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Tidal Compression?

Ali T

Ali T

pfm Member
I read a claim that Tidal does not output at 1411kbps, but hovers around 800kbps, has anyone else come across this or have any further info please?
 
Could be complicated as I think Tidal (and most of the others) use RTSP or HLS to stream which is buffered by the playback device. It is essentially a TCP stream and not a pure real time UDP stream.
 
How would we know (assuming it is) unless we compared to an uncompressed stream?

Besides, if true they are making false claims.
 
I've been listening to music for a few hours so I've just run a report on my switch (yes very fvcking sad I know)

When I was listening to albums via qobuz earlier it averaged around the 1.5 Mbps mark and then radio paradise Flac (which I know is 800kbps)

About 15 minutes ago I tried a 24/44 from Qobuz which was around 1.9 Mbps

At 20:50 a 16/44 album which has averaged at around 1.5 Mbps

Screenshot 2019-10-19 at 20.57.31 by The Biglebowski, on Flickr
 
Tidal streams FLAC so you won't see a 1411kbps stream. Unless you decompress is before it reaches your streamer.
 
Ali T said:
Do you have Tidal to run a comparison?
Click to expand...

No I cancelled it yesterday as it happens.

I do remember running packet captures and throughput for Tidal a while ago as I was curious as to what protocols they use and got similar results.

I'm a bit sad as I design networks for voice (VoiP) and video so I get curious as to how streaming companies manage latency and jitter for home users without QoS.
 
I must be seeing the the decompressed stream going from ROON to the squeezebox as 1.5 Mbps then.

I guess that Tidal stream at around 800 Kbps then.
 
Ali T said:
I read a claim that Tidal does not output at 1411kbps, but hovers around 800kbps, has anyone else come across this or have any further info please?
Click to expand...

Probably a misunderstanding based on how FLAC works. If a file only needs 800kbps to be lossless, then that is how it Is encoded. This is why different bitrates are seen with FLAC.
 
It should be 16 * 44.1 = 705.6 Kbps and for stereo would be 1411 Kbps

FLAC achieves around 50% compression so around 800 Kbps.

What is now throwing me is that even on my WAN interface I'm seeing 800 Kbps when streaming Radio Paradise FLAC (all good)

But streaming Qobuz 16/44 it is showing 1.5 Mbps

I is confoosed now.....
 
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