Category Archives: Codecs

Another view: high res audio is a waste

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Stephen Dawson

If you want to know lots about how digital audio works, and a pretty damned convincing explanation as to why high resolution audio (24 bit, up to 192kHz sampling) is a waste, I can’t recommend too highly this piece from … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Codecs | 2 Comments

Why do they do it?

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Stephen Dawson

I was looking for fine music — multichannel if possible — to listen to earlier today. But I didn’t want to switch on the projector or a TV to navigate through menus, so that ruled out (sort of) DVD Audio. … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Codecs, Music | 3 Comments

Animated JPEG?

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Stephen Dawson

This is weird: Just a cute picture picture of a dog and a kid, right? Absolutely, animated and all. But check out the file name extension: *.jpg. An animated JPEG? Google that and you’ll find lots of seemingly authoritative statements … Continue reading →

Posted in Codecs, Computer | 3 Comments

Hiding inside the audio streams

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Stephen Dawson

Well, here is where a blog post was supposed to go. But it got totally out of control, and turned itself into a 1,200 word article. A very interesting one I like to think. So interesting that I ought to … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Blu-ray, Codecs, Giveaway | 2 Comments

Digital TV video bitrates – May 2011

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Stephen Dawson

More advertising has recently hit our regional TV stations in the form of a channel called ‘GOLD’ using part of the WIN TV spectrum (it’s on Channel 84). Which, of course, prompts me to update the table of video bitrates. … Continue reading →

Posted in Codecs, DTV, HDTV | 2 Comments

Can you even hear SACD/DVD Audio improvements?

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Stephen Dawson

Incidentally, while researching my piece on SACD, I came across a recent study in which double blind tests were conducted to determine whether people could pick between SACDs and DVD Audio discs on the one hand, and the same discs … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Codecs, Music, Mysticism | 2 Comments

I Hate Direct Stream Digital

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Stephen Dawson

Direct Stream Digital (DSD) is the digital format used by Sony in the Super Audio CD (SACD). But SACD is only one form in which it is used. I seem to remember that back in the day, Sony was promoting … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Codecs, Music | 4 Comments

Digital TV video bitrates – September 2011

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Stephen Dawson

The other day Prime TV started broadcasting a new channel in its 6/60 bundle here in Canberra, and presumably elsewhere. This is called ‘Television 4′ and is numbered channel 64. It carries primarily advertorial stuff (exercise programs, Foreman grills and … Continue reading →

Posted in Codecs, DTV, HDTV | 1 Comment

Digital TV video bitrates – January 2011

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Stephen Dawson

Time to update the video and audio bitrates for digital TV again in the light of the introduction of the new channel ‘Eleven’. (The last update was in October last year.) To gather this data, on 18 through 20 January … Continue reading →

Posted in Codecs, DTV, HDTV | 4 Comments

Do Video Bitrates Matter?

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Stephen Dawson

Well after my little rant yesterday, how about something rather more positive? The answer to my question in the title is: ‘Of course they do.’ The more important question is: how much? My view is that once you get up … Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Codecs, Compression, Video | Leave a comment