Yeah sure, because everyone has a player for those installed on their computer. Not everyone is an open-source fanatic, get over it. And H.264/AAC is still more accessible than Quicktime or AVI files (especially with their dozens of CODECs).
And H.264/AAC may be proprietary formats, but nothing prevents the open-source community to buy licenses. After all, if people can send money to some guys just so they can destroy an Xbox360/PS3/Wii on launch day, they can send money to help pay for CODEC licenses.
Indeed, I'm still wondering why people haven't switched to MPEG-4/MP3 or H.264/AAC.mp4 files yet.
And no, DivX/XviD aren't.mp4 files, they're MPEG-4 data inside AVI/ASF containers (sometimes with VBR MP3, which ain't even allowed in a strict AVI file) that just won't play on a Mac without crashing/slowing down the whole system.
That last bit about artists' reputations suffering from sales of inferior quality pirated copies is kinda questionable in this day and age. A pirated CD should sound the same as the real thing, sometimes better since they'll remove any DRM crap from it.
Unless it's some really weird DRM I haven't heard about, it shouldn't affect the sound quality at all. DRM is about protecting/locking the data, not the actual audio output. A DRM'ed file should output the exact same audio data as the non-DRM'ed file, if both are made from the same source and encoded with the same CODEC and parameters.
As for the inferior quality, the RIAA should check their own mastering studios. They should be ashamed to sell audio CDs that contain clipping.
According to SonicSpot, "WinPlay3 was the first real-time MPEG Layer-3 Audio Player for PCs running Windows." That's for Windows 3.11, people. Forget the power required to run shockwave movies, most computers were barely able to decode 44.1KHz, 16 bit stereo files at the time (Pentium was a expensive luxury).
With only a few dozen PS3 sold world-wide, it's still time to go back and upgrade Blu-Ray. In five years, when a few thousands PS3 will have been sold, it'll be too late....
Cellphones are too varied and the market too spread out amongst different brands/models for a cellphone maker to try to enter this market. It just won't happen, even cellphones from the same brand can't play the same games (if they even can). Too many differences in LCD size, processor, memory, controls, etc.
And just like Nintendo isn't trying to compete with the high-end graphics of the PS3 and Xbox 360, maybe Apple just wants to steal Nintendo's low-end marketshare: simple GameBoy Advance games. After all, they now have sales numbers for such games from the iTunes Store, with an extremely limited choice of games too.
And they've also already got a portable system available with the 5th generation iPod. Add the fact that they're coming up with a set-top box for your television with their "iTV", and they already got the whole system in place: distribution, home gaming, portable gaming (same games as the home gaming too).
Sure, games have to be kept simple because of the limited number of controls, but it does have the clickwheel advantage (just like the DS and Wii have their own advantages) and it's more of a "it can also play games" factor, not a "it's a low-end gaming system" factor.
Now, if only they came out with a (free) devkit so people could make their own games, and even allow people to sell their games on the iTunes store, it'd be even nicer.
And frankly, I'm sure this rumor is all a bunch of hot air. When a company is developing a game console, people know... simply the amount of game studios/tool developers/hardware designers/etc involved will make leaks impossible to avoid. (I mean, everyone knew pretty much everything about the Xbox a full year before its launch.)
Oh, you mean like everyone knew about the 5th generation iPod which can play games? Even long-time Mac games developers didn't knew about it. Apple are usually able to keep their new stuff secret until it's on the market. I find it weird that they announced the iTV months in advance.
And now, put compatibility with these new iPod games on the iTV and you got a basic "games on TV and on a portable system that also happens to be the most popular digital music player in the world" market. The distribution chain is already there via the iTunes Store. All they need to do after that is release a free, simple-to-use devkit so people can make their own games, and with Apple's approval they could be sold in the iTunes Store (easy way to sell your games = one good reason not to release your games as freeware).
Never mind the digital/internet revolution, where Apple knows how it works (Easy CD ripping, easy synching, iTunes, iTunes Store, iPod) and Sony is still stuck trying to force its consumers to eat up locked down/proprietary formats (miniDisc, Memory Sticks, Atrac3, Blu-Ray).
Apple has always been about computers and software, Sony has always been about separate devices, until recently. The fact that Sony has internal conflicts (Sony Hardware vs Sony Pictures+Sony Music) doesn't help them a bit.
