Audio Formats
MP3 and Data CD
Hundred of songs, over seven hours of music packed into one compact
disc. MP3 revolutionized how people listened and stored music. MP3 radically
altered the face of modern music, and with everybody owning portable
MP3 players such as the I-Pod and the Muvo, its no wonder car audio
systems also adapted this format. MP3 or MPEG Layer-3 is a method of
digitally compressing audio into smaller data segments while still maintaining
the sonic properties and quality of the original recording. It became
an instant hit because one data CD can fit hundreds of MP3 files which
are more practical than carrying around audio CDs that can only play
80 minutes of music.
On the other hand, MP3 encoded data CDs will not be read by regular
CD players since they are programmed solely to play back audio. Fortunately,
many cars nowadays sport a data CD compatible or MP3 player, so listening
to your data CDs should not be a problem. Also, a certain degree of
computer know-how is required to encode and record tour MP3s to disc.
Another issue to be considered is the issue of piracy. Copyright laws
are easily infringed because of the ease and speed of downloading and
mass production of music.
Most modern car audio MP3 players in the market today have evolved into
sophisticated data handling systems. The ability to read and interpret
ID3 tags, containing song titles, artist information, album information
and year of recording became standard, along with the ability to create
play lists and random playback, or shuffling. Though a little pricey
at under £150 to over £700 for the high end models, you
will find this item worth every penny.
For those who find the price of these items a bit prohibitive, digital
to analog adapters, like those described in the previous section exist.
Like CD–to-cassette adapters, MP3-to-cassette adapters can also
play Minidisks. And, if you own an MP3 player from iRiver, you are just
in luck because these things come with a car adapter, a perfect alternative
to bringing the MP3 craze into your car.
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