TABLE OF CONTENTS A number of existing and proposed audio compression systems employ a combination of processing techniques. Any scheme that becomes widely adopted can enjoy economies of scale and reduced market confusion. Timing, however, is critical to market acceptance of any standard. If a standard is selected well ahead of market demand, more cost-effective or higher-performance approaches may become available before the market takes off. On the other hand, a standard may be merely academic if it is established after alternative schemes already have become well entrenched in the marketplace.
These factors have placed a great deal of importance on the standards-setting activities of leading organizations around the world. It has been through hard work, inspiration, and even a little compromise that the various standards have developed and evolved to the levels of utility and acceptance that they enjoy today.
With these important benchmarks in place, audio industry manufacturers have been able to focus on implementation of the technology and offering specific user-centered features. Fortunately, the days of the video (and audio) tape "format wars" appear to have passed as the standards-setting bodies take the lead in product direction and interface.
The function of any audio compression device or system is to provide for efficient storage and/or transmission of information from one location or device to another. The encoding process, naturally, is the beginning point of this chain. Like...
