Allofmp3 Community Forums

Welcome to the Allofmp3 Community Forums forums.

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
Go Back   Allofmp3 Community Forums > Technology > Computing...
Reload this Page File conversion-trick question?
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  (#1 (permalink)) Old
rolly (Offline)
Senior Member
 
rolly's Avatar
 
Posts: 322
Thanks: 11
Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2007
File conversion-trick question? - 10-05-2008, 02:39 PM

Scenario:
A 320kbps .mp3 file is on the hard drive.

This file is converted to .flac,saving the original .mp3.
There are now two files:
1. 320kbps .mp3(the original source)
2. .flac copy of the 320kbps .mp3

Now if a conversion is wanted to 128kbps .mp3,or 256kbps .mp3,or to .ogg,or to .mp4,whatever have you,does it matter which file you use for the best quality of the new converted file?
The .flac or the 320kbps .mp3?

To rephrase.
If the .flac copy is a lossless copy of the original lossy .mp3,wouldn't the quality of the file still be equal?
I'm not talking about the quality of the format,but rather the quality of the file.
A tricky question because,sure,.flac is certainly a better lossless format than the lossy mp3 format.
But it is still nothing more than a lossless copy of the lossy mp3.

Purpose:
If your only source of the track testsong.mp3 is a 320kbps mp3 file,is it a waste of time to convert to flac first before converting to other formats and bitrates?
Or would the quality of the conversion be the same if you just use the original in the first place,the 320kbps mp3?

Last edited by rolly; 10-05-2008 at 02:45 PM.
Reply With Quote
  (#2 (permalink)) Old
skyforger (Offline)
Senior Member
 
skyforger's Avatar
 
Posts: 392
Thanks: 23
Thanked 52 Times in 33 Posts
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: deep sky
10-05-2008, 03:51 PM

it is whatsoever, because your flac already lost the origin - you got it from mp3 (e.g. from already lossy source). so, flac won't increasy quality at all.


MP3skyline archmage. Over 3 100 000 tunes - ain't it magic?
one, two - buckle my shoe, three, four - shut the door, five, six - pick up sticks, seven, eight - lay em straight
Reply With Quote
  (#3 (permalink)) Old
rolly (Offline)
Senior Member
 
rolly's Avatar
 
Posts: 322
Thanks: 11
Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2007
10-05-2008, 04:05 PM

Quote:
so, flac won't increasy quality at all.
I agree with this 100%.
But just to be sure we are talking about the same thing,it is not the quality of the flac vs. mp3 that I'm asking about.
It is the quality of the converted file produced from either the flac or mp3 in question.

Using your answer,"flac won't increase quality at all",which I fully agree,that is saying that it makes no difference for instance where a .ogg file came from in this case,the original 320mp3 or the flac copy of it.
Same thing would apply to a mp4,a lower bitrate mp3,etc.

This is what I believe myself,and I'm looking for confirmation.
Reply With Quote
  (#4 (permalink)) Old
Ashleyj (Online)
Senior Member
 
Ashleyj's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,121
Thanks: 40
Thanked 44 Times in 41 Posts
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Surrey, UK
10-05-2008, 04:13 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by rolly View Post
I agree with this 100%.
But just to be sure we are talking about the same thing,it is not the quality of the flac vs. mp3 that I'm asking about.
It is the quality of the converted file produced from either the flac or mp3 in question.

Using your answer,"flac won't increase quality at all",which I fully agree,that is saying that it makes no difference for instance where a .ogg file came from in this case,the original 320mp3 or the flac copy of it.
Same thing would apply to a mp4,a lower bitrate mp3,etc.

This is what I believe myself,and I'm looking for confirmation.
I would have thought the end result would be more dependant upon the quality of the conversion software rather than the source given that they should be of equal quality.


Ashley
If you have one watch you know what the time is. But if you have two you don't know which one is right.

The more advice you get the more confusing it becomes.
Reply With Quote
  (#5 (permalink)) Old
rolly (Offline)
Senior Member
 
rolly's Avatar
 
Posts: 322
Thanks: 11
Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2007
10-05-2008, 05:04 PM

Quote:
rather than the source given that they should be of equal quality
This is what I'm getting at.I agree here as well.
It is someone else who believes that it is better to take from the flac copy,rather than the original mp3.
Claims there will be more data loss from the lossy mp3 than from the lossless flac copy.
But I think it's the same thing.
Both formats have the same quality file,just different formats.
Reply With Quote
  (#6 (permalink)) Old
Ashleyj (Online)
Senior Member
 
Ashleyj's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,121
Thanks: 40
Thanked 44 Times in 41 Posts
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Surrey, UK
10-05-2008, 05:19 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by rolly View Post
This is what I'm getting at.I agree here as well.
It is someone else who believes that it is better to take from the flac copy,rather than the original mp3.
Claims there will be more data loss from the lossy mp3 than from the lossless flac copy.
But I think it's the same thing.
Both formats have the same quality file,just different formats.
I agree that it would probably give better results if the flac file had been taken from an uncompressed source but as it originated from the mp3 file in the first place it can not be any better than that. As skyforger has said the flac file wont increase in quality.


Ashley
If you have one watch you know what the time is. But if you have two you don't know which one is right.

The more advice you get the more confusing it becomes.
Reply With Quote
  (#7 (permalink)) Old
skyforger (Offline)
Senior Member
 
skyforger's Avatar
 
Posts: 392
Thanks: 23
Thanked 52 Times in 33 Posts
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: deep sky
10-05-2008, 05:26 PM

just to clarify (and to confirm that we're talking about the same): flac won't increase the quality in your scenario

regards,
Max


MP3skyline archmage. Over 3 100 000 tunes - ain't it magic?
one, two - buckle my shoe, three, four - shut the door, five, six - pick up sticks, seven, eight - lay em straight
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On
Forum Jump




vBulletin Skin developed by: vBStyles.com
Aom3