Software player for AC3?

[Sundog]

The only player I know for AC3 audio files is Azid and, as a command line
prog, it's a real bore to use. Maybe someone knows a GUI for it that can use
playlists? The main reason I am interested in AC3 is the astonishing
compression I can get, for no apparent loss in quality. Typically a 75 MB
wave file compresses to 10 MB AC3. A 10-song CD has compressed to less than
a 100 MB.

I usually use AC3 audio for my videos and I have a few players that I can
use, but they look for a video file, when I open them.

TIA

Sd.

[Curtis]

go to http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/aac.html

where u'll find plugins for winAMP, directshow filters to enable
playback in windows media player, and filters for cooledit amongst
several other goodies.

although, i would definately point out that 75MB compressing to 10MB is
really not all that great (and a far cry from astonishing). OGG Vorbis
will match that at least, is patent free, and is much better supported
in a wider variety of players, and sounds at least as good. but that's
just my pro-ogg side talking ;)

good luck,
curtis
reply to the newsgroup; the email goes nowhere!

the inquisitive Sundog originally wrote:
> The only player I know for AC3 audio files is Azid and, as a command line
> prog, it's a real bore to use. Maybe someone knows a GUI for it that can use
> playlists? The main reason I am interested in AC3 is the astonishing
> compression I can get, for no apparent loss in quality. Typically a 75 MB
> wave file compresses to 10 MB AC3. A 10-song CD has compressed to less than
> a 100 MB.

[Curtis]

go to http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/aac.html

where u'll find plugins for winAMP, directshow filters to enable
playback in windows media player, and filters for cooledit amongst
several other goodies.

although, i would definately point out that 75MB compressing to 10MB is
really not all that great (and a far cry from astonishing). OGG Vorbis
will match that at least, is patent free, and is much better supported
in a wider variety of players, and sounds at least as good. but that's
just my pro-ogg side talking ;)

good luck,
curtis
reply to the newsgroup; the email goes nowhere!

the inquisitive Sundog originally wrote:
> The only player I know for AC3 audio files is Azid and, as a command line
> prog, it's a real bore to use. Maybe someone knows a GUI for it that can use
> playlists? The main reason I am interested in AC3 is the astonishing
> compression I can get, for no apparent loss in quality. Typically a 75 MB
> wave file compresses to 10 MB AC3. A 10-song CD has compressed to less than
> a 100 MB.

[Sundog]

Thank you very much Curtis.

I do use ogg quite a bit, for my audio files. Patent problems don't concern
me.
I use AC3 for DVD because ogg is not valid there. With DVDs, the options are
a wave format - huge - or AC3 and the difference there impresses me hugely.

I'll have another look at ogg and may just use it instead. Will convert a
few wave files and see what compression I get.

Thanks again for your time and enjoy the weekend.

Sd


"Curtis" > wrote in message
...
> go to http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/aac.html
>
> where u'll find plugins for winAMP, directshow filters to enable
> playback in windows media player, and filters for cooledit amongst
> several other goodies.
>
> although, i would definately point out that 75MB compressing to 10MB is
> really not all that great (and a far cry from astonishing). OGG Vorbis
> will match that at least, is patent free, and is much better supported
> in a wider variety of players, and sounds at least as good. but that's
> just my pro-ogg side talking ;)
>
> good luck,
> curtis
> reply to the newsgroup; the email goes nowhere!
>
> the inquisitive Sundog originally wrote:
> > The only player I know for AC3 audio files is Azid and, as a command
line
> > prog, it's a real bore to use. Maybe someone knows a GUI for it that can
use
> > playlists? The main reason I am interested in AC3 is the astonishing
> > compression I can get, for no apparent loss in quality. Typically a 75
MB
> > wave file compresses to 10 MB AC3. A 10-song CD has compressed to less
than
> > a 100 MB.
>

[Sundog]

Thank you very much Curtis.

I do use ogg quite a bit, for my audio files. Patent problems don't concern
me.
I use AC3 for DVD because ogg is not valid there. With DVDs, the options are
a wave format - huge - or AC3 and the difference there impresses me hugely.

I'll have another look at ogg and may just use it instead. Will convert a
few wave files and see what compression I get.

Thanks again for your time and enjoy the weekend.

