Why are there so many video and audio formats, and is there a difference?


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Why are there so many video and audio formats, and is there a difference?

audio formats
audio formats

3.WAV format

audio formats
audio formats

The WAV format is the oldest digital audio format and is widely supported by the Windows platform and its applications. WAV supports many compression algorithms, supports a variety of audio bits, sampling rates and channels, adopts 44.1 kHz sampling rate and 16 quantization bits, so the sound quality of WAV is almost the same than CD, but WAV format requires too much storage space Not easy to communicate and broadcast.
Supplement: Lossless volume is large

4. Format
ASF ASF is a multimedia playback format formulated by Microsoft, suitable for playback on the Internet.
Supplement: rare format

5. Format
AAC AAC is actually short for Advanced Audio Coding. AAC is part of the MPEG-2 specification. The algorithm used by AAC is different from that of MP3. AAC improves encoding efficiency by combining other features. AAC’s audio algorithm far exceeds some older compression algorithms (like MP3, etc.) in terms of compressibility. It also supports up to 48 audio tracks, 15 low-frequency audio tracks, higher sample rates and bit rates, multi-language support, and higher decoding efficiency. In short, AAC can provide better sound quality on the assumption that MP3 files are 30% smaller.
Added: One of the best lossy formats out there. There are many encodings, faac and nero are common, and the bit rate is up to 448kbps. In terms of hardware support, advanced mp3 and mobile phones are generally supported.

6. Format
Mp3Pro Mp3Pro is an improved version of the Mp3 encoding format. MP3Pro is developed by the Swedish Coding Technology Company, which can also compress the volume of sound files to half the size of the original MP3 format while maintaining the same sound quality. Also, the sound quality of the original MP3 music can be improved basically without changing the file size. You can compress audio files to a lower bit rate and keep the sound quality before compression to the greatest extent possible. MP3pro can achieve full compatibility. The extension of the files compressed by mp3Pro remains .mp3. It can be played on old mp3 players. Old mp3 files can be played on the new mp3pro players.


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Why are there so many video and audio formats, and is there a difference?

Why are there so many video and audio formats, and is there a difference?

Audio File Formats
Audio File Formats

I found that there are many video and audio formats, what is the difference between them? Is there a player that supports most audio and video playback formats?

Audio File Formats
Audio File Formats

The difference lies in the encoding method. Original video and audio require a lot of storage space. In the era when the storage device was still in MB as a large drive, various lossy compression encoding formats began to appear. The difference between various encoding formats is the compression ratio. The pros and cons of height and reduction ratio.

Basically, there are more advanced encodings that can provide high-quality audio and video effects with higher compression ratio.

1. Format
MP3 MP3 uses MPEG Audio Layer 3 technology to compress music into a file with a smaller capacity at a compression ratio of 1:10 or even 1:12. Files are compressed to a smaller size. But also very good at keeping the original sound quality. It is precisely because of the small size and high sound quality of MP3 that the MP3 format has become almost synonymous with online music. The music per minute MP3 format is only 1 MB in size, so the size of each song is only 3-4 megabytes.

Supplement: the highest bit rate is 320K, and there is no high frequency part is its default. The sound quality is not high!

2. Format
WMA WMA achieves a higher compression ratio by reducing data traffic while maintaining sound quality. The compression rate can generally reach 1:18, and the generated file size is only half of the corresponding MP3 file. This is very important for models that only assemble 32M. It supports both WMA and RA formats, which means that the 32M space is virtually expanded by 2 times. In addition, WMA can also add copy prevention through the DRM scheme, or add restrictions on playback time and number of playbacks, or even restrictions on playback machines, which can effectively prevent piracy.
Supplement: 128 kbps is the optimal compression ratio of wma, 128 kbps wma = 192 kbps mp3

Play high-quality music on mobile

Play high-quality music on mobile.

Play high-quality music on mobile
Play high-quality music on mobile

Use the mobile to play mp3, acc, etc.

Play high-quality music on mobile
Play high-quality music on mobile

Nowadays, mobile phones are not only communication tools, but also mobile entertainment devices, such as playing games, watching movies, listening to music, etc. Many manufacturers provide users with good sound quality, but even if the manufacturer provides good software and hardware, it does not mean that there is good sound performance. After all, high-quality music is needed for that software and hardware to play. its strengths The following is an introduction to how to make and find high-definition sound.

Broadcast sound quality is not as good as CD

Taking listening to music on mobile phones as an example, users can choose to use KKBOX and Spotify to listen to songs or import songs by themselves (such as compressing CDs into various music formats or downloading audio files from the Internet). as examples The highest bit rate is 320 kbps (the same as the common MP3 bit rate), while the uncompressed audio bit rate on a CD is 1411.2 kbps, which shows that the The sound quality of streaming music is not as good as that of a CD.

 

â–²On Spotify and KKBOX, even if you choose high-level or high-quality streaming, the bit rate is only 320kbps, just like high-quality MP3.

