MP3 surround

[Jason]

Is it even possible currently to rip multi channel audio from DVD-A into
this new format? What material are you going to play that is multi-channel?

I would think there would need to be an easy way to rip/encode multi channel
audio from common consumer formats such as DVD-A before Slim could be
bothered with supporting something like this.



-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces (AT) lists (DOT) slimdevices.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces (AT) lists (DOT) slimdevices.com] On Behalf Of Jason Snell
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 4:21 PM
To: Slim Devices Discussion
Subject: [slim] MP3 surround

So fraunhofer has announced MP3 Surround:

http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/amm/download/mp3surround/index.html

As a person with a squeezebox attached to a home theater system, I thought
I'd ask again:

* Any chance for DTS and AC3 file support within Squeezebox soon?

and now...

* Any thoughts about other multichannel formats, such as MP3 Surround?

Just askin'... :-)

jason

[Jason Snell]

>Is it even possible currently to rip multi channel audio from DVD-A into
>this new format? What material are you going to play that is multi-channel?

I've got lots of AC3 files from music DVDs. They're easy (although, I
suppose technically illegal), to rip. I'd rather listen to them via
Squeezebox and have shuffle-abilities than pop them into my DVD
player and listen to them in the old, antiquated single-disc approach.

Keep in mind that most DVD-Audio titles (as well as concert DVDs)
offer a standard AC3 track. DVD rippers can pull that track off
relatively easily. Then it's just a matter of streaming it to a
decoder for playback purposes.

>I would think there would need to be an easy way to rip/encode multi channel
>audio from common consumer formats such as DVD-A before Slim could be
>bothered with supporting something like this.

Sadly, DMCA stands in the way of that. However, there are lots of
"DTS CDs" out there, so there is commercial multichannel available in
legal-to-extract formats as well. AirPort Express will pass them
through untouched, but I don't believe Squeezebox will do it. (And
aren't there multichannel WMA files too? If I recall, Peter Gabriel's
last album was released in a 5.1 version in WMA format.)

And I gotta be honest here -- there are lots of features Slim
supports that are far from "common consumer formats." The real
question is, would adopters of Slim products benefit/take advantage
of the ability to convert their concert DVD/AC3/DTS library into
music that could be collected and re-played via the Squeezebox,
rather than being forced to spin those platters one disc at a time?

The answer may well be no. And if it's a major engineering challenge,
it probably isn't worth it now. Although I could suggest that
multichannel audio is the wave of the future, and if you've got a
device that provides an optical out port, it might be good to start
thinking of how to deal with multichannel support down the road
because it's gonna have to happen eventually.

-jason

p.s. -- and this is directed at nobody in particular, and meant with
no real malice since I understand how important the 6.x development
is: I'm starting to become wary of discussions of new features for
Slim Server and Squeezebox being countered with, "But SQL development
for 6.x is important!" Nobody's saying it isn't... suggesting new
features is not the same as saying that we think our pet features are
more important than 6.x and a SQL back-end. Personally, Unicode
support leaves me cold, but I'm not going to quibble. :-)

--
Jason Snell / Editorial Director, Mac Publishing / jsnell (AT) macworld (DOT) com
415-243-3565 / AIM: MW jsnell / www.macworld.com / www.playlistmag.com