Converting DASHhigh to FLAC with ffmpeg

[Budge]

Hi Jeremy
On 24/01/17 20:11, Jeremy Nicoll - ml gip wrote:
> On 2017-01-24 19:18, Budge wrote:
>
>> My understanding is that if I convert to mp3 I lose more.  Not sure if
>> this is true.
>
> MP3 files can be created at different bit rates.  Perhaps you should
> take some sample
> audio files and create some MP3 versions at different rates and see
> whether you can
> actually tell that even the high bit rate MP3s are less accurate than
> original files.
>
> If you can tell, then fine, keep the huge detailed files.  But if in
> fact you cannot
> tell, sacrifice a bit of quality.
>
>
> I have some original recordings made in the last year or two at choral
> concerts - mostly
> 24 bit, 44.1 khz, stereo uncompressed WAV files, made with ecent quality
> condenser mics.
> I was surprised how hard it was to tell the originals apart from eg
> 320kbps MP3 let alone
> eg 160kbps.  And I was listening extremely carefully, criticising my own
> recordings.
>
> I came to the conclusion that what one might call blurring of the
> details of the sound,
> caused by the acoustic of the concert venue and audience noise, already
> hid detail even in
> the original files, and the consequent blurring of compression as MP3
> didn't take away as
> much detail as I'd expected.
>
> (I'm 57; I expect my hearing is no longer what it used to be.)
>

I am certain I shall not be able to hear the differences if a young chap 
like you cannot.  When I find out how, in detail, I shall try converting 
some samples to mp3 and thanks for the further nudge in that direction.

I am just slightly annoyed by all this as I had things working well for 
a short while and resent all the time wasted trying to sort out these 
problems.  In my collection I use mp3 for pop, flac for ripped CDs and 
m4a for GiP downloads.  It makes some aspects of management simpler for 
me and other family members. To employ mp3 for GiP downloads is no 
hardship but I shall still try and get to root of the problem.
Thanks again,
Budge