5 ms·
As the article points out, if the source is already lossy (which is (almost) all broadcast, DVD, and web sources) then you should just copy that bitstream into
by MrRadar 5y ago
As the article points out, if the source is already lossy (which is (almost) all broadcast, DVD, and web sources) then you should just copy that bitstream into the resulting video (transcoding lossy to FLAC gives you the same quality at higher bitrate and is the worst of both worlds). The only common source you would get true lossless audio from is BluRay discs and even in that case the recommended audio encoding settings the author gives should be well into transparency for all but the most golden-eared listeners, and they would likely only be able to detect the difference in an AB comparison with the original source.
- goblin89 5y agoAgreed that up-coding is bad. Still think preserving lossless, if it is available in the first place, is worth it, and a couple hundred megabytes probably don’t matter to someone who chose a quality download rather than streaming. The point that “the entirety of one’s experience is fully available to one’s conscious mind, so if one can’t tell the difference then it doesn’t matter” can be a philosophical question on which we’ll disagree.
- thrdbndndn 5y agoDVDs use PCM (LPCM?) which is lossless.
- MrRadar 5y agoDVDs can use PCM, however every commercial release I've seen uses Dolby Digital/AC3/A52 or DTS. (Apparently PAL DVDs may also use MP2 but as an American I've never personally encountered that on a commercially-released disc.)
- thrdbndndn 5y agoMy bad, shouldn't generalize. It probably depends on region and genre then. I collect Japanese music DVDs (music videos, lives), 99% of them use stereo PCM.
- MrRadar 5y agoYeah, I mostly collect(ed) films and TV. I can imagine that the people authoring music DVDs would decide the bitrate tradeoff would be worth it to get the better quality when the focus of the disc is on the sound.