[LightWaver-67]

I know this has been discussed before, but I just noticed on MacCentral (I think) a new app designed to batch-convert all your .MP3 files to .AAC files and it will convert the actual files... NOT duplicate them.

BAD IDEA...! (IMHO)

Again... others may be able to explain it BETTER than I can, but essentially, an .MP3 file is a LOSSY compression of the source file... in other words... it THROWS AWAY data and chooses what data to keep based on your settings. An .AAC file will ALSO compress the file based on discarding information... BUT... if you do it from an existing .MP3 file... it's throwing away from a source that has already thrown data away...!

That's why I say it's like converting a .GIF file into a JPEG... it may get smaller, but it's gonna look like 'ass' compared to if you had compressed it using the ORIGINAL hi-res source file.

I would hate to see someone "Batch Convert" all of their files, only to find-out it sounds terrible and now they're stuck with crappy versions of their music.

Just be careful, people... that's all I'm saying...

[Bluebomber21XX]

Yep, I agree.

I wonder why the author of AAChoo didn't realize this. It seems really stupid to convert your .mp3 files into AAC.

[Earth Mk. II]

.. unless you're trying to save disk space and don't give a rat's arse about sounds quality.

But, I agree, not the best thing to do.. much better to go from the original CD.

[Uncle Skeleton]

but gif is a lossless compression format

[spaced]

AAChoo... convert MP3 to AAC for $15 shareware.

iTunes 4... convert MP3 to AAC for free.

And that's if you'd want to do it in the first place.

Did Ovo Labs not notice this feature in iTunes 4 because it doesn't look like AAChoo offers any additional features?

[ZackS]

Originally posted by Uncle Skeleton:
but gif is a lossless compression format

Not if you have over 256 colors or feathered transparency.

[wataru]

This isn't a very good comparison. Both JPEG and GIF have niche uses--JPEG is good for images with lots of colors, like photos; GIF is good for image with fewer colors, like line art. But there's no such reason you'd want to use MP3 instead of AAC.

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by wataru:
But there's no such reason you'd want to use MP3 instead of AAC.

some people would, for compatibility

[Sharky K.]

Originally posted by ZackS:
Not if you have over 256 colors or feathered transparency.

Skeleton is officialy right
save a gif again as a gif and you won't lose information
if you export an mp3 to an other mp3 you will lose information

[dlefebvre]

AAC is much better, finally I can burn CDs that don't sound like crap. I had around 300 songs in my library back in the iTunes 3 days. Since v4 came out I ripped close to a 1000 songs in AAC. and re-ripped old songs
I also discovererd something nice. If your songs are tagged properly, iTunes aske you if you want to replace the file when you rip a song that already exist in the library.

[wataru]

Originally posted by Stradlater:
some people would, for compatibility

That's why I said such reason. Compatibility is not a feature of the codec, it's an unrelated external trend. MP3 isn't common because it's better, it's common because it came first.

AAC is a better codec than MP3. But JPEG is not necessarily a better format than GIF.

[LightWaver-67]

wow... you guys read WAY TOO far-into things...





My simple point was that you're converting a file from one compressed format to ANOTHER compressed format, bypassing the original source file.

It's an analogy...

You wouldn't go from an .MP3 to an .AAC file, just like you wouldn't convert a .GIF file to a .JPEG

I'm well-aware of the major differences in how GIF files and JPEG files compress images... that is not the point.



Let me simplify it:

.MP3 to .AAC = BAD
Original source audio to .AAC = GOOD

.GIF to .JPEG = BAD
Original photo to .JPEG = GOOD

yeah.. there's an exception or two to every rule... some people may be perfectly content with .MP3 files batched-over to .AAC files... but I can't imagine how anyone can ignore the degradation that would happen in most cases.

Oh well... to each, their own, I guess...

[sambeau]

Originally posted by Uncle Skeleton:
but gif is a lossless compression format

But jpegs are for images and mp3's are for sound..

[Sharky K.]

Originally posted by sambeau:
But jpegs are for images and mp3's are for sound..

topic is about quality not about format


better comparision should be
jpeg -> jpeg2000

[lavar78]

I'm pretty sure that was a joke.

[Powaqqatsi]

Originally posted by Sharky K.:
topic is about quality not about format


better comparision should be
jpeg -> jpeg2000

Yeah, what the hell is JPEG2000 actually ?

[xtal]

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
Yeah, what the hell is JPEG2000 actually ?

It's a bit like Windows and Windows 2000.

Same $hit, different pile.

[Sharky K.]

jpeg2000 is the successor of jpeg. It is an amazing good format. Too bad no browsers does yet support it.