I'm well aware of the existence of FLAC and Apple Lossless, thank you.
But last time I checked, all sampled music was PCM, and that's lossy by definition. You're limited in the sampling rate and the bit resolution, which makes is lossy when comparing with the original (i.e. "real-life") source.
Then again, like my original post says, audio CDs are what most of us have to use as the "original lossless" source.
So no, FLAC isn't "lossy" in the MP3/AAC/VQF/WMA sense, but it is PCM, which my original post clearly pointed out (I asked for "non-lossy non-PCM". FLAC is non-lossy but is PCM.
Then you should've said "the iTunes Store", because "iTunes" is the name of the program. It doesn't require the music store or even an internet connection, though it's nice to have one for the CDDB/covert art features.
You're the confused one. Yes, OGG is just a container format, but when you say things like "OGG is lossless" and "Vorbis is the audio CODEC", you're wrong.
OGG = container Vorbis = lossy FLAC = lossless
OGG Vorbis = lossy, OGG Flac = lossless. The confusion comes from people saying "OGG" when they mean "OGG Vorbis" and "FLAC" when they mean "OGG FLAC". People putting ".flac" as the extension doesn't help either, though.
When it comes to something like classical, that's when you probably need to move up to 160 or 192 (which iTunes doesn't offer, unfortunately).
I guess you don't dig too deep into menus and options, because iTunes offers, in the preferences-advanced-importing menu, a custom setting which allows you to set the bitrate from 16kbps to 320kbps for both MP3 and AAC, along with other options such as sampling rates (8K to 48KHz for MP3, 44.1KHz and 48KHz for AAC), stereo/mono options, VBR and even normal/joint stereo mode for MP3.
The only thing iTunes doesn't offer is on-the-fly re-encoding for iPods (except the shuffles, fixed to AAC/128kbps). Such a feature would allow us to keep Apple Lossless on the computer and whatever we feel like for our iPods (per-iPod setting would be even better).
Okay, show me non-lossy non-PCM digital audio. You can't? Well, too bad. Digital music is usually PCM and most of us refer to CD's as "lossless", being our only "source" to convert to other formats.
1. Scaling down graphics/textures/etc isn't that hard. Make the artwork for PS3 and Xbox 360, then scale down for Wii. It's not like the Wii renders in 352x240 here... it may not be HD but it's not that weak either. At worst, simply scale down some visual effects if needed. I'd rather have my games run at a smooth 30 images/seconds then a good-looking slideshow at 15 images/second.
2. It's the same thing as porting PC games to a console. For the Wii you simply port keyboard movement to the nunchuck and mouse aiming to Wiimote. IHMO it's easier than porting from keyboard+mouse to gamepad+analog sticks.
Porting to the Wii a game that was designed with the other two big consoles in mind presents two challenges: 1) The Wii has less graphics horsepower. 2) The controller is completely different.
1. The Wii has less graphic "horsepower" (we're measuring graphics in kinetic energy now?), but since the other two consoles "have to" render in HD, they need to be four times as powerful as the Wii. So, once you take the resolution into account, I'm pretty sure all 3 consoles are as powerful as the other (except maybe the Xbox 360, which wasn't designed for true HD graphics in the first place - if you get below 30fps that's not powerful enough in my book). And the Wii can do 480p, which is as high as regular DVDs, which many people think is "good enough" unless they have HD displays.
2. The controller is completely different, yet it's still the same. Think of the Wiimote+nunchuck as a "gamepad analog stick+mouse" combo. Some games will actually play better on the Wii (if coded properly) than on the Xbox 360 or PS3. CoD3 is a good example - I don't want to play such games with a stupid analog stick to aim. It just doesn't work. That's like trying to play Super Mario Bros with a mouse. And, worst case scenario, the Wiimote can be held like a NES gamepad with rotation just like a PS3 "Sixaxis" controller, Gamecube controllers can be used, and there's also the "Classic gamepad" option. So really, the Wii isn't some "special beast that can't do what the others can't" in the controls department. In fact, aside from the number of buttons (which, frankly, was getting ridiculous in the last generation), the Wii can do more than the other two.
