AAC VS AC3

AAC VS AC3: Compatibility

So far, AAC is the default audio format for YouTube, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Nintendo DSi/3DS, iTunes, DivX Plus Web Player and PlayStation 3. It is well supported by PlayStation Vita, Wii (with the Photo Channel 1.1 update installed), Sony Walkman MP3 series and later, Sony Ericsson; Nokia, Android, BlackBerry, and webOS-based mobile phones. And a majority of in-dash car audio system manufacturers will adopt AAC.

AC3 (Dolby Digital) is widely used in HDTV broadcast, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and game consoles.

Comparison Between AAC and AC3 in Quality

As part of the MPEG-4 standard, AAC makes small digital audio files so that it can store a larger amount of audio files using less space while preserving sound quality. Normally, AAC can produce frequency ranges from 8 to 96 kilohertz. hile AC3 provides a total bit rate of 384 kilobits per second. Its sample rates can up to 48 kilohertz. And if you want to enjoy the full effect of the AC3 track, you should choose an amplified theater system which supports Dolby Digital.

In a conclusion, AAC is a more advanced lossy audio format comparing with AC3. It will produce better audio quality than AC3 with the same bitrate, especially on low bitrates. The main advantage of using AC3 is for backward compatibility on older Dolby Digital equipments.