[Jason Dunn]

Survey time! I'm curious to know what format people rip their CD's in, and why they chose that format. We'll have another survey about bit rate later - for now I'm just curious about the format.

[Jason Dunn]

Survey time! I'm curious to know what format people rip their CD's in, and why they chose that format. We'll have another survey about bit rate later - for now I'm just curious about the format.

[backpackerx]

I use WMA for space saving but with not knowing where DRM is headed I may consider going back to MP3.

Do you think there is any time in the future where hardware manufacturers will stop supporting MP3 due to lack of DRM?

[entropy1980]

Still use Mp3 most compatible, I had started to do AAC but ran into problems when all of the sudden certain video apps wouldn't let me use AAC so now everything is in 320kbps mp3 ( I know you said bit rate poll later but I had to include it )

[mcsouth]

I have been ripping to WMA, mainly because I had been using my PocketPC as my music player, and because I understood that the WMA format was the best at lower bit rates (64kbps). I use the lower bit rate in order to cram more music onto my 512MB SD card in my iPaq, and these small files have been appreciated since I recently purchased a 256MB MuVo TX FM player.

If I wasn't so damn cheap, I might shell out for a Rio Carbon, and rerip at a higher bit rate, since I tend to listen to more music through my PC lately than anything else (including my stereo - I can't recall the last time I listened to music on my stereo system in the living room).

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by backpackerx

I use WMA for space saving but with not knowing where DRM is headed I may consider going back to MP3.

WMA's ripped without DRM are no different than MP3s - they'll just play. I suppose it's TECHNICALLY possible for Microsoft to change their codecs so that WMP 14 will only play DRM'd WMA files, but that would be completely insane and would ensure complete death of their media format...I just don't think they're that stupid.

Originally Posted by backpackerx

Do you think there is any time in the future where hardware manufacturers will stop supporting MP3 due to lack of DRM?

I think it's more or less impossible - the RIAA might want that, but the hardware makers know if they don't support MP3, they won't sell hardware. Well, everyone except for Sony knows that. :lol:

[Tim Williamson]

MP3 all the way! I use the LAME encoder through CDEX and rip it with the --alt-preset extreme setting with VBR 0. Using these settings I don't hear any artifacts and usually a full CD will take around 100 MBs.

[Felix Torres]

There was a published report a few months back that stated that 75% of the digital music files on Planet Earth were MP3s and some 13% WMA with the rest divided between Real Audio, Atrac, and AAC, in that order.

Me, I started experimenting with MP3 shortly before MS introduced WMAs so I extended my tests in that direction and found that WMAs were in fact better and that for automotive use 32kpbs WMAs were as good as cassettes. This was just as Rio introduced the Volt. All the pieces fit for me.

With my new car, I've moved to 64kbps because I now have an auxiliary line-in, instead of a cassette deck adapter to feed through, and a 20gb Riot to hold my music. I expect to move to WMA lossless at some point but first I need to see a player with 100gb drive. I figure it'll be at least a year before that happens...

[ctmagnus]

MP3 for my DAP (most of my music) and WMA for my Pocket PC (select stuff). I voted WMA just to tie up the votes :mrgreen:

[Roosterman]

I'm with lots of others. I use the WMA for smaller size. I really think the sound quality is fine and I can fit lots more on my SD and CF cards for my PPC.

[Suhit Gupta]

Wow, I am surprised that more people aren't going with ogg.

Suhit