Explain: What’s an OGG?
Probably the most recognized audio file format out there is the MP3 format. MP3 is a patented format that takes uncompressed audio and compresses it. While I’m not any kind of expert in this area, the basic premise is that the MP3 algorithm figures out which parts of an audio file are too high, low, or subtle for the human ear to hear, and gets rid of those parts. The resulting file is much smaller than the original and therefore more suitable for playing on portable digital audio players. If you’ve ever taken the time to look at an uncompressed audio file, you’d likely be impressed at the level of compression the MP3 format provides. For example: A one hour Skype interview usually results in a 300MB or larger WAV file. Once that interview is compressed into the finished podcast in MP3 format, the file is usually around 20MB. Quite impressive.
There are many other audio formats out there, but the one that is getting the most attention these days is the OGG (or OGG Vorbis) format. The OGG algorithm provides comparable compression to the MP3 format, but has one important difrerence: the OGG format is free as in speech and beer. The MP3 format is not.
There are two reasons why I think OGG is an important thing:
- It’s free and open
- MP3 will turn on us
If I have a choice between using a proprietary format and a free format, I will always chose the free format. Well, as long as they both offer the features I’m looking for. I’m not a complete martyr for the cause - I’m still a user at heart and sometimes I just need stuff to work which leads me down the proprietary path.However, this isn’t the case with OGG because it does offer all of the features of MP3, and has only one real (but temporary) draw back.
The temporary drawback that I speak of is device support. Digital audio players that support the OGG format are available, but there not nearly as prolific as those that support MP3. As well, devices that support OGG sometimes don’t do it very well. As I recently learned over on the GNU/Linux User Show, the iRiver doesn’t play variable bitrate OGGs very well (aren’t they ALL VBR?). The hands-down recommendation from the listenership is the Iaudio digital audio player.
MP3 will turn on us - I’m pretty sure that it will. I don’t believe that the patent holders of the MP3 format have started enforcing their patent yet, but I’m sure they’re sitting back watching the mass adoption of their format by every online music store on the planet and smiling. Sooner or later, whenever their critical mass is reached, I expect them to come out like gangbusters and start demanding their 3 cents a download or whatever. Then they can retire. Several times over.
Those are the two reasons why I support OGG :)
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6 opinions for Explain: What’s an OGG?
Fickel
Dec 15, 2005 at 4:16 pm
Don’t leave us guessing. Which one are you getting?
-fickel
Jon
Dec 15, 2005 at 6:28 pm
I want the iaudio G3 because the sound file that Adam sent me (that he recorded on it) sounded absolutely fabulous. As my time gets shorter, I’ve been playing with the idea of mobile podcasting but I need a good device to do so. If I can get good OGG support AND good recording in one device…wow…that’s just great.
I think I’ll have to order it online though, I don’t think I can find them in a store in Calgary. I’m checking tho…!
Joshua
Dec 16, 2005 at 12:16 pm
I had heard somewhere that OGGs eat up a lot of power on portable media players in comparison to MP3s. How would this be fixed in order to make OGGs attractable alternatives?
Jon
Dec 16, 2005 at 12:37 pm
Heya Joshua,
I’ve never heard that, but after a quick Google there does seem to be a lot of talk about that.
You’d have to ask your question of the OGG people (link in the original post somewhere) ‘cuz I sure don’t know.
I can aswer it personally, though. OGGs are already more attractive to me because the format isn’t patented. I prefer to support open formats when it’s practical for me to do so. I’m willing to suck up the pain of charging my batteries a little more often in order to show support for the format.
That’s my 0.02 :)
Jeff
Dec 16, 2005 at 9:47 pm
You mentioned that you believe MP3 will turn on us. Here is an example of how it has. A friend of mine bought a copy of Nero burning software for nearly $100.00 dollars. That’s like 1 million Canadian. Anyway, he wanted to convert some audio files from wave to MP3 and found that he would have to pay something like $25.00 additional for the license. You’d think it would have been covered in the already pricey software. Fortunately, there’s a lot of other choices out there that offer the same thing for free.
Don’t limit yourself to just a couple of ogg format players. Get yourself a well known brand and one with good reviews. You don’t want to buy something that craps out on you a couple weeks after you get it or is difficult to use. MP3 is out there now and you can’t put the Jeanie back in the bottle.
Jon
Dec 16, 2005 at 10:09 pm
I think $100 US is actually 2 bajillion Canadian :)
Yeah - I totally agree with looking at a few. Seriously, though - about 20 people told me to buy an iaudio. That’s a lot of people.
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