The sound quality of the iTunes Store is not as good as that of a CD

Many iOS device users will use the iTunes Store to purchase songs and listen to them. It provides users with songs and music videos encoded with 256kbps AAC audio, and these contents are DRM-free, allowing users to record without limits. Record to disc, sync with any AAC-enabled device (like an iOS device), and play back on any Mac or Windows computer. It is worth noting that AAC is also a distorted music format.

 

â–²Music purchased through iTunes uses AAC format files with a bit rate of 256 kbps and the sample rate is 44.100 kHz like a CD)

Are your ears worthy of your headphones?

Are your ears worthy of your headphones?…

Audio Quality
Audio Quality

The process of human hearing sound is very complicated.

Audio Quality
Audio Quality

But compared to the metaphysics of headphones and audio, the complexity of the human ear is basically not worth mentioning. But before we get into whether Beats is shallow, whether Sony is good, and whether headphone noise reduction is good for your ears, let’s take a look at what we’re talking about when it comes to sound quality. It may be that when you feel that the sound quality of a certain headset is not good, the problem is in your ears or in the sound file itself.

01 What is sound quality?

The essence of music and sound is the vibration of air, and sound quality is generally attributed to three aspects: volume, pitch, and timbre.

Everyone knows the volume and the tone is Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti. And what is the tone?

The American National Standards Institute defines timbre as “…a sensory attribute by which a listener can judge that two tones of the same volume and pitch are not the same.” We can tell the difference between a guitar playing a 440Hz tone and a piano playing a 440Hz tone.

The sound reproduced by different headphones is different, and the timbre is also different. However, in terms of volume, different headphones will also have a certain volume difference due to different internal circuitry; as for the tone, there is no obvious change without accident.

02Digital recording and analog recording

There is no doubt that pre-CD audio carriers: magnetic tapes, vinyl records, etc., are all analog recording products. The word “analog” is also translated as “analog”, in short, it restores and reproduces the vibration in the air at that moment in a physical way. Whether it’s vinyl or tape, physical features such as bumps, depressions, or magnetic dust splits on tape or disc are used to restore the vibrance detail of the audio.

But in the age of CDs and computers, all audio vibrations are converted to 0 or 1 on the surface of the disc and go into the so-called binary algorithm. After decoding, it is restored to physical vibration.

In popular music recordings, there are probably three most common formats:

44.1 kHz, 16-bit waveform

320kb mp3

128kb mp3

Mp3, is it the best format for music and sound?

Mp3, is it the best format for music and sound?

best format for music and sound
best format for music and sound

People are looking for the best audio and video quality in 2022, what is it?

best format for music and sound
best format for music and sound

If you are seriously looking for high-quality audio and video, we advise you to stay away from the data-throwing fundamentalists and adopt a more practical attitude.

First of all you must ask yourself, on which devices will you listen to the audio or see the videos.

We have listened to dozens of fundamentalists who use numbers and certain statements as dogmas and have turned even this discussion of quality into a dogma.

And that is diametrically different from the simple my real aspiration to really enjoy the best audio and video quality that your equipment can deliver and that your eyes and ears are capable of detecting.

Mathematical statements are useless if you do not have an HD computer to listen to your audios and watch your videos.

Nor if the extreme is reached where the difference is already indistinguishable for 99.99% of the population.

It is fully demonstrated that for 99.99% of the population, even for those who have auditory training, an mp3 with 320 kbps and 48000 as sample rate is indistinguishable from a WAV or FLAC.

You can improve your audio with Mp4Gain regardless if you decide to continue using mp3s or prefer to switch to FLAC (Mp4Gain can convert and use these and other formats like ogg, m4a, etc)

In short, the discussion of sound quality should be based more on actually hearing the best possible audio and not a fundamentalist discussion about numbers.

The audio formats with the best sound quality

The audio formats with the best sound quality

audio formats

 

In addition, when editing, because some details have been compressed and sacrificed, the editing space is relatively small.

audio formats

It should be noted that the sound quality will be compromised every time these formats are output. After too many output programs, the quality can be terrible, so the number of times of recompression and conversion should be reduced.

Pros: small file size, maximum device compatibility

Disadvantages: destructive compression leads to loss of sound quality, less spatial flexibility for reissue

 

Resume
When it comes to sound files for editing, it’s ideal to work with uncompressed formats like .WAV or .AIFF. Such a format allows users to get the greatest degree of tolerance and freedom when editing, and most of these file formats are still supported, regardless of software or equipment. Also, when the video is output at the end of the project, the music file will still be compressed, so it’s ideal to use a file format with higher sound quality from the start, which is ideal for a project that needs to go through post-edit layers. But if it is based on the premise of convenient, fast and easy-to-use transmission, .MP3 can still meet your needs without sacrificing sound quality.

Mp4Gain is a program that allows you not only to normalize the audio of your sound or cvideo files, but also to improve the quality and offers you to perform a whole series of modifications so that you have better audio quality used.

The audio formats with the best sound quality

The audio formats with the best sound quality

audio formats
audio formats

First of all, divide all types of music files into three parts as follows:

audio formats
audio formats

 

Uncompressed file formats: .WAV, .AIFF

Lossless compression formats: .FLAC, .ALAC (Apple Lossless)

Destructive compression formats: .MP3, .AAC, .WMA, .OGG

Below are their respective advantages and disadvantages.

