Terms
Bit rate
This expresses data volume per second, or bps
units (bits per second). The higher the rate,
the more information is available to reproduce
the sound. Using the same encoding method
(such as MP3), the higher the rate, the better
the sound.
ID3 tag
This is a method ofembedding track-related
information in an MP3 file. This embedded in-
formation can include the track title, the ar-
tist
s name, the album title, the music genre,
the year ofproduction, comments and other
data. The contents can be freely edited using
software with ID3 Tag editing functions.
Although the tags are restricted as to the num-
ber ofcharacters, the information can be
viewed when the track is played back.
ISO9660 format
This is the international standard for the for-
mat logic of CD-ROM folders and files. For the
ISO9660 format, there are regulations for the
following two levels.
Level 1:
The file name is in 8.3 format (the name con-
sists ofup to 8 characters, half-byte English
capital letters and half-byte numerals and the
_
sign, with a file-extension of three charac-
ters.)
Level 2:
The file name can have up to 31 characters (in-
cluding the separation mark
.
and a file ex-
tension). Each folder contains less than 8
hierarchies.
Extended formats
Joliet:
File names can have up to 64 characters.
Romeo:
File names can have up to 128 characters.
Linear PCM (LPCM)/Pulse code
modulation
This stands for linear pulse code modulation,
which is the signal recording system used for
music CDs and DVDs.
m3u
Playlists created using the
WINAMP
soft-
ware have a playlist file extension (.m3u).
MP3
MP3 is short for MPEG Audio Layer 3. It is an
audio compression standard set by a working
group (MPEG) ofthe ISO (International Stan-
dards Organization). MP3 is able to compress
audio data to about 1/10th the level ofa con-
ventional disc.
MS ADPCM
This stands for Microsoft adaptive differential
pulse code modulation, which is the signal re-
cording system used for the multimedia soft-
ware ofMicrosoft Corporation.
Multi-session
Multi-session is a recording method that al-
lows additional data to be recorded later.
When recording data on a CD-ROM, CD-R or
CD-RW, etc., all data from beginning to end is
treated as a single unit or session. Multi-ses-
sion is a method ofrecording more than 2 ses-
sions on one disc.
Number of quantization bits
The number ofquantization bits is one factor
in the overall sound quality; the higher the
bit-depth
, the better the sound quality. How-
ever, increasing the bit-depth also increases
the amount ofdata and therefore storage
space required.
Packet write
This is a general term for a method of writing
on CD-R, etc., at the time required for a file,
Additional Information
En
70
Appendix
