[flac-dev] Exact FLAC subset constraints

[Барт Гопник]

I mean that the first statement [Subset streams must use one of
192/576/1152/2304/4608/256/512/1024/2048/4096 (and 8192/16384 if the
sample rate is >48kHz).] published on
https://www.xiph.org/flac/documentation_tools_flac.html#flac_options_blocksize
page IS NOT EQUAL to second statement [The blocksize bits in the frame
header must be 0001-1110. The blocksize must be <=16384; if the sample
rate is <= 48000Hz, the blocksize must be <=4608.] published on
https://www.xiph.org/flac/format.html#subset page.

What statement (first or second) is right?

0001-1110 mean 0110 and 0111 too??? (0110 mean "get 8 bit
(blocksize-1) from end of header", 0111 mean "get 16 bit (blocksize-1)
from end of header")

Why you don't use STRICT block size checking in
FLAC__format_blocksize_is_subset() like this:

FLAC_API FLAC__bool FLAC__format_blocksize_is_subset(unsigned
blocksize, unsigned sample_rate)
{
        if(blocksize == 192 || blocksize == 576 || blocksize == 1152
|| blocksize == 2304 || blocksize == 4608 || blocksize == 256 ||
blocksize == 512 || blocksize == 1024 || blocksize == 2048 ||
blocksize == 4096 || (sample_rate > 48000 && (blocksize == 8192 ||
blocksize == 16384)))
                return true;
        else
                return false;
}

instead of

FLAC_API FLAC__bool FLAC__format_blocksize_is_subset(unsigned
blocksize, unsigned sample_rate)
{
        if(blocksize > 16384)
                return false;
        else if(sample_rate <= 48000 && blocksize > 4608)
                return false;
        else
                return true;
}

FLAC__format_blocksize_is_subset from format.c IS NOT EQUAL to my
code. E.g. FLAC__format_blocksize_is_subset(1536, 44100) from format.c
returns true, but 1536 is not subset blocksize because 1536 is not one
of 192/576/1152/2304/4608/256/512/1024/2048/4096!

> I don't understand what it is you don't get about those blocksizes. For
> subset streams, the blocksize has to be one of 576/1152/2304/4608 or
> 256/512/1024/2048/4096 if the samplerate is lower then or equal to
> 48kHz, if higher, 8192 and 16384 are allowed too. If you use any other
> blocksize, the stream is not subset compliant.
>
> Considering the fixed or variable blocksize stuff, the subset does not
> restrict that, so using a variable blocksize is technically subset
> compliant. However, flake does warn when using variable blocksizes that
> the stream is not subset compliant. The thing is, it's not in the
> reference encoder, so probably most (hardware) decoders haven't been
> tested with it. If you want to be safe, you should probably restrict
> yourself to a fixed-blocksize stream.
>
> Finally, ffmpeg level 12 is not subset compliant.


>> I'm misleading about FLAC subset constraints... Please help me
>> understand exact FLAC subset limitation.
>>
>>  From https://www.xiph.org/flac/documentation_tools_flac.html#flac_options_blocksize:
>>
>> Subset streams must use one of
>> 192/576/1152/2304/4608/256/512/1024/2048/4096 (and 8192/16384 if the
>> sample rate is >48kHz). The reference encoder uses the same block size
>> for the entire stream.
>>
>>  From https://www.xiph.org/flac/format.html#subset:
>>
>> The blocksize must be <=16384; if the sample rate is <= 48000Hz, the
>> blocksize must be <=4608.
>>
>> Finally, "one of 192/576/1152/2304/4608/256/512/1024/2048/4096" or
>> just (simply) "<=4608", "one of 8192/16384" or just "<=16384"?
>>
>> Maximum (4608) value and any intermediate values are not one of
>> 192/576/1152/2304/4608/256/512/1024/2048/4096.
>>
>> The first statement is more restricted.
>>
>> Is the word "must" to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119
>> (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt)?
>>
>> The second question:
>>
>>  From https://www.xiph.org/flac/documentation_format_overview.html:
>>
>> The reference encoder uses a single block size for the whole stream
>> but the FLAC format does not require it.
>>
>> Should stream MUST have constant (fixed) block size (if blocksize
>> satisfies all restrictions from first question) to be subset?
>>
>> Is variable block size stream (if blocksize satisfies all restrictions
>> from first question) be subset?
>>
>> The third question:
>>
>> Is FLAC files compressed by FFMPEG with "-compression_level 12" switch
>> are subset?