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Faster Audio Decoding and Encoding Coming To Ogg and FLAC (phoronix.com)

Posted by msmash on from the backend-tech dept.

FLAC and Ogg now have faster audio encoding and decoding capabilities thanks to recent code improvements. An anonymous reader writes: Robert Kausch of the fre:ac audio converter project informed news outlet Phoronix about recent changes he has made to FLAC and Ogg for bolstering faster performance. Kausch says he updated the CRC checks within FLAC and Ogg to a faster algorithm and those patches have now been accepted upstream. The Ogg and FLAC updates were merged this week for using the optimized CRC algorithm. As a result of this, encoding and decoding FLAC is now 5 percent faster, while encoding and decoding Ogg FLAC is 10 percent and 15 percent faster, respectively. Opus sees about one percent faster decoding, while Vorbis does decoding at two percent faster pace.

90 comments

  1. One step forward, one step back by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So after the latest patches for speculative execution vulnerabilities, you'll end up with performance about the same as you used to have.

    1. Re:One step forward, one step back by ReneR · · Score: 1

      It is most likely one step forward, two steps back. For most other non-CRC32 software anyways.

    2. Re:One step forward, one step back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This may help improve performance on devices such as the Sansa E200 series running RockBox.

    3. Re:One step forward, one step back by nospam007 · · Score: 2

      "So after the latest patches for speculative execution vulnerabilities, you'll end up with performance about the same as you used to have."

      No, it's faster and so you can play a 3 minutes song in 2 minutes.

    4. Re:One step forward, one step back by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Only if you're silly enough to actually enable said patches on a computer where the risk they are mitigating is so incredibly low.

  2. Depends... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Did this new checksum algorithm actually improve things, or just break compatibility of ogg/flac files with legacy players that don't have updates available? And did it provide said speedups without causing new security issues of its own?

    1. Re:Depends... by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      What kind of shit do you listen to that security is a concern?

    2. Re:Depends... by jrumney · · Score: 3, Informative

      It's a new algorithm to calculate the same checksum. It doesn't break compatibility with anything.

      FLAC and Vorbis reference decoders are both lacking any processor specific optimizations, so a new checksum algorithm is only a fraction of the potential for optimization. For Vorbis, there is Tremor as an alternative, which does have some ARM specific optimization, but for FLAC the reference codec is all there is.

  3. What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by jellomizer · · Score: 2

    While I like to see faster algorithms in general as a good thing. But some questions.
    Where does Flac and ogg stand on Quality/encoding speed compared to others?
    Will this range make it more competitive to others, or is there too big of a gap?
    For those who move to the new version how much time will they really spend. Will they just get a minute of their time a day or hours?
     

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by mishehu · · Score: 2

      ogg in of itself is simply a container format. It does not actually handle the compression/decompression of the streams within it, that's handled by other stuff such as libvorbis for vorbis encoded streams.

    2. Re:What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by DigitAl56K · · Score: 5, Informative

      Flac is lossless, it's full quality.

      Opus, except at _extremely_ low bitrates, has similar or better quality than the most commonly used modern codecs:
      http://opus-codec.org/comparis...

      Flac is fast to encode and decode. Opus decodes slower than MP3 but on par with AAC LC, and encodes slightly faster than AAC LC and on par with MP3. Performance will vary a bit by encoder:
      http://fmedia.firmdev.com/audi...

    3. Re:What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by AvitarX · · Score: 1

      I ripped my CD catalog to FLAC due to the speed (it was a while ago) not the quality. It was about 4x the speed of lame high quality variable bitrate.

      I'd then convert to MP3 overnight queuing up that evening's take.

      --
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    4. Re:What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by TeknoHog · · Score: 3, Informative

      Flac is lossless, it's full quality.

      Flac is fast to encode and decode.

      Just to elaborate, Flac was designed for light/fast encoders at the possible expense of compression ratio. It would decode in software in portable music players that often had hardware decoders for MP3 and AAC. In comparison, other lossless formats at the time such as APE had somewhat better compression ratios, but were much heavier to encode and decode. I guess the prevailing idea was that portable players don't need lossless quality, but Flac changed that. Of course, Flac is also Free software.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    5. Re: What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Full quality" on the formats it is compatible with.
      Give a read about the DSD audio format. Flac won't work on these files. So no, Flac isn't the definitive audio format.

    6. Re: What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Full quality" on the formats it is compatible with.
      Give a read about the DSD audio format. Flac won't work on these files. So no, Flac isn't the definitive audio format.

