CD Wav
2 channels x 16 bits x 44100 samples per second = 1411200 bits per second (correct?)
Now convert that wav to a lossy format like mp3 or vorbis etc and you may have a file that is 128Kbps or 192Kbps or whatever.
Is it no longer fair to say that it is xxxx channels or yyyy bits or zzzz samples? Depends on the lossy format? Can you take any lossy audio file and know for certain what the exact qualities (channels/bits/samples) were for the original source file?
Full Version: 2 channels x 16 bits x 44100 samples
QUOTE (hellokeith @ Nov 20 2006, 20:02) 
CD Wav
2 channels x 16 bits x 44100 samples per second = 1411200 bits per second (correct?)
Now convert that wav to a lossy format like mp3 or vorbis etc and you may have a file that is 128Kbps or 192Kbps or whatever.
Is it no longer fair to say that it is xxxx channels or yyyy bits or zzzz samples? Depends on the lossy format? Can you take any lossy audio file and know for certain what the exact qualities (channels/bits/samples) were for the original source file?
2 channels x 16 bits x 44100 samples per second = 1411200 bits per second (correct?)
Now convert that wav to a lossy format like mp3 or vorbis etc and you may have a file that is 128Kbps or 192Kbps or whatever.
Is it no longer fair to say that it is xxxx channels or yyyy bits or zzzz samples? Depends on the lossy format? Can you take any lossy audio file and know for certain what the exact qualities (channels/bits/samples) were for the original source file?
Lossy codecs have a sample rate, and clearly they have channels (stereo, mono etc.), but they don't have a bit depth per se, due to the compression.
Jebus is right. Lossy formats don't have a native bitdepth. The bitdepth is (re)created on decoding. Most decoders create 16 bits again but more modern decoders, like Winamp and Foobar (among others) use, even create a 24bits output signal out of the same MP3/AAC/Ogg.
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