Archive for February, 2015

A Call for Modern Audio Codec

Wednesday, February 11th, 2015

We need a proper audio codec to accompany state of the art video codecs, so here’s an outline of codec features that should be present:

  • audio codec should make more of its context, it should have a system of forward and backward reference frames like B-pyramid in H.264 or H.265;
  • it should employ tonal compensation with that — track the frequency changes from the references (e.g. it may be the same note continued or changing pitch);
  • time domain prediction via FIR or IIR filters;
  • flexible subdivision into subframes like binary tree;
  • raw (or non-transformed at least) coding mode for transients or noise;
  • integer only bitexact transform that passes for MDCT under bad light;
  • high-bitdepth sound support (up to 64 bits per sample).

The project name is transGhost (hopefully no Monty will be hurt by this).

And if you point out this is stupid — well, audio codecs should have the same rights as video codecs including PTS/DTS differences and employing similar coding methods.