Bryan
23 Jul 2002, 11:35 AM
I've been waiting for this week for over two years. The open source audio codec Ogg Vorbis 1.0 (http://www.vorbis.com) was finally released this week after years of development. And it's good, very good.
Since this is not focused on explaining audio compression in detail, I'm assuming you already have a basic familiarity with ripping and encoding MP3s onto your computer. My real purpose here is to explain why you need to use Ogg Vorbis instead of other closed source, proprietary formats such as MP3, RealAudio and Windows Media.
Here's the short list of why Ogg Vorbis is significant:
1. Vorbis is open source and completely free for all to use. Contrary to what you may have heard, the MP3 format is not free. The patents are owned by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute and Thomson Multimedia and they charge the makers of MP3 players and encoders for the use of their technology. The also charge a licensing fee for artists and record labels that commercially distribute their music in MP3.
In addition to MP3, the RealAudio and Windows Media codecs are also closed source meaning you have no choice over what happens to the format. If they choose to incorporate some misguided "digital rights management" aka anti-copy protection into the format, you take it whether you want it or not. If they choose to no longer support the format, tough luck for you. If they decide to start charging consumers for the technology, you pay.
2. Vorbis sounds better than MP3. At the same bitrate, Vorbis sounds much better than MP3 at the same bitrate/filesize. Alternatively, you can get the same quality at a much lower bitrate and hence, filesize. Vorbis is also uses Variable Bitrate Encoding, VBR, as standard. This allows for increased quality at a reduced filesize. MP3 can do variable bitrate but it's not standardized with different implementations floating around out there. Some hardware audio players will play VBR MP3 and some will not. With Vorbis, all devices that can play Vorbis files will implement VBR as standard.
The quality of Vorbis is comparable to Windows Media 8 and RealAudio 8 at the same bitrate. Hear for yourself at the Vorbis demo page. (http://www.xiph.org/ogg/vorbis/listen.html)
3. Vorbis is cross-platform and cross-player. Do you use Windows, Mac and Linux to listen to your music files? Not a problem. Because Vorbis is open source, an implementation exists for many different computer platforms and players. Try listening to your Windows Media files on Linux... doubt it, because Micro$oft does not and never will make Windows Media available for Linux. RealAudio is available for multiple operating systems but you still have to use the increasingly invasive, intrusive and bloated RealPlayer. Proprietary, closed source audio codec = strapped to a proprietary, closed source and often intrusive audio player.
MP3 is better in this respect because you can use many different media players... Winamp, iTunes, XMMS, mpg123, Audion, etc, and yes, even Windows Media Player or RealPlayer if you like. But the quality of MP3 is still inferior when compared with RealAudio and Windows Media.
So there has been the compromise in years past. You get good audio quality and low filesizes but you're chained to proprietary media players -or- you sacrifice quality for cross-platform and cross-player compatibility.
But now it's all about choice. The format in which you encode your audio files no longer has to dictate what operating system and media player you use.
There are many dangers in allowing one or two companies to control multimedia standards. Just look at what happens when you allow one company to control the market for computer operating systems... And for this reason, there needs to be a free and open audio codec, free from the profiteering of corporate hustlers pushing their own agenda rather than developing an open multimedia standard.
I've compiled a list of links that offer more information on Vorbis and the greater Ogg project, as well as software for encoding and playing Vorbis files.
Vorbis FAQ Series:
What is Ogg Vorbis? (http://www.vorbis.com/intro.html)
Encoding files with Vorbis (http://www.vorbis.com/encoding.html)
Playing files with Vorbis (http://www.vorbis.com/playing.html)
Vorbis.com (http://www.vorbis.com)
The main Vorbis site with info, downloads, links and more. Download the Vorbis code here.
Exact Audio Copy (http://exactaudiocopy.de/)
Excellent CD ripper program that is free and also supports Vorbis encoding.
CDex (http://www.cdex.n3.net/)
An open source CD ripper that's a little easier to use than EAC. Also supports Vorbis encoding.
