At 02:36 PM 2007-12-10, Howard Friedman wrote:
>Does that mean that ripping CDA format files from a CD to MP3 format
>on my hard drive loses nothing?
Howard,
That is not copying a file, that is changing the file. The CDA format
is 44.1/16 uncompressed. You're compressing it when you make the MP3.
Copying a CDA to your hard drive would result in a WAV file of 44.1
ks/s and 16 bit depth. That would be lossless except in extreme cases
of poor readability which would normally fail, or at least be
flagged, depending on your ripping tool. ExactAudioCopy.DE gives you
an error report. I don't know what Windows Media Player does in that regard.
When you change the file format you lose something (unless you
upconvert). When you make analog copies, you lose something.
When most people say "copy a file" they mean from one carrier to
another in the same format, not migrating it to a different format.
That type of copying is transparent or it will fail (with the chance
of an undetectable error in something like 1 per Petabyte or
something along that order of magnitude 1 PB = 1,000,000 GB) For all
intents and purposes, copying a file will work or fail. If it fails,
it tells you.
If you're changing a file format from uncompressed to compressed,
that is changing the file format, not copying. You will lose quality.
When you uncompress and recompress an MP3 or JPEG file, you will lose
quality which is why these files are not used as input for editing.
Cheers,
Richard
Richard L. Hess email: [log in to unmask]
Aurora, Ontario, Canada (905) 713 6733 1-877-TAPE-FIX
Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
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