Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?

Subject: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Fidjit
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 03:43 PM

Treewind came up with the vorbis.com site on another mudcat page. i.e. Miskin at Easter. Anyone got ay more to say about it?

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 03:48 PM

Fnnneah....

Beta was a FAR superior format to VHS... but it lost the war... Vorbis is the same VS mp3...

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: treewind
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 04:23 PM

Vorbis isn't at war with MP3. It's a format that is completely safe to use in free (as in free speech, not as in free beer) software. Anyone distributing software that encodes MP3s could be liable for patent royalties to Fraunhofer Labs, depending on exactly what's in the software and how they are distributing it. You can download the specs and code for an Ogg Vorbis encoder and use it in any software product without anyone coming at you for patent infringements, guaranteed.

It's not quite like Betamax vs. VHS, because no video player could ever play both formats unless it was two mechanisms in one box, whereas most software audio players can play many formats including MP3 and OGG.

BTW I discovered my Linux system can play WMA audio using the vlc player. The WMA decoding must have been reverse engineered because much of the spec. is proprietary to MS and not published, so from the disclosure-of-specs point of view it's even worse than MP3.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 04:34 PM

The absolutlty only reason for not using ogg vorbis is that most portable players don't use it yet....

Now the other point is that you can't convert FROM MP3 to ogg and get better sound quality. It needs to be encoded as ogg to be useful.

MP3 is pretty entrenched and standard, and there will need to be some overriding reason for most folks to switch or bother at all......I really don't have the ears to 'hear' the better quality sound that can be measured and that others can hear.....(which also means, I CAN convert MP3 to ogg and vice versa and barely notice the difference, so I can do whatever is convenient)

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 04:36 PM

"only reason for not using ogg vorbis is that most portable players don't use it yet...."


Nor are they ever likely to.....

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 06:23 PM

saw at least one which did....Who knows?

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 06:28 PM

geez! this page lists 30! Gotta plan ahead next time I have a few $$$$$

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: treewind
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 03:42 AM

There's quite a few of those little devices running embedded Linux and there will be more as the developers cotton on to the advantages of an OS that's free to buy and free to tweak to suit their purpose. And of course the ones running Linux will all play ogg vorbis.

"Now the other point is that you can't convert FROM MP3 to ogg and get better sound quality. It needs to be encoded as ogg to be useful."

For the avoidance of doubt, that's true for any lossy compresison method. Converting in any direction between WMA, MP3, Ogg and RealAudio will always make it worse. Once the information has been lost in the original conversion, you can never get it back!

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 06:50 AM

... which has never stopped humans trying to regain their lost youth...

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Fidjit
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 07:18 AM

Interesting. Should I go for it? Should I use both? Beta Max Vs VHS again? I was too slow to ever get Beta Max, so I lost nothing in waiting. It all works now, so dont fix it.

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 09:39 AM

Most windows users can't/don't know jow to listen to ogg files. That's the major reason for not using it.

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 10:33 AM

*shrug*...if they have a passing interest, it's not hard to find out. I have several freeware apps for the PC that plays them, though I don't have a whole lot, as not a lot of folk music gets encoded...mostly rock, jazz, pop; and I don't have the physical setup to copy my LPs and tapes yet.

There is a newsgroup that is dedicated to ogg if anyone wants to experiment.

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 12:20 PM

Jet Audio - a freeware player, and my standard player on a PC these days - will play and encode to ogg (and a lot of other stuff).

Mick

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 12:21 PM

JetAudio ROCKS!

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 12:30 PM

Yep...JetAudio..(2 different versions) has been a standard with me since Clinton mentioned it several years ago..

I use 6.2 for a lot of stuff, but I still have 4.7 (I think) which has a GUI I like better, and does some stuff better. Haven't looked for more recent ones lately.

Subject: RE: Tech: So why should we be using Vorbis?
From: treewind
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 03:44 AM

So do lots of free players.
Plenty to choose from at www.free-codecs.com

Anahata