Gaming AAC VS MP3 VS ATRAC

[Sonic Angel Knight]

This is a simple question, on playstation 3, you can play audio cd (UNLIKE PS4 WHICH CAN EAT IT) But not only can you play them, you also have a option to import the cd to the system. Basically you can use one of three encoding codecs to convert the tracks on the disc to a compressed format to save data and save it on the system HDD to listen to whenever or during some games (Which the list of games you can do it with is very limited)

The three choices are

• AAC 80kbps - 320kbps
• MP3 96kbps - 320kbps
• ATRAC 408kbps - 352kbps

ATRAC which from very limited knowledge only works on sony made devices. (I don't know too much details) You can also select a range of bitrate as well listed above. Now I'm not no audiophile like most people maybe, I just care that it sounds good but don't take up too much space on my storage. I hardly listen to any of these audio formats to be honest. I usually listen to in game background music on my pc using foobar2000 and the plugin that plays direct game rips like VGM stream and Game emulator player and what not. But enough about my habits.

The simple question here is which encoder do you use and what do you recommend me or most people to use for simply converting with best compression without any source quality lost? I know obviously if I want the best quality, I use the highest numbers, and if I want best compression, I use the lowest ones, so the key is balance.

NOTE: if you wondering why not just use a pc, well my Laptop doesn't have a disc drive and perhaps others won't as well, so lucky me I still have my playstation functional or foolish for buy a laptop without one.

 

[KiiWii]

Atrac ftw.

Sony smashed it with mini disc format, never looked back.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Atrac ftw.

Sony smashed it with mini disc format, never looked back.

How do you even play that format?

 

[VinsCool]

Best quality would be the highest bitrate of either.
AAC should provide excellent quality, but MP3 should work well enough, and will be compatible with everything.
ATRAC on the other side, I never really used, and that's a proprietary format that will require a 3rd party player/plugin to work most likely.

 

[Ryccardo]

How do you even play that format?

Install an ATRAC3 codec? http://goldwave.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3056
Mind you, it's an ACM codec (ACM is deprecated by Directshow since Vista, although it still works, although it needs meddling especially on 64bit) and you will need a player/studio program supporting ACM (like XP's sound recorder of all things, which you can find online with keywords "Panasonic KX-DT456 and 453")

To add to the confusion, ATRAC3 can be found in different containers (mainly the drm-friendly OMA/OMG, and standard RIFF/WAV), while the "AT3" found in psp and ps3 games is actually the incompatible ATRAC3PLUS

Of course, you can always rip twice in ATRAC3 and a more mainstream format

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

To add to the confusion, ATRAC3 can be found in different containers (mainly the drm-friendly OMA/OMG, and standard RIFF/WAV), while the "AT3" found in psp and ps3 games is actually the incompatible ATRAC3PLUS

Is there a difference between the encoder the ps3 allows you to choose compared to the ones in the games by sony psp/ps3?

 

[Ryccardo]

Is there a difference between the encoder the ps3 allows you to choose compared to the ones in the games by sony psp/ps3?

Yes, the PS3 audio CD backup format is "ATRAC3" (I think it uses an "aa3" extension, as encoded by the PS3), while the format used in games (especially for XMB icons with sound) is "ATRAC3plus" even though it uses a confusing "at3" extension!
And neither of those are "ATRAC 3" with a space in the name, which is older and used in Minidiscs...

(You expected a Sony technology to be consumer friendly?? )

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

(You expected a Sony technology to be consumer friendly?? )

I don't expect sony to do anything for consumers anymore, they can't even make ps4 play audio cd or play music during games like the ps3.

Still my question was which encoding settings is recommended to use that has low data storage and maintain good quality that isn't too advance for only audiophiles to understand.

Hopefully I don't have to rely on this system for such a thing again in the future, but if i do, I'll just use MP3 since is the most basic and common.

 

[Ryccardo]

they can't even make ps4 play audio cd or play music during games like the ps3

It doesn't? The only time I've been near a (powered on) one it was Fifa and Spotify all day, while as for the number of PS3 games I like that can (officially) multitask with music...

that isn't too advance for only audiophiles to understand.

Audiophiles don't use those dirty lossy compression schemes (unless they excuse themselves with them being a spare copy for use on the train/bus), don't worry

which encoding settings is recommended to use that has low data storage

AAC/M4A is more efficient than MP3 most other settings being equal, ATRAC3 is even more so but compatibility sucks, MP3 still has a slight compatibility advantage over AAC (which luckily has shrunk a lot, at least for multimedia devices, since the late 2000s due to the MP4 container/H264 video/AAC audio combo having completely dominated the noncommercial video format war for most of the past decade)