Xing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:42, 2 September 2010

The Xing (pronounced "zing") MP3 encoder was one of the fastest MP3 encoders. Of course that comes with a price, and quality wasn't on par with encoders tuned for quality instead of speed, like FhG Slowenc (Audioactive) and LAME. Yet despite its reputation for poor quality, Xing's ~128 kbps VBR mode compared favorably in an early 2004 listening test.

Features

Encodes .wav to MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 layer 3 audio
Encodes bitrates ranging from 28 to 320 kbps
Variable Bitrate (VBR) encoding support
High Frequency Encoding support (up to 20 kHz)
Low data rate support
Several times faster than most popular encoders
Automated batch processing
MP3 playback capabilities
GUI based and command-line encoder front ends

Versions

XingMP3 standalone encoder

Xing Mp3 Encoder (v1.5 GUI, main window)

The last standalone version of the Xing encoder was XingMP3 1.5, released in March 1999. It included a command-line interface (x3enc.exe), and a GUI (mp3enc.exe). The GUI was restricted to using a limited set of encoding profiles, whereas the command-line encoder had more options.

After that release, the encoder continued to be improved, but it was only distributed as part of the RealPlayer bundle.

Helix MP3 Encoder

In 2005, RealNetworks — owners of the Xing assets after acquiring Xing Technology, a.k.a. XingTech — decided to release the encoder under an open source license, with the new name Helix mp3enc. The new version of the encoder is a code library which also has a command-line interface, but there is no GUI.

The Helix MP3 encoder is part of the Helix datatype project, a collection of code libraries intended to support the Helix multimedia project.

External links

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The Xing (pronounced "zing") [[MP3]] encoder has, for a long time, held the crown of being one of the fastest MP3 encoders. Of course that comes with a price, and quality isn't on par with other - slower, but tuned for quality instead of speed - encoders like FhG Slowenc ([[Audioactive]]) and [[LAME]].
+The '''Xing''' (pronounced "zing") [[MP3]] encoder was one of the fastest MP3 encoders. Of course that comes with a price, and quality wasn't on par with encoders tuned for quality instead of speed, like FhG Slowenc ([[Audioactive]]) and [[LAME]]. Yet despite its reputation for poor quality, Xing's ~128 kbps VBR mode compared favorably in [http://web.archive.org/web/20071005104610/http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ an early 2004 listening test].
-While Xing has always been considered an encoder with terrible quality, that rumour was proven untrue after a [http://web.archive.org/web/20071005104610/http://www.rjamorim.com/test/ listening test] compared an old version of it against other MP3 encoders and it ended up not even close to last place.
 ==Features==
@@ Line 14: / Line 12: @@
 * GUI based and command-line encoder front ends
-==Helix MP3 Encoder==
+==Versions==
-In 2005, RealNetworks — owners of the Xing assets after they bought that company — decided to release the Xing encoder under an [[open source]] license, with the new name '''Helix mp3enc'''. It is part of the Helix datatype project, a collection of code libraries intended to support the Helix DNA Server. The new version of the encoder is a library and has a command-line interface, but no GUI.
+===XingMP3 standalone encoder===
+[[Image:xingmp3encoder.png|frame|right|Xing Mp3 Encoder (v1.5 GUI, main window)]]
-==Screenshot==
+The last standalone version of the Xing encoder was XingMP3 1.5, released in March 1999. It included a command-line interface (x3enc.exe), and a GUI (mp3enc.exe). The GUI was restricted to using a limited set of encoding profiles, whereas the command-line encoder had more options.
-<center>[[Image:xingmp3encoder.png|frame|center|Xing Mp3 Encoder]]</center>
+After that release, the encoder continued to be improved, but it was only distributed as part of the [[wikipedia:RealPlayer|RealPlayer]] bundle.<!--details, anyone? I'm not putting RealPlayer 10 on my system just to find out what interface they gave the MP3 encoder-->
+===Helix MP3 Encoder===
+In 2005, RealNetworks — owners of the Xing assets after acquiring [[wikipedia:Xing Technology|Xing Technology]], a.k.a. XingTech — decided to release the encoder under an [[open source]] license, with the new name '''Helix mp3enc'''. The new version of the encoder is a code library which also has a command-line interface, but there is no GUI.
+The Helix MP3 encoder is part of the Helix datatype project, a collection of code libraries intended to support the [[wikipedia:Helix (multimedia project)|Helix multimedia project]].
 ==External links==
-* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3-others.php#helix_enc compiled command-line executable for Windows, at RareWares]
+* [http://www.rarewares.org/mp3-others.php#helix_enc Helix MP3 encoder command-line executable for Windows, at RareWares]
-* [https://datatype.helixcommunity.org/Image:2005/mp3enc.doc API docs]
+* [https://datatype.helixcommunity.org/Image:2005/mp3enc.doc Helix MP3 encoder API docs]
-* [https://helixcommunity.org/viewcvs/datatype/mp3/codec/encoder/ source code (CVS)]
+* [https://helixcommunity.org/viewcvs/datatype/mp3/codec/encoder/ Helix MP3 encoder source code (CVS)]
 * [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=35531 Related discussion in HydrogenAudio forum]
 [[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]