 

1. Uncompressed file format
Uncompressed music files are just like the concept of Raw files. Essentially no compression will of course have the best sound quality. (The sample rate and bit rate of the original recording are also very important. If the compressed music file is converted to an uncompressed file, the music won’t magically improve the sound quality.)

The most common disadvantage of uncompressed files is the file size. Generally, the file size of a song is around 25 ~ 40 MB. While that capacity is no longer an issue for cloud hard drives, it is still an issue for email. Also big (25MB max for Gmail attachments). Also, some portable music players or devices may not be able to play such music files.

Advantages: original sound reproduction, no compression, lossless, easier to use in post production

Disadvantages: large file format, fewer supported devices

 

2. Lossless compression format
The term “compressed and lossless” seems contradictory, but compression does not necessarily affect sound quality. More precisely, it’s more like “compressed to save space”. It’s like compressing a high quality file into a .ZIP and decompressing it when you want to use it, the quality of the file will not be affected.

Therefore, this type of file has a compressed capacity, but the file will be decompressed during playback to restore sound quality. Although the concept of reducing capacity without affecting sound quality is great, the downside is that support for this format is extremely low and in order to decompress the file during playback, an additional codec is required to use it, and it will. also take some performance.

Advantages: small file capacity (about 1/2 ~ 1/3 lossless files), good sound quality

Disadvantages: Decompression can eat performance when used, and support from hardware or software is extremely low

 

3. Destructive compression format
The destructive compression format is currently the most common music file format, the main reason is that it has the greatest compatibility with portable devices (mobile phones, MP3 players, etc.), and the files are small and have a space of limited storage. , users can store more music (compressed capacity is about one-tenth of lossless sound quality), and most of the music provided by today’s streaming media is files in this format. There is always a price to pay for smaller files. Compared to lossless formats, this destructive compression will affect the audio range that the original sound can present and will cause some distortion. So, to be safe, keep the compression rate above 320 kbps as much as possible.

What sound quality is best for the music we listen to in the car?

What sound quality is best for the music we listen to in the car?

Listen music in the car

There are two suggestions for car music sound quality:

Listen music in the car

1. Many music lovers, who are looking for extremely high music quality, will be interested in high quality and lossless formats like OGG, FLAC or AAC.

However, due to the limited music formats that the car can recognize, music files of the above formats may not be recognized by the car.

Let alone play it.

2. In general, in the field of car music, the most commonly used formats are MP3 and WMA.

Although these formats are not as good as the ones mentioned above in terms of sound quality, they are expensive because almost all car systems can recognize them.

So, if you want to say which music file format is the best in car music, it has to be MP3 and WMA.

What sound quality is best for the music we listen to in the car?

What sound quality is best for the music we listen to in the car?

Listen music in the car
Listen music in the car

The best audio hardware equipment is one of the most important factors that determine sound quality.

Listen music in the car
Listen music in the car

 

This is also related to the degree of distortion of the music being played, that is, how well the sound reproduction is restored.

This directly affects the mood of the listener. Because if the sound is loud and has no sense of hierarchy,

If you listen to it for a longer time, it will irritate you or make you feel dizzy when driving.

The other is to adjust the sound effect by yourself. After all, everyone’s sense of hearing is different.

It depends on what you adjust to make it comfortable to listen to. Adjust different parameters according to different types of music.

There will be unexpected effects.

I myself belong to the latter, although I am not a professional,

But with lossless sound quality (my car supports it, but it’s not a luxury car)

It can also bring out the feeling of fat low-frequency, clear mid-range, and bright highs (this takes some skill to distinguish),

But not all cars have sound quality adjustment.

As for the best car music sound quality, as mentioned in the article above, car music can download music with sound quality wav, ape, flac,

This is lossless sound quality, better than MP3 (as long as the device supports it).

Although now it connects via Bluetooth mobile phone or Baidu Carlife

Playing music online on mobile phones has become mainstream, but there are still a small number of people,

Insist on downloading via U disk, and use the car USB interface to play music.

What is the best audio format to get the best sound quality?

What is the best audio format to get the best sound quality?

Best Audio Format

Mp3, Wav, Flac… Which one is better?

Best Audio Format

We’ve heard so many discussions about whether mp3 can sound the same as wav or flac and there are advocates for both.

There are people who staunchly defend mp3 and show and prove that an mp3 generated with certain settings can sound so similar to a WAV that not even 1% of people with ear training can distinguish it.

Others, on the contrary, argue that the method used by the mp3, causes a lot of information to be discarded in order to make the file smaller and this necessarily causes the quality to be diminished.

But everyone forgets that the number one point is to think about what kind of device or audio player we will listen to the music. Because for all these niceties mentioned above to make sense, we’ll have to have equipment that can play HD audio, otherwise we won’t easily tell one from the other.

And the truth is that most people play music on a medium quality equipment in a car on a phone or on a laptop, which makes the question of whether an mp3 sounds very different from a wav is unnecessary.

Mp4Gain is a program that manages to make audio, whatever the format, sound the best it can be.