[vorbis] CVS RC4 -q0 too good!

[Nemo - earth native]

On Thu, Jul 04, 2002 at 08:39:10AM -0400, Jon Doda did utter:
> I think it would be best if the current 0 to 10 scale were maintained 
> and if the perceptual quality of each setting did not change between 
> encoder releases, regardless of the bitrate used to obtain that quality. 

I agree with this - for post 1.0 releases. However, isn't the point of
rc releases to thrash out things like this to a result that wont be
quibbled with for all time? If -q0 is so good now, and -q3 is enough for
most people... with 4.99 enough for even alot of audiophiles...then it
seems a large swathe of "quality range" is wasted, simply because it's
"too good".

It would seem to me that the average user (assume average soundcard
connected to average amplified PC speakers, with no golden-ear training)
should be able to notice the difference between -q0 and -q3. I don't
think that's nescessarily the case with rc3, and the reports of rc4 seem
to be indicating a significant improvement in this range. 

To me, it's logical that -q0 should be "poor quality, small files",
through to -q3 being roughly "transparent to the 'average user' as
described above". Range up to -q6 being "transparent to golden ears with
top home-entertainment-system equipment", and -q9 be "transparent to golden
eared genetic freaks with top-end studio equipment in an Anechoic Chamber" ;)

Of course, that's just what seems a logical quality progression range to
me... but I'm merely an interested user who barely ranks above "average"
in my description above ;)

.../Nemo

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