[flac-dev] Why Rice order in "--best" switch is limited to 6?

[Барт Гопник]

No, FFMPEG uses its own FLAC encoder/decoder, based on Flake source
code, that based on FLAC reference encoder/decoder source code.

Yes, I agree that "optimal"? values for reference encoder/decoder may
differ "optimal"? values for FFMPEG's encoder/decoder.

But we're talking about the "highest reasonable" values, not "optimal".

>>>>> BTW, you can also use -A=... options to increase compression ratio.

Yes, using "-p" and "-A" or more than one "-A" (up to 32) switches is
really unreasonable, because using them very greatly increase the
encoding time. But I did some tests and found that using "-r 8"
instead of "-r 6" NOT greatly increase the encoding time (one of my
tests: 24 sec instead of 18 sec for 10 min input on my machine).
Increasing value of Rice order is not exhaustive, and increasing
encoding time is predictable. IMHO 33% (for calculation sample of 100
tracks was used) is not critical for "best" compression preset. People
use "best" preset and expect to get "best"/"highest" results. It is
basis of encode/decode time asymmetry! People who want to get
"optimal" ("quality"/speed compromise) use default
"--compression-level-5" or "--compression-level-7".

Finally, I suggest to increase Rice order parameter in "--best"
("--compression-level-8") preset from 6 to 8. (I'm not suggest to
increase Rice order in "--compression-level-7",
"--compression-level-6", etc.


> But FFMPEG uses flake encoder, not libFLAC. So their optimal values may differ.


>> I think "-r 8" is "highest reasonable". E.g. from 5 to 12 values of
>> "-compression_level" switch in FFMPEG uses value 8 of Rice order
>> parameter.


>>> IMHO it just means "highest reasonable", not "highest theoretically possible".


>>>> "--best" preset is designed for highest compression, not for faster
>>>> compression, isn't it?


>>>>> Because -r 8 is noticeable slower? The size difference is 0,0003%,
>>>>> the speed difference is 30...40%.
>>>>>
>>>>> BTW, you can also use -A=... options to increase compression ratio.


>>>>>> The "--best" switch currently synonymous with "-8" that synonymous
>>>>>> with "--compression-level-8" that synonymous with "-l 12 -b 4096 -m -e
>>>>>> -r 6".
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Why value of "-r" switch in "--best" is limited to 6?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The maximum Rice order is 8 (not 6) for the stream to be Subset compatible.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "-r 8" ("-l 12 -b 4096 -m -e -r 8") produces better results than "-r
>>>>>> 6" ("-l 12 -b 4096 -m -e -r 6") and and also Subset compatible.