Is The Sp/lp2 Etc Format

[kylieshotpants]

I own a Sharp mini disc & thinking with an eye to the future I wondered if I bought a 2nd md unit by another maker would my disc's recorded in lp2 etc play on these machines?

Edited February 26, 2005 by kylieshotpants

[Michael1980]

Yes.

[ROMBUSTERS]

although the encoders might be different. wasn't it Sharp that used their own Atrac encoder instead of licensing it from Sony?

[xispe]

yes, but they are all compatible between each others.

[kylieshotpants]

thanks guys

[dex Otaku]

ATRAC is standardised on the decoder side, as are basically all audio codecs. Basically, as long as the bitstream thrown at them is recognised as a valid format, it should decode.

Encoders are standardised in the sense that the data they put out must follow a specific format. Otherwise, how they end up with that data is a matter for the designers to come up with; they can either liscense Sony's chips or they can develop their own [as Sharp have].

This is the same as the difference between different MP3 encoders - Fraunhofer's vs. LAME, for instance. Each encoder can can optimised to do a different or 'better' job, knowing that as long as what they put out follows the standard that DEcoders follow, they're fine.

Generally speaking, all ATRAC versions [sP mode] are both forward and backward-compatible, as are different ATRAC3 versions. You can take an SP-mode recording and play it on the very first MD every made, as an example. You won't realise the full benefit of certain extra bits in the stream that certain recorders will use [namely decks with 20+ bit A/D conversion], but the recording will play - and will sound better on an older decoder than the matching version encoders do.