On 07/10/05, Mr. Mike from the Ancients <catalyst@datacomm.ch> wrote:
You wouldn't seriously consider WMV9 a better alternative would you ?
MPEG isnt and never was a lossless format, meaning if you compress something with it, you loose actual data. WHAT is lost is determined by mathematical algorithms (same for Minidisk, same for CD to some extend). ... CD is not lossy at all, it is 16 bit linear. It is lossy if you look at it from the point of view the original source was (is) analogue. If the mastering process is done correctly, 16 to 24 bit isn't really noticeable even on paper.
MD is lossy yes. Most of the lossy algorithms are based on psycho-acoustic loss, dumping what the brain cannot hear. Generally they have artifacts however, which are more noticeable than the actual losses. Some compression methods do not suffer that, the UK NICAM system for example (Near Instantaneous Companded Audio Multiplex) which uses a 32k sample rate (limited to 16kHz frequency width) and 14 bit encoding, which is subsequently trimmed (using the most significant bits only) to 10 bits. All UK BBC Radio national FM distribution uses this (not DAB), and UK Stereo 'analogue' TV. Zero artifacts. The same applies to visual compression, and UK DVB, the channels with slower bitrates are very noticeable. However, none of this is any use if you can't decode it. Even the best is useless if it can't be viewed. Apart from the extra space required why can't alternatives be offered?