[Q] Can I convert from one encode format to another?

[seadzz]

[Q] Can I convert a file from one encode format to another?
Can I convert from one codec format to another i.e. can I convert an existing file from ogg to mp3?

Answer:

Technically the answer is yes you can. What you are referring to is the process named transcoding whereby you change a file that has been previously encoded from one codec to another. For discussion lets confine our review to converting from one “lossy” codec to another. Example converting ogg files to mp3 files, wma to mp3 or mp3 to ogg.

First there are a number of tools out there on the net that allow you to do exactly that and to get this out of the way here is one:

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm

Make sure that you also download the codec you want since the decoder only has a few native formats. Codecs ie. WMA and OGG are located on the same site and must be treated like plugins.

If this is all you want to know, stop here and don’t bother reading the rest of this post. If on the other hand you want the rest of the story….here goes:

From a MAX playback quality point of view Transcoding = Death to the audio signal. Since in the exciting world of lossy encoding each time you encode a tune part of the music is thrown away. Sorry folks this is the way it works.

If you take a track that has been encoded say by ogg and first decode it to a wav file, the resultant wav in not really exactly the same as a source wav from a ripped CD. The ogg encoder has thrown some of the information on the decoded wav away. We will say you then take the ogg-wave decoded file and encode it again to mp3LAME. You are throwing more or the information out the window again. Degraded playback will be the result…..guaranteed.

Caveats: If you have bad hearing, bad earphones\buds, don’t care about playback quality or have ripped off the original file from the net or a “borrowed CD” then that is one issue. If on the other hand you have access to the source CD you should really consider reripping if you want to change from one format to another.

It is your ears after all and your ears don’t deserve to be fed garbage!

Enjoy the music,

sdz