Would you rather play a game such as Unreal Tournament/Quake/Doom on your computer with a keyboard and mouse, or with a stupid gamepad with analog thumbsticks? Put those two players inside the same game and the gamepad player probably won't stand a chance.
Also, after playing Zelda (which ain't even a shooter) for a week, I find it weird to hold a gamepad in my hands (even the one from the Gamecube, which IMHO is the most comfortable gamepad ever made).
Of course, a lot of games would be weird with the Wiimote and the nunchuck, just like some games aren't made for a keyboard+mouse. I'm thinking MegaMan games, for example. But for all the rest, gamepads just plain suck.
So, think of it as Wire Lover, Loved Son, or Sun Loved - all meanings are valid.
Well, not really. While "Loved Son" makes sense, "Wire Lover" and "Sun Loved" (Sun?!) don't make any sense since they're not family names.
If you think you can simply translate words and think the end results are valid, you're wrong. As a family name, Fils-Aimé means "Loved Son", and nothing else.
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Yeah sure, because everyone has a player for those installed on their computer. Not everyone is an open-source fanatic, get over it. And H.264/AAC is still more accessible than Quicktime or AVI files (especially with their dozens of CODECs).
And H.264/AAC may be proprietary formats, but nothing prevents the open-source community to buy licenses. After all, if people can send money to some guys just so they can destroy an Xbox360/PS3/Wii on launch day, they can send money to help pay for CODEC licenses.
Indeed, I'm still wondering why people haven't switched to MPEG-4/MP3 or H.264/AAC .mp4 files yet.
.mp4 files, they're MPEG-4 data inside AVI/ASF containers (sometimes with VBR MP3, which ain't even allowed in a strict AVI file) that just won't play on a Mac without crashing/slowing down the whole system.
And no, DivX/XviD aren't
As for the inferior quality, the RIAA should check their own mastering studios. They should be ashamed to sell audio CDs that contain clipping.
According to SonicSpot, "WinPlay3 was the first real-time MPEG Layer-3 Audio Player for PCs running Windows." That's for Windows 3.11, people. Forget the power required to run shockwave movies, most computers were barely able to decode 44.1KHz, 16 bit stereo files at the time (Pentium was a expensive luxury).
What do you mean, a top or a bottom trigger?
My apologies to Monty Python for abusing their classics.
With only a few dozen PS3 sold world-wide, it's still time to go back and upgrade Blu-Ray. In five years, when a few thousands PS3 will have been sold, it'll be too late. ...
Calm down Sony fanbois, it's only a joke.
Cellphones are too varied and the market too spread out amongst different brands/models for a cellphone maker to try to enter this market. It just won't happen, even cellphones from the same brand can't play the same games (if they even can). Too many differences in LCD size, processor, memory, controls, etc.
And just like Nintendo isn't trying to compete with the high-end graphics of the PS3 and Xbox 360, maybe Apple just wants to steal Nintendo's low-end marketshare: simple GameBoy Advance games. After all, they now have sales numbers for such games from the iTunes Store, with an extremely limited choice of games too.
And they've also already got a portable system available with the 5th generation iPod. Add the fact that they're coming up with a set-top box for your television with their "iTV", and they already got the whole system in place: distribution, home gaming, portable gaming (same games as the home gaming too).
Sure, games have to be kept simple because of the limited number of controls, but it does have the clickwheel advantage (just like the DS and Wii have their own advantages) and it's more of a "it can also play games" factor, not a "it's a low-end gaming system" factor.
Now, if only they came out with a (free) devkit so people could make their own games, and even allow people to sell their games on the iTunes store, it'd be even nicer.
And now, put compatibility with these new iPod games on the iTV and you got a basic "games on TV and on a portable system that also happens to be the most popular digital music player in the world" market. The distribution chain is already there via the iTunes Store. All they need to do after that is release a free, simple-to-use devkit so people can make their own games, and with Apple's approval they could be sold in the iTunes Store (easy way to sell your games = one good reason not to release your games as freeware).
Never mind the digital/internet revolution, where Apple knows how it works (Easy CD ripping, easy synching, iTunes, iTunes Store, iPod) and Sony is still stuck trying to force its consumers to eat up locked down/proprietary formats (miniDisc, Memory Sticks, Atrac3, Blu-Ray).
