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I am new to the MP3 craze but am looking forward to getting a module, I think my wife is going to get me a Soundsgood for the holidays. I saw an article in the new Consumer Reports and it left me with one major question, hopefully you gurus can help me out.

CR talked about the "MP3" format and mentioned that there are several other music file formats on the not to distant horizon that promise to offer better compression ratios and sound quality. CR suggests...if you can...getting an MP3 player that can be upgraded to play these other file formats.

Does the Minijam or Soundsgood offer that kind of upgradability? Secondly, what are everyone's thoughts on other technologies be able to trump the MP3 format?

[Edited by maddog on 11-20-2000 at 09:03 AM]

I can't help you with the first question (I don't have one. Yet)...but I can with the second. One of the major formats is WMA (Windows Media Audio). It can compress roughly twice as well as MPEG-1 layer 3(the popular MP3 format). I believe that WMA uses an MPEG-4 codec, the same type used with DVD and DIV-X. However, there are drawbacks. WMA is a lot pickier when running through the compressor. It tends to come out with more harmonics (especially when used with a piece that has a fuzz guitar).

If it's just speech, WMA is the way to go. But Winamp can't read it. Somique and Windows Media Player are the most popular Windows players for it.

MP3 is tried and true. It has more options with bitrate and I haven't heard a harmonic yet. I personally don't think WMA can replace it without a lot of billboards from MS.

Hope this helps.

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Tim
<A HREF="http://vbq1.tripod.com/"></A>

The problem with WMF is that pesky "windows" in the name...that will probably keep it from having a wide-spread following.

I have played a little with VQF files, but don't know a whole lot about them, other than they have a much higher compression formula and claim to sound better.

As for upgradability, I assume that any MP3 player that can take Flash upgrades should be able to patch their software decoders.

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We're all naked if you turn us inside out.
-David Byrne

The CR article also mentions...

In addition to MP3 and WMA, they also talk about Advanced Audio Codec. I haven't seen that mentioned before.

Hmmm...nobody has answered maddog's question yet.

Well maddog, the answer is yes, the SoundsGood module CAN be flash upgraded to support WMA as well, according to the FAQs at the Good.com website.

I don't know about the Minijam though.

__________________
Tan Kit Hoong,
Star Publications (M) Ltd
<img src="http://thestar.com.my/tech/images/thestar_140x45.gif">

quote:

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Originally posted by Tan Kit Hoong
I don't know about the Minijam though.

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