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Topic: Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps? (Read 7469 times) previous topic - next topic
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Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

For the record, this is only a curiosity on my part. I use foobar2000 as my player and encode using EAC and LAME.
But in setting up computers for my friends, who would prefer to use iTunes and Windows Media Player (and I understand how many people would prefer programs such as these that do everything for you), I've noticed a funny thing about Windows Media Player.

Windows Media Player can be set to rip cd's to mp3 instead of Windows Media Audio (the default). It offers CBR bitrate options: 128, 192, 256, and 320 kbps.
There are two CBR bitrates left out in this range: 160 and 224.

I'm not surprised that 224 is left out as an option - very few people use that as a CBR setting.
But I'm surprised that Windows Media Player doesn't offer the option to encode at 160 kbps CBR mp3.

Nowadays 128 kbps CBR is pretty good (see the most recent listening test), but it seems like 160 kbps CBR would be an ideal encoding bitrate for a lot of people, especially the sort of people who use Windows Media Player. I know that when setting up computers for friends, 160 kbps CBR is the bitrate that I thought would make sense for most of them. And that option is available in iTunes, but not in Windows Media Player.

So what I'm curious: is there any practical reason that WMP wouldn't offer 160 kbps CBR mp3 encoding?
Or is it some stupid business-strategic reason? I can't imagine what the latter would be, but it baffles me that Microsoft hasn't programmed 160 kbps CBR mp3 in as an encoding option, and I'm wondering why.
God kills a kitten every time you encode with CBR 320

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #1 –
I am guessing that Microsoft did it for business reasons.  In other words; they are forcing people to go with WMA if they want 160kbps with WMP.  Microsoft is forcing people to use WMA for VBR encoding as WMP only allows for CBR options.  I believe WMP uses the FhG mp3 encoder so there is no technical reason why VBR and encoding at 160/224kbps should be left off.  So that is my guess: Microsoft wants to push people to WMA.

Apple used to do a terrible job of updating the iTunes mp3 encoder and many people believed that Apple was pushing people to use the iTunes AAC encoder.

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #2 –
Sheesh.  No conspiracy.  It's just a somewhat odd UI decision.  WMP has always had four bitrates available for MP3 encoding in it's very basic UI, ever since they started offering 3rd party MP3 plug-in support (before they licensed and included the MP3 encoder 'free'.)

You still may be able to change the four bitrates.  It was previously stored in the registry here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/MediaPlayer/Settings/MP3Encoding

LowRate, DWORD 0x0001f400 (128000)
MediumRate, DWORD 0x0002ee00 (192000)
MediumHighRate, DWORD 0x0003e800 (256000)
HighRate, DWORD 0x0004e200 (320000)

It may still work in WMP 11...

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #3 –
grommet, you don't convince me that there's no conspiracy (and by "conspiracy" I mean calculated corporate decision). Just because WMP started out with four settings for mp3 encoding, in no way means that they need to stay there. It's not as if the program hasn't undergone major updates. For people who use the program, it's a pretty obvious fix to set every increment from 64 to 320 kbps.

That said, the registry fix works. Thanks for filling in about that.
edit: and I do have WMP 11, albeit running on XP.
God kills a kitten every time you encode with CBR 320

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #4 –
oh brother.  no conspiracy--there's also only four settings in the ui for wma vbr encoding--though it should support a whole range etc.  The conspiracy might be said to be to "dumb down" or simplify the ui, but that's a conspiracy to please the masses, which has been going on for some time.

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #5 –
I'm not saying that it's a calculated corporate decision, but I'm also not convinced that it's not. I realize that software-building companies have an incentive to not offer too many options, because that creates extra psychological strain on people who don't already know what they want, because now they have more options to choose from without knowing how to make such a choice in the first place. But adding 160kbps in as a 5th option would seem to make a lot of sense for WMP's target user.
God kills a kitten every time you encode with CBR 320

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #6 –
It wouldn't be the first time that a company released software wanting to push users onto their own format/encoder.  Many believed that the iTunes mp3 encoder was far inferior to the iTunes AAC encoder simply so that users would switch over to it.  I remember an older format called Liquid Audio (and the software app that allowed for encoding).  It used a really old mp3 encoder that was made by Xing just so people would switch to the Liquid Audio format.  Lastly, Microsoft has had a record of touting WMA over mp3.  Remember those old tests they conducted that said 64kbps WMA had the same quality as 128kbps mp3?  Those tests used an older version of Lame so the results were not accurate.

I am not saying that it is some type of conspiracy but it could very well be a decision made by Microsoft so that people would use WMA over mp3.  No one really knows but I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to do something like this.

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #7 –
I ain't no rocket doctor but if Microsoft were trying to push people to WMA, why would they even offer MP3 ripping and at 192, 256, and 320 kbps? Is the demand for 160 so great that people move to WMA, because I haven't seen it since the introduction of WMP.

Just my opinions and arguments...

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #8 –
They probably offer mp3 playing for the unexciting and unremarkable reason that there is demand for that, ultimately they sell more software, and wmp gets more use and they can hope for entry into new markets (though Apple beat them with the ipod) etc.  (And the next version of wmp will have built-in support for aac/m4a.)  There is a "conspiracy," but it's to serve the mass audience.  There is only a very limited degree of "used car salesman" sneakiness that pays off here or is even possible given the beliefs of people who work at and run these companies.  (There is on the other hand, the conspiracy of hope by which people themselves practically demand to be deceived & which fuels markets and politics, and the people who know how to "profit" from that, but that's a whole other level.)
p.s. not sure where to stick this in, but I just tried out foobar 2000 and it's very good--clean interface, powerful, well-organized--pleasing.

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #9 –
They probably made this decisions years ago when mp3 encoders weren't as effective as they are now, and haven't changed it because too many of their mindless Luddite customers would freak out if there were more than four mp3 encoder options.

People are freaking out because the new window 7 betas have removed the 15-year-old classic start menu.
elevatorladylevitateme

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #10 –
I have heard that you can encode to AAC using WMP12, has anyone test it yet?

Why does Windows Media Player not rip mp3 at 160kbps?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Jillian on
I have heard that you can encode to AAC using WMP12, has anyone test it yet?
You have heard incorrectly.  Windows 7's WMP 12 indexes and plays M4A/AAC content now, just like the Zune software did 2 years ago... but ripping/encodng to AAC is not in the UI.  I would not expect it.

The Windows 7 Media Foundation pipeline does have AAC encoding support, though.