      Wow, reading about DSD, it sounds like a mess.
      Good thing that never really took off and won't affect anyone in the real world.

    7. Re: What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by ffkom · · Score: 1

      To properly encode DSD, your computer (and its mains cable) would have to contain only the purest of oxygen-free copper and silver wires, sanctified by a virgin at midnight. The kind of equipment only the high priests of the church of high-end hifi would have available in their fanes.

    8. Re: What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To properly encode DSD, your computer (and its mains cable) would have to contain only the purest of oxygen-free copper and silver wires, sanctified by a virgin at midnight.

      Those can be expensive, so to save money I sanctify my own wires.

    9. Re:What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Screw compression, I usually just rip to wav. CDs are what, 600MB, compared to the several TB I have sitting around - way I look at it compression is just two potential points of failure in the rip/playback cycle for essentially no gain.

    10. Re:What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by AvitarX · · Score: 1

      600 MB vs 150 MB (good quality MP3) or 300 MB (FLAC) is pretty significant in the era of portable players.

      I use a streaming service now, but when I was ripping my disks that was a fantasy. I wouldn't be shocked if my HD was only half a TB even (I forget), but my player was only 30GB. Only 60 CDs is a lot more limiting than 240.

      --
      Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
    11. Re: What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, reading about DSD, it sounds like a mess.

      No, no. You got it all wrong. It reads like a mess, but end up sounding really good. Marginally better than 192/24 FLAC mind you.

    12. Re: What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't encode DSD, you just decode. To properly encode DSD you would need to have studio level gear. ...and we all know only Pope approved platinum made stuff qualifies. No need for your el cheapo thousand dollars cables.

    13. Re:What does 5-15 Percent speed mean? by Bengie · · Score: 1

      At extremely low bit rates or packet loss, Opus kicks the crap out everything else. In my experience, Opus has really good reproduction of a wide range of frequencies. MP3s like to remove highs and lows. such that symbols and deep base drums in acoustic music sounds garbled when listening side by side.

  4. So a 5% to 15% speed improvement is newsworthy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Man, we must be reaching some kind of technological plateau. I'm all for speed gains... but come on. I guess compiler flags would potentially make more difference than that.

    1. Re:So a 5% to 15% speed improvement is newsworthy? by ReneR · · Score: 0

      especially it is only very specific audio codecs, not even that widely used in the mainstream, ..!

    2. Re:So a 5% to 15% speed improvement is newsworthy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm all for speed gains... but come on. I guess compiler flags would potentially make more difference than that.

      Sure there isn't a lot here beyond implementing an alternate CRC32 algorithm that is faster. Obviously if the compiler optimizations of the existing algorithm were that good, they woudln't need it.

      On a battery powered device, that sort of optimization will save some battery life.

  5. Meh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Always good, of course, but is there nothing that actually has an impact on my life. (No, political/corporate bickering and PR hasn't. They are all psychopathic mass-murdering toddlers, trying to leech from me. It is a rather static cost of life on this still human-contaminated planet.)

    1. Re: Meh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't be like that buddy. You are loved.

  6. Cool! by DogDude · · Score: 1

    Cool! I don't particularly care about the speed increases, but it's cool to know that people are still working on these codecs. I use FLAC every day.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Cool! by psmoot · · Score: 1

      Absolutely. Finding a 5 to 15% performance improvement in something as well-understood as CRCs is a pretty stunning microoptimization. I'd like to read the code, not that I have much chance of understanding why it's so much faster.

  7. Ogg by ArchieBunker · · Score: 0

    Who the hell even uses Ogg besides Wikipedia?

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    1. Re:Ogg by execthts · · Score: 2

      Basically all Android devices. Built-in ringtones and notification sounds are all in .ogg.

    2. Re:Ogg by darkain · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure about CURRENT video games, but I know games in the mid-2000s used them. The Unreal engine was specifically designed for OGG playback to help reduce the size of music in games.

    3. Re:Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Video games are the better known commercial application, because they would have needed to pay a license for shipping an mp3 decoder with the games I think.

      People who didn't use mobile players, or cared to get one that is compatible - I think all modern smartphones should support Ogg vorbis files out of the box, as it's used on youtube also for VP8 + Vorbis webm.
      Now only the Ogg Theora video codec is never found elsewhere than Wikipedia (I don't know if the phones read it. Based on a granddaddy of VP8 and VP9)
      Incidentally I read a bit on Theora and they said it was not that bad a codec, everyone remembers the early versions when it sucked. But you can probably use VP8 if you need/want to use a free video codec that will usually play on random things.

