).
Last edited by millerbrad; 02/07/07 06:46 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,859
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,859 |
I did a quick spec of one and it came to about $2300. I'll probably wait until August or so and then look at getting something. Prices should be down a bit by then. It being new plus there being limited places that carry them I'm sure is bringing up the price. I wonder what places like Dell and the other big companies will do as far as a case goes for these. They don't have any HTPC style cases now that I am aware of.
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,703
connoisseur
|
connoisseur
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,703 |
Guys... you might want to check this thread out before you buy any Cable Card PC.
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 88
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 88 |
FLAC, EAC, and a Sqeezebox. You'll never use your CD player again.... well, almost never.
Seriously...now that you have speakers that will allow you to hear just how bad MP3's are you'll truly appreciate a lossless format. Flac is open source, you can convert it to anything, and it's as future proof as anything can be. I use my Sqeezeboxes 99.9% of the time.
|
|
|
Re: Promise of lossless at 60% compression ???
|
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 213
local
|
local
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 213 |
Quote:
Seriously...now that you have speakers that will allow you to hear just how bad MP3's are you'll truly appreciate a lossless format.
yes i agree, and it was painful to accept that my well maintained mp3 collection was limiting my sonic bliss.
and as others have mentioned if you need a smaller footprint for ipod or other on the go devices, the flac file can provide the original source material.
Randy
Axiom M80, Ep600, Qs8, VP150, Crown XLI 2500 , DBX Driverack PA2, Focusrite Scarlet 2i4
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics24,945
Posts442,486
Members15,617
|
Most Online2,082 Jan 22nd, 2020
|
|
0 members (),
1,192
guests, and
2
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|