Spartanicus wrote:
> "Professor Marcus" <professor@marcus.spamtrapped> wrote:
>
>>If I have a 30 second sound file on my website is it better to have it in
>>mp3 or wma format ? I mean, what are the pros and cons of each format ?
>
> MP3
> Pros:
> Very good cross platform client side compatibility.
> Cons:
> Nasty licensing issues http://www.mp3licensing.com/help/enduser.html#4
> Filesize/quality ratio not great (except for MP3Pro, but even more nasty
> issues with that format).
>
> WMA
> Pros:
> Good Windows client side compatibility, cross platform support is not
> good.
> Encoding tool can be used royalty free if you own a Windows license.
> Good filesize/quality ratio.
> Cons:
> Not a good format for HQ audio.
> Part of MS's plan to enslave the world to MS MediaPlayer.
>
> Consider offering 2 formats, one for good client side compatibility,
> and:
>
> Ogg Vorbis
> Pros:
> No nasty licensing issues.
> Open source.
> Free to use.
> Filesize/quality ratio almost as good as WMA.
> Very suitable for HQ audio.
> Good cross platform support.
> Cons:
> Default client side compatibility not good (make a help page with
> instructions for people on how to install the required decoder
> software).
The choice of format depends on your target audience. If you 'broadcast' to
a non-scientific community, you might be able to get away with using WMA.
Computer-proficient users will happily handle Ogg Vorbis files, but for
anything else use wave (no compression) or MP3 format. Despite all the talk
about licensing, MP3 will be a fine choice for a 30 second sound file.
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz
http://Schestowitz.com
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