    4. Re:Ogg by jwhyche · · Score: 3

      Correct me if I'm wrong, and someone will, but I think Spoify uses it.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    5. Re:Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who the hell even uses Ogg besides Wikipedia?

      Your mom?

    6. Re:Ogg by Sloppy · · Score: 1

      People who listen to music.

      --
      As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
    7. Re:Ogg by brianerst · · Score: 1

      From Spotify's Audio Settings page:

      The desktop app’s standard quality is Ogg Vorbis 160kbit/s.

      Premium subscribers can choose to switch on High quality streaming, which uses 320kbit/s

    8. Re:Ogg by jwhyche · · Score: 1

      I should know this but I thought ogg was the audio format and vorbis was the container is was wrapped in. Much like h.265 is the video stream, AC-3 is the audio stream, and mkv is the wrapper they are all muxed together in.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    9. Re:Ogg by tepples · · Score: 1

      Incidentally I read a bit on Theora and they said it was not that bad a codec, everyone remembers the early versions when it sucked.

      Last I checked, Theora's rate-distortion performance was somewhere between H.263 (such as Sorenson Spark, DivX, and Xvid) and H.264. But by the time Theora was ready for production use, the technically superior H.264 had already gained an installed base.

    10. Re:Ogg by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      He said ogg, not egg.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    11. Re:Ogg by the_germ · · Score: 1

      It's the other way around. Vorbis is the audio format and Ogg is the container.

      Ogg is also used for Opus, Speex, Theora, Daala and sometimes FLAC. All of these will benefit from the performance improvement in Ogg.

    12. Re: Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who the fuck knows what a Victrola is? You, good sir, are old yourself.

      Also, bite me.

    13. Re:Ogg by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Nope, backwards. Vorbis is the audio format and Ogg is the container. Sometimes you here the combination of the two referred to incorrectly as Ogg or colloquially but not incorrectly as Ogg Vorbis.

    14. Re:Ogg by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      The web player and Chromecast stream 256kbps AAC at the highest quality setting, for some reason.

      I wish they would move to Opus. The could cut around a 3rd of their bandwidth usage for the same audible quality.

      --
      Eat the rich.
    15. Re: Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bite my oversized pen0r, faggot. Also you LIE when you say you only look at +2 or higher.

  8. Re: Impersonating me? Give me a break... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The parent was not posted by APK. His hatred toward Jews and Muslims is well known. Just look at his Muslim bashing in his posts that attack Zontar.

  9. Not about FLAC or OGG by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1, Troll

    I expected that since they were listing formats that somehow the formats had been modified. However, these improvements are not to FLAC or OGG but rather one implementation. What's worse is that these aren't even the most commonly used implementations.

    The headline is garbage and if you voted for this story then you deserve a spanking. >:(

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:Not about FLAC or OGG by the_germ · · Score: 2

      They are the official reference codecs provided by Xiph Foundation. These are used on every Android device and in every Linux distribution. Most software that will process FLAC or Ogg uses these libraries too.

      They are easily the most commonly used implementations.

  10. Re: Impersonating me? Give me a break... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Perhaps you shouldn't post about your hosts file engine where it doesn't belong. In this article, it's totally offtopic spam.

  11. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And APK proves he's a spammer. No one wants your posts here, idiot.

  12. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't forget to repost your racist rant, too. Or are you trying to bury that now because you're ashamed of it?

  13. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL! APK is raging because someone correctly identified his offtopic spam as being offtopic spam.

  14. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I predict that APK spams this gibberish six or seven times in this article, each time correctly being moderated to -1 for being off-topic.

  15. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How exactly do hosts files relate to audio encoding?

    Here's a hint: THEY DON'T.

    Take your spam and GTFO.

  16. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL! Just keep spamming your offtopic garbage that has nothing to do with audio codecs. Show everyone just what an annoying moron you are. By the way, I'm not moderating your posts. I'm happy to let everyone see what a moron you are.

  17. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    APK is fuming because someone correctly identified him as a spammer and correctly said his posts were off-topic. LOL!

  18. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just how many times do you plan on spamming this offtopic rubbish to this article? Your post has absolutely nothing to do with the article and you know it. You're just angry because everyone who's calling you out is correct.

