Compressing MP3s...

[puggit]

I've got 15GB of MP3s on my work laptop as I travel a lot, and because I need to use VMware on my lappy I'm fast running out of room.

Is it worth compressing MP3s or is it a waste of time for a little gain?

[dilbert]

MP3's are inherently compressed. The compression is lossy, and user variable. If they're already very compressed then you won't get much extra space, whatever you do.

On the other hand you could use a lossless compression scheme on your MP3's. If they're not already compressed, you may see some considerable gain, but you will have to spend time compressing and decompressing them.

As I said, you probably won't get much from a lossless compression scheme, if they're already compressed MP3's.

[pdV6]

MP3 by its very nature is a compressed format.

How about an external USB hard drive for keeping your "personal" stuff (like MP3s) on, leaving the laptop free for "work"? Also means you have the potential to swap machines and easily keep your music to hand.

[touchingcloth]

Echo not worth compressing - Cheapest other option would be to burn the MP3 files on to a data DVD, you would get them onto about 3 4.7GB disks and these would also be easy to slip into your laptop case to come with you when travelling. Alternatively a 20gb ipod or cheaper similar product and would also mean not being reliant on laptop for listening to your music; caveat to this though would be that if having all your music on a portable player and not replicated on your computer as well then I would still back them up to DVD's to keep at home just in case it got nicked to dropped etc.



>> Edited by touchingcloth on Thursday 19th January 15:21

[puggit]

The MP3s are part of iTunes - so necessary really (I have an iPod too )

I think the external drive is the way to go.

The music is backed up regularly (I sell backup software!!!).

[scorp]

Repack them to OGG or WMA, that will save you space (especially WMA)

[puggit]

scorp said:

Repack them to OGG or WMA, that will save you space (especially WMA)

Any easy way to do this using iTunes?

[zaktoo]

ogg good, wma bad, neither are likely to work with iPod. Best bet is external usb hard drive enclosure and a honking big drive in it. Costs peanuts overall, and you could have as much space as you could possibly want (for the next month or so, anyway!) Total costs should be about 100 pounds if not less...

Ciao

Zak

[scorp]

zaktoo said:

ogg good, wma bad, neither are likely to work with iPod. Best bet is external usb hard drive enclosure and a honking big drive in it. Costs peanuts overall, and you could have as much space as you could possibly want (for the next month or so, anyway!) Total costs should be about 100 pounds if not less... Ciao Zak

WMA bad, why?

[scorp]

puggit said:

scorp said: Repack them to OGG or WMA, that will save you space (especially WMA) Any easy way to do this using iTunes?

Ahh iTunes, ummm no then

[KB_S1]

External drives like Lacie or Maxtor are good buys.
If you use AAC to compress or apple lossles encoding they will sound much better than WMA or MP3.

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

scorp said:

Repack them to OGG or WMA, that will save you space (especially WMA)

Ogg is just a wrapper. It'd make them bigger. Recompressing is always bad anyway.

[scorp]

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

scorp said: Repack them to OGG or WMA, that will save you space (especially WMA) Ogg is just a wrapper. It'd make them bigger. Recompressing is always bad anyway.

I meant Ogg as in the Codec (Ogg Vorbis), not the wrapper (captain context not working today?)

Recompressing is bad yeah (not as bad as image recompression though) - but how else do you make them smaller?

>> Edited by scorp on Friday 20th January 12:12