Xiph Foundation (http://www.xiph.org)
The parent organization to the Vorbis project. They also work on development of the Ogg Tarkin video codec, the recently accounced Theora video codec, the cdparanoia ripping program and more.
Since this is not focused on explaining audio compression in detail, I'm assuming you already have a basic familiarity with ripping and encoding MP3s onto your computer. My real purpose here is to explain why you need to use Ogg Vorbis instead of other closed source, proprietary formats such as MP3, RealAudio and Windows Media.
Here's the short list of why Ogg Vorbis is significant:
1. Vorbis is open source and completely free for all to use. Contrary to what you may have heard, the MP3 format is not free. The patents are owned by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute and Thomson Multimedia and they charge the makers of MP3 players and encoders for the use of their technology. The also charge a licensing fee for artists and record labels that commercially distribute their music in MP3.
In addition to MP3, the RealAudio and Windows Media codecs are also closed source meaning you have no choice over what happens to the format. If they choose to incorporate some misguided "digital rights management" aka anti-copy protection into the format, you take it whether you want it or not. If they choose to no longer support the format, tough luck for you. If they decide to start charging consumers for the technology, you pay.
2. Vorbis sounds better than MP3. At the same bitrate, Vorbis sounds much better than MP3 at the same bitrate/filesize. Alternatively, you can get the same quality at a much lower bitrate and hence, filesize. Vorbis is also uses Variable Bitrate Encoding, VBR, as standard. This allows for increased quality at a reduced filesize. MP3 can do variable bitrate but it's not standardized with different implementations floating around out there. Some hardware audio players will play VBR MP3 and some will not. With Vorbis, all devices that can play Vorbis files will implement VBR as standard.
The quality of Vorbis is comparable to Windows Media 8 and RealAudio 8 at the same bitrate. Hear for yourself at the Vorbis demo page. (http://www.xiph.org/ogg/vorbis/listen.html)
3. Vorbis is cross-platform and cross-player. Do you use Windows, Mac and Linux to listen to your music files? Not a problem. Because Vorbis is open source, an implementation exists for many different computer platforms and players. Try listening to your Windows Media files on Linux... doubt it, because Micro$oft does not and never will make Windows Media available for Linux. RealAudio is available for multiple operating systems but you still have to use the increasingly invasive, intrusive and bloated RealPlayer. Proprietary, closed source audio codec = strapped to a proprietary, closed source and often intrusive audio player.
MP3 is better in this respect because you can use many different media players... Winamp, iTunes, XMMS, mpg123, Audion, etc, and yes, even Windows Media Player or RealPlayer if you like. But the quality of MP3 is still inferior when compared with RealAudio and Windows Media.
So there has been the compromise in years past. You get good audio quality and low filesizes but you're chained to proprietary media players -or- you sacrifice quality for cross-platform and cross-player compatibility.
But now it's all about choice. The format in which you encode your audio files no longer has to dictate what operating system and media player you use.
There are many dangers in allowing one or two companies to control multimedia standards. Just look at what happens when you allow one company to control the market for computer operating systems... And for this reason, there needs to be a free and open audio codec, free from the profiteering of corporate hustlers pushing their own agenda rather than developing an open multimedia standard.
I've compiled a list of links that offer more information on Vorbis and the greater Ogg project, as well as software for encoding and playing Vorbis files.
Vorbis FAQ Series:
What is Ogg Vorbis? (http://www.vorbis.com/intro.html)
Encoding files with Vorbis (http://www.vorbis.com/encoding.html)
Playing files with Vorbis (http://www.vorbis.com/playing.html)
Vorbis.com (http://www.vorbis.com)
The main Vorbis site with info, downloads, links and more. Download the Vorbis code here.
Exact Audio Copy (http://exactaudiocopy.de/)
Excellent CD ripper program that is free and also supports Vorbis encoding.
CDex (http://www.cdex.n3.net/)
An open source CD ripper that's a little easier to use than EAC. Also supports Vorbis encoding.
Xiph Foundation (http://www.xiph.org)
The parent organization to the Vorbis project. They also work on development of the Ogg Tarkin video codec, the recently accounced Theora video codec, the cdparanoia ripping program and more.