MusicGiant’s Agreement with Niveus Media Enables HD Music Downloads via Media Center

It’s a little marketing hyperbole to call downloads from the MusicGiants site “HD”. From the FAQ on their site:

“The sound quality of this download is equal to a CD.”

While this is not a technical specification, I think it’s safe to assume the quality is no better than that obtained from 44.1 kHz, 16-bit audio. On the other hand,iTrax promises

“With the arrival of new high-resolution formats at 96 kHz/24-bits AND 5.1 surround sound…a recorded music experience can eclipse these former boundaries and become TRUE High-Resolution listening.”

The iTrax site is not yet serving music, but promise to begin service “in the Summer of 2006″. Hopefully, they’ll take off soon.

I agree to an extent that calling music “HD” is marketing hyperbole, as you put it, but any service that provides audio in a lossless format is 100 times better than anything the current services like Napter and iTunes are providing.

Below is the description of what WMA lossless audio is directly from Microsoft:

Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless
The audio quality of content that is compressed using this codec is the best of all Windows Media Audio codecs. It creates a bit-for-bit duplicate of the original audio file so that no data is lost, which makes it ideal for archiving content masters.

Depending on the complexity of the original, content will be compressed at a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. Although this is lower than the ratio achieved with other Windows Media Audio 9 Series codecs, it provides the same benefits of compression while leaving the data intact.

Like Windows Media Audio 9 Professional, the Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless codec also offers dynamic range control using the maximum and average audio amplitudes that are calculated during the encoding process. Using the Quiet Mode feature in Windows Media Player 9 and later, users can hear the full dynamic range, a medium difference range up to 12 dB above the average, or a little difference range up to 6 dB above the average.

Windows Media Audio 10 Professional (NOT LOSELESS, but interesting)
Windows Media Audio 10 Professional (WMA 10 Pro) is the most flexible Windows Media audio codec available – supporting profiles that include everything from full-resolution 24-bit/96 kHz audio in stereo, 5.1 channel, or even 7.1 channel surround sound, to highly efficient mobile capabilities at 24 Kbps to 96 Kbps for stereo, and 128 Kbps to 256 Kbps for 5.1-channel sound. WMA 10 Pro offers incredible quality for consumers using high-fidelity hardware and 5.1 channel surround sound-equipped computers -– and for consumers playing audio content on their mobile devices. WMA 10 Pro supports streaming, progressive download, or download-and-play delivery at 128 to 768 Kbps.

For more information about the mobile capabilities in WMA Pro and how it compares to other audio codecs, see the NSTL Test Report.

When using 5.1 surround sound audio compressed at 384 Kbps with WMA 10 Pro, most listeners cannot discern any differences between the compressed music and the original pulse code modulation (PCM) files. WMA Pro also offers dynamic range control using the maximum and average audio amplitudes that are calculated during the encoding process. Using the Quiet Mode feature in Windows Media Player 9 and later, users can hear either the full dynamic range, a medium difference range up to 12 decibels (dB) above the average, or a little difference range up to 6 dB above the average.

If a user tries to play back a file that was encoded using the 5.1 channel, 24-bit, 96 kHz sampling capabilities, but does not have a system or sound card that supports multi-channel or high-resolution sound, multiple channels are combined into stereo audio (for example, 16-bit, two channel audio), ensuring that users get the best playback experience their systems can provide.

And if you review the MusicGiants’ “High Definition” page you’ll see that they offer WMA lossless tracks from 470 – 1100kbps — the competitors range from 128 – 256kbps.

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Personally, I just rip my CDs to FLAC.

I find it unfortunate that the standard for audio quality has become the 128 kbs aac, wma or mp3 format sold by iTunes, Napster, etc. By that lowly standard, CD quality is indisputably HD. What I would really like to see is easy availability (downloads) of state-of-the-art music (e.g. 5.1 channels of 24-bit/96 kHz in lossless compression) that could be stored, cataloged and accessed as easily as aac files on an iPod. Carrying this dream further, it would be great to have the ability to transcode (legally) these files for playback on portable devices. Audiophiles would be able to enjoy music without any compromise to quality or convenience and would be able to easily take their music with them in their cars or in the gym. The hardware and software exists today that could support this scenario. PC MB’s built to the Intel HD Audio standard will support 8 channels of 32-bit/192kHz audio. Where’s the content?

I think you’re looking for DVD-Audio. Unfortunately no one is offering this type of format for download, only physical disc. In regards to storing loseless audio files (i.e. FLAC) on your hard drive and having a program easily transcoded those files to your portable on the fly, Banshee on Linux does an excellent job of this for the iPod (I believe it works with any detected/mounted portable music player).

DVD-Audio is certainly a great standard for distribution of high-resolution audio, but the DRM enforced on that standard prohibits the disc-based storage, cataloging and transcoding I’m seeking. I know there are tools (illegal) for ripping DVD-A as there will always be responses to ill-guided efforts to restrict fair use. It is becoming commonplace to find consumer electronics devices with A/D converters that support at least 24-bit/96kHz but there is no content available that would allow taking advantage of this capability. Even dedicated DVD-A or SACD players will downconvert prior to outputting anything on their digital outputs to prevent capture of the pristine data.