Specifications

Primers and Information B-1

Primers and Information

This chapter contains detailed information on key technologies used in the

development of your NOMAD Jukebox 3 as well as details of Scroller operations

and icons used in the player’s screens.

About MP3

MP3 is the acronym for Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) Audio Layer 3, a

type of audio data compression technology that can significantly reduce a digital

audio file’s size by as much as one-twelth, with virtually no loss in quality. It is an

efficient way to store high-quality music or other audio content on your computer.

These compressed digital audio files have a file extension of .MP3, and can be

downloaded from many sites on the Internet. You can also produce them legally

for personal use, from your original audio CDs.

Making MP3s — audio extraction

The first phase in making an MP3 file is extracting audio data from an audio CD. To

extract audio data, you will need a CD-ROM drive that can extract digital audio

data, and a program known as a Ripper. This program uses the CD-ROM drive to

read the audio tracks from the audio CD and stores it on your hard disk. The time

needed for a successful audio extraction depend on:

• CD-ROM drive speed

• defects, like scratches on the audio CD

• error-checking features on the CD-ROM drive

It is illegal to encode

MP3 files for trade or

sale unless you have

the express and explicit

permission of the