MP3PRO software demo is now downloadable at Thomsons website:
http://www.thomson-multimedia.com
Although, this technology has already been mentioned on the board here. Is this something that will be on the empeg soon? It seems like it can effectively double capacity if it actually works (I haven't tried it yet!)

Alex Lear

After giving this compression a try I am very impressed. My 4 min 45 sec song was only 2.17 Megs in size. The most impressive part is the quality even at this bitrate (64kbps). I tried three different types of music and the mp3PRO encodings did well on all three. Don't forget you have to use the supplied player to take advantage of the mp3PRO encoding. It lets you switch between PRO and non-PRO by clicking on the PRO icon to hear the difference.

Alex Lear

Have a look at this report.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

Also, at this location and over here you can read about it.
Let's hope the empeg boys are paying attention to it...

Edwin de Vaan
mk2 rev.7 Trillian # 080000263 6Gb blue/red

maximum encoding rate of 96 kbps stereo? no, thanks...

maximum encoding rate of 96 kbps stereo? no, thanks...

Does it really matter what the encoding rate is, if it truly sounds as good as a CD?

_~= Dearing =~_
"WAY too happy about having #99."

Does anyone know how it works?

All the one page summaries I've seen talk about it spitting out two streams, but that's just the backwards compatibility mechanics, isn't it?

(Please excuse the following uneducated stab in the dark.)

Presumably they have a scheme that copes with high frequencies really well, but in order to maintain some backwards compatibility, they just encode the residual signal from the low bitrate mp3 using this scheme.

But I'm just curious to know (vaguely) what their scheme is.

Richard.

You could have a looksee here: http://www.codingtechnologies.com/technology/sbr.htm

They are part of the people who developped it (if I am not mistaken)

Hans

Mk2 - Blue - 080000431

no, you're correct. if it did sound as good as the original CD, then the bitrate does not matter.

the basis of my comment was thomson's claim that, in testing, people find that the quality of a MP3Pro file encoded at 64 kbps is comparable to a MP3 file encoded somewhere between 96 and 128 kbps. so, if we make the assumption that the rates scale linearly, a MP3Pro file at 96 kbps might sound roughly like an MP3 encoded between 144 and 192 kbps.

i tend to encode my MP3's at 256 kbps. i just wasn't happy with lower bitrates, and i've had compatibility issues with VBR. so, in these days when disk is cheap (and i only use disk-based players), i choose quality over size. if i were using a flash memory-based player, i'd be much more interested in this technology.

then again, if i do give up on MP3 at some point, it will probably be in favor of a patent- and royalty-free format like vorbis.

--dan.

From everything I've read, I think the mp3pro format may be something we and the empeg folks should consider, but it is certainly not a no-brainer upgrade from the regular mp3 format. This format is getting significant heat over in the boards at slashdot, but it's often difficult to tell whether that information is accurate or just a whole bunch of overzelous, "use linux and open source at all costs and for every purpose"-chanting zombies. Apparently Thomson Multimedia and the Fraunhofer Institute are positioning themselves to be able to better collect their royalties on the mp3 format in this new mp3pro format. This article at PC World says a license for the new codec will cost about $US7.50 per device for manufacturers, and I assume Sonicblue would have to pay that if they put this new format on the Rio Car. Another article (can't find it now), said that they've prepared the format to be able to easily add digital rights management at a later time. I'm guessing here, but I would bet they are planning to wait until the format becomes widespread among users and then add DRM to please the RIAA. This could limit the formats use on the internet. Finally, there is also talk on slashdot (see this post) about the quality is worse than regular mp3's and how mp3pro actually screws up the high frequencies by having to "guess" at anything above 10 Khz.

The official mp3pro website quotes licensing rates of about 50% higher than mp3, as I remember. This isn't a lot of money - we're talking <$1 extra. I can believe $7 for an *encoder* though.

As for the sound quality - have you tried the demo? It's very impressive. Even John was impressed :)

There's no DRM in it - avoiding mp3pro because it might get wrapped in a DRM layer is the same as avoiding ogg vorbis because it might get wrapped in a DRM layer. You could do it with either, but neither have any specific concessions to allow that.

Hugo

in these days when disk is cheap (and i only use disk-based players), i choose quality over size.

Which is my only question about MP3Pro...

If I have two files, one is a very-high-bitrate regular MP3, and the other is an MP3Pro file, is the only advantage going to be size? Is there anything else the pro format will give me besides size?

If so, I'm not that interested. Like you said, disk space is cheap. I don't use flash-based players and I'm perfectly happy recording at high bit rates.

___________
Tony Fabris