What determines which encoders/settings you use. (2011) Options

[antman]

Isn't this a new years tradition.

I thought instead of doing yet another "which lossy/lossless/bitrate do you use" poll, we'd do something a little different. I'm more interested in the reason why people use which encoders and settings they do.

And to start:

Lossy: Compatibility, MP3 (AAC tags have given me problems in the past, mostly on cell phones).
Lossless: Compatibility, FLAC (if a media player doesn't support FLAC, there's a plugin somewhere that will make it).
Encode: Absolutely pack out whatever mp3 player/cell phone I got. I can't ABX for shiznit. V5 most of the time, V4 when I'm feelin fancy

Compatibility can also be read as: compatibility with the devices I own.

I know there's gonna be a firestorm for leaving a quality as an option on lossy, but we're adults here. Let's be civil.

And maybe this way we'll a trend not just within codecs but for everyone that's on here.

[kornchild2002]

1. I now use iTunes/QuickTime AAC for lossy encoding as every device I have works with it (whether it is my Droid X, various iPods, Xbox 360, stand-alone Blu-ray player, etc.) and it is easier to just use one program (ie iTunes) for managing and encoding my lossy files.
2. I use ALAC for lossless encoding as I am currently tied to the Apple universe in terms of portable players. I don't see the sense in me using any other lossless format if I can't play it with my media managing software (ie iTunes).
3. My lossy settings are based on what I can ABX, just one step above that for my own, dumb "safety." I can't ABX iTunes AAC at 160kbps VBR so I encode at 192kbps VBR. I still have plenty of space on my 4G 64GB iPod touch to carry around my best of playlist, 200+ music videos, and over 8GB in apps with about 10GB worth of free space.