Ogg Vorbis FAQ
Q. What is Ogg Vorbis?
Ogg Vorbis is a lossy audio compression standard similar to MP3, WMA, AAC, etc. The difference with these existing standards is that they are free and open standards. The Basic Reference Library is provided in a format that conforms to the BSD license and you can freely incorporate it into your own software or modify it. Also, there is no obligation to pay the fee at that time. One of the main features of Ogg Vorbis is that it has fewer rights restrictions than other codecs and formats. Q. What does the name mean? Ogg is a container for various data. Vorbis refers to a lossy compressed audio format. These are proper names, not abbreviations of significant words. In addition to Vorbis, Ogg can include Theora (Ogg Theora) and Ogg FLAC (FLAC). Q. What about the sound quality of Ogg Vorbis? Sound quality is not bad. However, everyone’s ears are different, so try it out for yourself. In general, many people feel that they have an advantage over other formats at low bit rates (64 kbps to 128 kbps). It also makes a big difference depending on the encoder (compression program). If possible, try different encoders. Q. The bit rate (capacity per second) is not constant.
Ogg Vorbis is based on quality-based VBR (variable bit rate). Therefore, the bit rate is not constant. If you need a constant bit rate, use the bit rate management mode. However, even in this case, frame-based constant bit rate (CBR) encoding, such as MP3, is not possible (like many other formats).
Also, the stronger the bit rate limit, the more disadvantageous it will be in terms of normal sound quality. Also, the encoding speed will be slower. It is better to use the underlying Vorbis quality mode (VBR).
Q. What is lossy audio compression after all?
The word irreversible means non-reversible (denial of reversibility). Simply put, it is irreversible audio compression. And the fact that it doesn’t fully return means that the sound quality may not be exactly the same as the original. However, it is possible to reduce the data by minimizing hearing damage. This is because the human ear is sensitive in parts, but very insensitive. Modern format encoders like Vorbis try to compress while preserving subjective sound quality as much as possible by exploiting the auditory characteristics of those people.
By the way, there is a lossless compression that does not deteriorate the quality at all, but in general, a large compression ratio cannot be expected. FLAC and Monkey’s Audio are relatively popular as lossless audio compression standards, but the compression ratio is in the range of 30% to 70% of the original.
Q. I want to listen to an Ogg file, how can I listen to it?
The easiest way is to use an Ogg Vorbis-enabled software player. There are a lot of compatible players for different platforms, so I can’t cover all of them here. Try searching by typing “Ogg Vorbis Player” into an Internet search engine.
There are also hardware players, although the absolute number is still small. For example, you can play Ogg Vorbis audio files outside with a portable player. You can find several things in this area by searching for “Ogg Portable Player” in the search engine.
Although rare, there are non-Vorbis files even with the Ogg extension, so be careful.
Q. I want to listen to Ogg Vorbis audio with my usual player,
In order to play it with WMP on Windows, I need to install the DirectShow filter. One of the most actively being developed is the Xiph.Org DS filter. Install the plugin for QuickTime
when playing iTunes on Macintosh (Windows version is also acceptable). Also, there are many other programs that can support playing Vorbis in the form of plugins. Even if it doesn’t play by default, you might want to look it up on a search engine.