  19. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Take your spam elsewhere. It's not welcome here. GTFO.

  20. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When there's an article about hosts files, then you can post. Until then, shut the hell up. Your posts are not welcome. You have been moderated to -1 for a good reason, because moderators have correctly noted that your posts are off-topic. If you don't like it, either make on-topic posts are stop posting. Get over yourself, asshole.

  21. Re:Nobody Uses Ogg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No one uses Ogg. Except for the gays.

    Naa, they use Arse And Cock..

  22. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Editors have infinite mod points. You will never exhaust the mod points used to moderate your posts to -1. Your best bet is to give up. Either improve your posting or leave Slashdot. However, your off-topic spam is absolutely not welcome here.

  23. CRS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can't count the number of times I went to bed wishing for faster audio encoding/decoding. Seriously, I can't think of one time.

  24. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    Grand Theft Fortnight Overwatch? I'd play that!

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  25. REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: New APK Hosts File Engine 2.0++ 64-bit for Linux in FreePascal/Lazarus = WAY faster vs. Delphi object pascal model!

    New data intake was 5 minutes (20mb file fully sorted/deduplicated/false positives & invalid tld/gtld removal) = 1.5 minutes now!

    Merge 2 files (160mb + 20mb) was 45 minutes & = ONLY 7 minutes now!

    How?

    No graphical VCL controls use in dataprocessing (mixed in Winmodel) & now all in-memory non-visible stringlist work!

    * Exe's 3.4mb in Linux 64-bit via Lazarus + FreePascal - Delphi XE4= 7mb by comparison - big diff!

    See subject: Repost vs. a-holes "ordering" ME (good luck that) https://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=12137980&cid=56654010/ & "offtopic"?

    He's an OFFTOPIC trolling hypocrite & wrong - I got 100's of % boosts out of my work too & article's on performance boost!

    * RUNNING "ne'er-do-well" do-nothing UNIDENTIFIABLE trolls DRY of 'downmodpoints' = my specialty!

    APK

    P.S.=> Per article "I KNOW THE FEELING"... apk

  26. Re:Why use Ogg and FLAC when we have Opus? by the_germ · · Score: 1

    And Opus use which container format? Hint: It starts with an O and ends in gg.

    The Ogg performance improvements will speed up Opus decoding too (and save battery life when playing Opus on your mobile device).

    And FLAC is lossless while Opus is not. So FLAC is the better choice for archival.

  27. Re: Impersonating me? Give me a break... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Which is pretty fucking funny when you think about it since Zontar claims to be a Buddhist.

  28. Re:REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! a by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Linux doesn't have .exe's, retard.

  29. Is this really news worthy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because the last time i played a flac or ogg file I sure though to my self well damn wouldn't it be great if this file decoded faster so i didnt have to wait for it to decode and buffer before listening. It's not like we are in the days of 486's/early pentiums and MP3s where playing back an MP3 would saturate the CPU. Sure this might give some battery life improvements, but aren't alot of media files already being decoded in dedicated hardware decoders

  30. Re: I know the feeling... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is OK, but not your best work.

  31. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Host file engine, LOL. This shit is gold.

  32. Re:STFU hypocrite - you're offtopic... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What no posts about soy boys or sawing balls and peckers off. APK you are off topic all the time and offer nothing of value.

  33. Re: REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is more like retard file engine.

  34. I am a retarded spammer! apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I, APK, am a retarded spammer
    I can't do any actual computer security work so instead I made something that creates a correctly formatted hosts file from other people's already correctly formatted hosts file.
    I then pass this off as if it is the greatest single computer security work ever created and use it to tell the world that I am a fucking genius.
    I will spam this in every slashdot thread I can and cry like a little pussy when I get rightfully modded down.
    I like to call people names like a 3 year old does because that is mentally where I topped out.
    My name is APK and I will now go fist my own asshole until I feel better about myself.

    P.s. - Why don't my parents love me? I will keep spamming this until my parents stop trying to sue to get me to move out.

  35. Re:REPOST (to spite idiots): I know the feeling! a by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The only feeling you know is cdreimer's dick in your ass. I see he has stopped fucking you so now it is time for you to shitpost.

    That boost you are getting is the endorphins kicking in as creimer goes in dry as he tightens the belt around your neck because even he doesn't want your cum in his ass.

  36. Tested&measured the optimisation on my Sgi Oct by ReneR · · Score: 1

    enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...