Apple has always been about computers and software, Sony has always been about separate devices, until recently. The fact that Sony has internal conflicts (Sony Hardware vs Sony Pictures+Sony Music) doesn't help them a bit.
That's the damn point I was trying to say to the post ABOVE my original post!
My original post said "non-lossy NON-PCM" god can't you people read?
I'm well aware of the existence of FLAC and Apple Lossless, thank you.
But last time I checked, all sampled music was PCM, and that's lossy by definition. You're limited in the sampling rate and the bit resolution, which makes is lossy when comparing with the original (i.e. "real-life") source.
Then again, like my original post says, audio CDs are what most of us have to use as the "original lossless" source.
So no, FLAC isn't "lossy" in the MP3/AAC/VQF/WMA sense, but it is PCM, which my original post clearly pointed out (I asked for "non-lossy non-PCM". FLAC is non-lossy but is PCM.
FLAC and Apple Lossless are both PCM-encoded, which to some people equals with "lossy" (and they're technically right).
My original post did say "show me non-lossy, non-PCM".
Then you should've said "the iTunes Store", because "iTunes" is the name of the program. It doesn't require the music store or even an internet connection, though it's nice to have one for the CDDB/covert art features.
You're the confused one. Yes, OGG is just a container format, but when you say things like "OGG is lossless" and "Vorbis is the audio CODEC", you're wrong.
OGG = container
Vorbis = lossy
FLAC = lossless
OGG Vorbis = lossy, OGG Flac = lossless. The confusion comes from people saying "OGG" when they mean "OGG Vorbis" and "FLAC" when they mean "OGG FLAC". People putting ".flac" as the extension doesn't help either, though.
The only thing iTunes doesn't offer is on-the-fly re-encoding for iPods (except the shuffles, fixed to AAC/128kbps). Such a feature would allow us to keep Apple Lossless on the computer and whatever we feel like for our iPods (per-iPod setting would be even better).
Okay, show me non-lossy non-PCM digital audio. You can't? Well, too bad. Digital music is usually PCM and most of us refer to CD's as "lossless", being our only "source" to convert to other formats.
1. Scaling down graphics/textures/etc isn't that hard. Make the artwork for PS3 and Xbox 360, then scale down for Wii. It's not like the Wii renders in 352x240 here... it may not be HD but it's not that weak either. At worst, simply scale down some visual effects if needed. I'd rather have my games run at a smooth 30 images/seconds then a good-looking slideshow at 15 images/second.
2. It's the same thing as porting PC games to a console. For the Wii you simply port keyboard movement to the nunchuck and mouse aiming to Wiimote. IHMO it's easier than porting from keyboard+mouse to gamepad+analog sticks.
2. The controller is completely different, yet it's still the same. Think of the Wiimote+nunchuck as a "gamepad analog stick+mouse" combo. Some games will actually play better on the Wii (if coded properly) than on the Xbox 360 or PS3. CoD3 is a good example - I don't want to play such games with a stupid analog stick to aim. It just doesn't work. That's like trying to play Super Mario Bros with a mouse. And, worst case scenario, the Wiimote can be held like a NES gamepad with rotation just like a PS3 "Sixaxis" controller, Gamecube controllers can be used, and there's also the "Classic gamepad" option. So really, the Wii isn't some "special beast that can't do what the others can't" in the controls department. In fact, aside from the number of buttons (which, frankly, was getting ridiculous in the last generation), the Wii can do more than the other two.
Would you rather play a game such as Unreal Tournament/Quake/Doom on your computer with a keyboard and mouse, or with a stupid gamepad with analog thumbsticks? Put those two players inside the same game and the gamepad player probably won't stand a chance.
Also, after playing Zelda (which ain't even a shooter) for a week, I find it weird to hold a gamepad in my hands (even the one from the Gamecube, which IMHO is the most comfortable gamepad ever made).
Of course, a lot of games would be weird with the Wiimote and the nunchuck, just like some games aren't made for a keyboard+mouse. I'm thinking MegaMan games, for example. But for all the rest, gamepads just plain suck.
Will they be required to backup spam too? Will it be illegal to delete it?
If you think you can simply translate words and think the end results are valid, you're wrong. As a family name, Fils-Aimé means "Loved Son", and nothing else.