lossless mp3 - mp3HD, backwards compatible with standard mp3 Options

[2Bdecided]

• mp3HD is a lossless audio codec (100% bit-exact replica of CD tracks)
• Backward Compatible to mp3
• File extension .mp3
• Bitrates for music approximately 500 to 900 kbps rates (similar to other lossless codecs), depending on genre
• Embedded mp3 track and the mp3HD file share the same id3 metadata
• Encoding parameters (e.g. bit rate), ancillary data and meta data of embedded mp3 track are under control

Main page:
http://www.all4mp3.com/Learn_mp3_hd_1.aspx

...which links to downloadable test software:
http://www.all4mp3.com/Software3.aspx

I learnt about this from this post...
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1263465#post1263465
...where a quick test suggests it's not as efficient as FLAC, or as fast.

Might be useful for a widely-compatible lossy/lossless hybrid.

I wonder if they've done something clever - when I tried this years ago, mp3 was a terrible base for lossless coding - the lossy>lossless "correction" file was often larger than a straight lossless encode. Maybe this new technology is more tightly integrated into mp3, so performs better?

Cheers,
David.

This post has been edited by 2Bdecided: Mar 19 2009, 17:36

[ameyer17]

I wonder if they've done something clever - when I tried this years ago, mp3 was a terrible base for lossless coding - the lossy>lossless "correction" file was often larger than a straight lossless encode. Maybe this new technology is more tightly integrated into mp3, so performs better?

Cheers,
David.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the mp3 encoder in question is designed to minimize the mathematical differences with the original file, as opposed to various modern mp3 codecs that are designed to minimize the acoustic differences.

And I question the backward compatibility. I encoded a 3 minute 11 second song and mplayer is reporting that it's 46:28 long.
And the quality of the "VBR highest quality" mode isn't particularly good. (ABX test to follow, I hope)
The efficiency isn't that good, either. That 3:11 song is approximately 1.3 MB bigger, too.

This post has been edited by greynol: Apr 2 2009, 19:41