Understanding Rippers and Accuraterip Submissions Options

[jayess]

I'm trying to learn more about the process of ripping and how it works in regards to Accuraterip.

"For example, audio CDs contain 16-bit, 44.1 KHz LPCM-encoded audio samples interleaved with secondary data streams and synchronization and error correction info. The ripping software tells the CD drive's firmware to read this data and parse out just the LPCM samples. The software then dumps them into a WAV or AIFF file, or feeds them to another codec to produce, for example, a FLAC or MP3 file."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripping

If I insert a CD from say Led Zepplin's box set of complete studio recordings, or an Elton John hybrid SACD, or a CD that's been remastered, how does a ripper and Accuraterip differentiate and correctly identify which of the recordings I have? If the selection the ripper returns in identifying the media is wrong (the media is a 2009 remaster and the ripper claims it is the original 1973 disc) and I don't change/correct it, how does that affect the database?

[godrick]

mjb2006, I heartily agree a single reference wiki page for all things AccurateRip is helpful, and I've been to that wiki page many times, so thanks for your efforts. I also agree with Greynol that it could be much improved by taking a top-down approach of starting with the basic intent and structure and then drilling down. An FAQ approach (again, including all of Greynol's specific questions) could be very appropriate. If you can make the time for such an improvement effort, I think many would appreciate it.

Building on Greynol's question of "what do AR results mean", to anticipate obvious and frequently-discussed questions in HA and elsewhere, the specifics of results from the major AR checkers should be described, especially dBpoweramp, EAC and CUETtools, without getting into controversies of what is really needed or which approach is better. I could easily be wrong, but think that CUETools checks ARv1 and ARv2 but does cross pressing checks on ARv1 values only, while the latest version of dBpoweramp will first look for cross pressing verification using ARv2 and if found stops there and if not then looks at ARv1 including a cross pressing check. Whether my understanding is correct or not (or perhaps especially if it is not), I think clarifying this with examples in a wiki would be of considerable value.