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Methods of Improving MP3 Playback Quality:
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MP3 is an acronym for MPEG layer 3 which is a format/algorithm to tightly compress audio files. MP3 files have the .mp3 file extension on them. Up to 12 to 1 compression is attainable and produces high sound quality with very little loss.
The beauty of the MP3 format is that it contains to file header information - it is all contained with in the audio stream. This fact makes it perfect for the internet where audio can be streamed with quality and at relatively low transfer speeds.
The downside to all this, is that it takes a really good decoder (player) program to properly decompress the mp3 stream. This means high CPU usage. Its also the reason older platforms like Win3.1 have very few mp3 players available.
The difference is the Brand. the iPod is made by Apple and can "only" be use with iTunes (also by Apple). As well, iTunes can only sync music to an iPodGeneric mp3 players, however, are less restrictive in the applications they can use. MS Media Player, for example, can sync to a variety of mp3 players (except iPods). Another point to mp3's are a lower cost, an additional "radio" feature the ability to tune to your favorite am/fm stations. Buyer beware of "copycat" features that may be with authentic packaging yet containing mp3 or 4.
The German company Fraunhofer-Gesellshaft developed MP3 technology and now licenses the patent rights to the audio compression technology - United States Patent 5,579,430 for a "digital encoding process". The inventors named on the MP3 patent are Bernhard Grill, Karl-Heinz Brandenburg, Thomas Sporer, Bernd Kurten, and Ernst Eberlein.