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Topic: Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC (Read 5343 times) previous topic - next topic
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Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

I read the sticky thread above about all the lossless formats and was confused about one thing. When it says FLAC has 58,70% compression and ALAC compresses at 58,50% what does the 58 mean? and does the percentage mean that FLAC for example is 70% of the original wav or it takes away 70% of the wav file making it 30% of the size.
Bottom line: if the WAV file=100mb
                      FLAC=?
                      ALAC=?

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #1 –
% of original wav

example:

0.587 x 1411kbps = 828k
0.585 x 1411kbps = 825k

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #2 –
50% of 1000 is 500. 58.70% of X is Y, where
Code: [Select]
  X            Y
------ = -------
100%     58.70%

so

Y = (X * 58.70) / 100


being X the number of bytes a wav ocupies, and Y how much it would ocupy as encoded

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #3 –
Quote
% of original wav

example:

0.587 x 1411kbps = 828k
0.585 x 1411kbps = 825k
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327272"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Ok so are you saying it will display as 828k for both flac and alac but be very different in file sizes since one is specified to be 70% and one 50% of the original size?

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #4 –
and oh, which is smaller flac or alac? that was one of my questions

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #5 –
Quote
50% of 1000 is 500. 58.70% of X is Y, where
Code: [Select]
  X            Y
------ = -------
100%     58.70%

so

Y = (X * 58.70) / 100


being X the number of bytes a wav ocupies, and Y how much it would ocupy as encoded
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327275"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Yes I get it but why is there 2 percentage values for flac 58 and 70% for example. is it variable depending on the song sort of like a tiff file for images?

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #6 –
Quote
and oh, which is smaller flac or alac? that was one of my questions
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327281"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


They're roughly the same. Usually not much more than 1-3mb difference on an entire album to one or the others advantage.

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #7 –
Quote
Quote
and oh, which is smaller flac or alac? that was one of my questions
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327281"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


They're roughly the same. Usually not much more than 1-3mb difference on an entire album to one or the others advantage.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327284"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


OK, just wondering what the 70% for flac and 50% for alac meant... insignificant??? so they are probably both just around 58% compression then?

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #8 –
Donunus, I think your confusion is in the fact that the numbers are using a European formatting where a comma is the decimal separator and a period is the thousands separator.
US: 1,234,567.89
Euro: 1.234.567,89

So...
Euro: 58,70% = US: 58.70%
Euro: 58,50% = US: 58.50%
[span style=\'font-size:8pt;line-height:100%\']I wouldn't know a subtle hint if it stood on my desk in a purple dress dancing and singing, "Subtle hints are here again!"[/span]

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #9 –
Quote
Donunus, I think your confusion is in the fact that the numbers are using a European formatting where a comma is the decimal separator and a period is the thousands separator.
US: 1,234,567.89
Euro: 1.234.567,89

So...
Euro: 58,70% = US: 58.70%
Euro: 58,50% = US: 58.50%
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327287"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


AAAARGH.... EUREKA!!! Thanks a lot. Thats the first time i've heard of that. I guess i learn something everyday. so the sticky is european... and i thought it had 2 values

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #10 –
Quote
Quote
Donunus, I think your confusion is in the fact that the numbers are using a European formatting where a comma is the decimal separator and a period is the thousands separator.
US: 1,234,567.89
Euro: 1.234.567,89

So...
Euro: 58,70% = US: 58.70%
Euro: 58,50% = US: 58.50%
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327287"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


AAAARGH.... EUREKA!!! Thanks a lot. Thats the first time i've heard of that. I guess i learn something everyday. so the sticky is european... and i thought it had 2 values
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327288"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Wow, me too, I've ran into this many times reading different threads here and most times I thought I was seeing either a ratio or two values!...Thanks to Fenterbug for taking the time to point this out  !

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #11 –
Quote
Donunus, I think your confusion is in the fact that the numbers are using a European formatting where a comma is the decimal separator and a period is the thousands separator.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327287"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Those wacky Europeans...

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #12 –
Quote
Donunus, I think your confusion is in the fact that the numbers are using a European formatting where a comma is the decimal separator and a period is the thousands separator.
US: 1,234,567.89
Euro: 1.234.567,89

So...
Euro: 58,70% = US: 58.70%
Euro: 58,50% = US: 58.50%
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327287"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Actually, the European formatting (not British) would be
1 234 567,89

Amount of Compression for ALAC and FLAC

Reply #13 –
Quote
and oh, which is smaller flac or alac? that was one of my questions
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=327281"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I recently switched back to Windows after being on a Mac for two years, so I've actually been converting my ALAC files to FLAC -q5. As others have said, FLAC -q5 and ALAC are very similar, with FLAC being a little bit smaller most of the time (at least for the hundered or so albums I've converted).

That being said, I personally wouldn't use ALAC unless you are on a Mac or use an iPod, though; FLAC has much better hardware and software support ATM.