Sd


"Curtis" > wrote in message
...
> go to http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/aac.html
>
> where u'll find plugins for winAMP, directshow filters to enable
> playback in windows media player, and filters for cooledit amongst
> several other goodies.
>
> although, i would definately point out that 75MB compressing to 10MB is
> really not all that great (and a far cry from astonishing). OGG Vorbis
> will match that at least, is patent free, and is much better supported
> in a wider variety of players, and sounds at least as good. but that's
> just my pro-ogg side talking ;)
>
> good luck,
> curtis
> reply to the newsgroup; the email goes nowhere!
>
> the inquisitive Sundog originally wrote:
> > The only player I know for AC3 audio files is Azid and, as a command
line
> > prog, it's a real bore to use. Maybe someone knows a GUI for it that can
use
> > playlists? The main reason I am interested in AC3 is the astonishing
> > compression I can get, for no apparent loss in quality. Typically a 75
MB
> > wave file compresses to 10 MB AC3. A 10-song CD has compressed to less
than
> > a 100 MB.
>

[Sundog]

Curtis:

Just looked into ogg again and found that the files were about HALF the
size of AC3 files, so I'm leaving the AC3 to videos and using HeadAche to
convert all audio files to Ogg.

Thanks again for the tip.

Sd.

"Curtis" > wrote in message
...
> go to http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/aac.html
>
> where u'll find plugins for winAMP, directshow filters to enable
> playback in windows media player, and filters for cooledit amongst
> several other goodies.
>
> although, i would definately point out that 75MB compressing to 10MB is
> really not all that great (and a far cry from astonishing). OGG Vorbis
> will match that at least, is patent free, and is much better supported
> in a wider variety of players, and sounds at least as good. but that's
> just my pro-ogg side talking ;)
>
> good luck,
> curtis
> reply to the newsgroup; the email goes nowhere!
>
> the inquisitive Sundog originally wrote:
> > The only player I know for AC3 audio files is Azid and, as a command
line
> > prog, it's a real bore to use. Maybe someone knows a GUI for it that can
use
> > playlists? The main reason I am interested in AC3 is the astonishing
> > compression I can get, for no apparent loss in quality. Typically a 75
MB
> > wave file compresses to 10 MB AC3. A 10-song CD has compressed to less
than
> > a 100 MB.
>

[Sundog]

Curtis:

Just looked into ogg again and found that the files were about HALF the
size of AC3 files, so I'm leaving the AC3 to videos and using HeadAche to
convert all audio files to Ogg.

Thanks again for the tip.

Sd.

"Curtis" > wrote in message
...
> go to http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/aac.html
>
> where u'll find plugins for winAMP, directshow filters to enable
> playback in windows media player, and filters for cooledit amongst
> several other goodies.
>
> although, i would definately point out that 75MB compressing to 10MB is
> really not all that great (and a far cry from astonishing). OGG Vorbis
> will match that at least, is patent free, and is much better supported
> in a wider variety of players, and sounds at least as good. but that's
> just my pro-ogg side talking ;)
>
> good luck,
> curtis
> reply to the newsgroup; the email goes nowhere!
>
> the inquisitive Sundog originally wrote:
> > The only player I know for AC3 audio files is Azid and, as a command
line
> > prog, it's a real bore to use. Maybe someone knows a GUI for it that can
use
> > playlists? The main reason I am interested in AC3 is the astonishing
> > compression I can get, for no apparent loss in quality. Typically a 75
MB
> > wave file compresses to 10 MB AC3. A 10-song CD has compressed to less
than
> > a 100 MB.
>

[Curtis]

Ogg's an amazing format with stunning sound at pretty much any quality
setting. i find quality 5 is fully transparent on my high-end stereo
equipment.

with sticking waves into your video files, unless ur doing something
funky, you can always use an ACM to stick a more efficient file format
into a wave container. usually people use mp3 that way. ogg has
problems because the ACM design doesn't allow for variable amounts of
samples per frame, though i've heard of people still using it with CBR.

in any event, glad u were happy with the Ogg-Vorbis audio files! ur
very welcome for the tips :)

curtis

Sundog wrote:
> Curtis:
>
> Just looked into ogg again and found that the files were about HALF the
> size of AC3 files, so I'm leaving the AC3 to videos and using HeadAche to
> convert all audio files to Ogg.
>
> Thanks again for the tip.
>
> Sd.

[Curtis]

Ogg's an amazing format with stunning sound at pretty much any quality
setting. i find quality 5 is fully transparent on my high-end stereo
equipment.

with sticking waves into your video files, unless ur doing something
funky, you can always use an ACM to stick a more efficient file format
into a wave container. usually people use mp3 that way. ogg has
problems because the ACM design doesn't allow for variable amounts of
samples per frame, though i've heard of people still using it with CBR.

in any event, glad u were happy with the Ogg-Vorbis audio files! ur
very welcome for the tips :)

curtis

Sundog wrote:
> Curtis:
>
> Just looked into ogg again and found that the files were about HALF the
> size of AC3 files, so I'm leaving the AC3 to videos and using HeadAche to
> convert all audio files to Ogg.
>
> Thanks again for the tip.
>
> Sd.