exhale - Open Source xHE-AAC encoder

[hajj_3]

There is finally an open source xHE-AAC encoder available:

https://gitlab.com/ecodis/exhale
https://gitlab.com/ecodis/exhale/-/wikis/faq
https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php?topic=118888.0

[tebasuna51]

Interesting, but still it is not usable.

The USAC format is not supported by standard decoders/players (VLC, mpc-hc, NeroAacDec, qaac, faad, ffmpeg, my Samsung TV).
My Xiaome movil play stereo like mono.
Only foobar2000 with a new fdk-aac packet decoder (https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_pd_aac) can play/decode it in my PC.

Still don't work multichannel, pipe input, WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE input, etc.

[hajj_3]

EZ CD audio converter added support for exhale encoder a few months ago, it also has the franhaufer decoder too: https://www.poikosoft.com/music-converter-version-history

[Brazil2]

Only foobar2000 with a new fdk-aac packet decoder (https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_pd_aac) can play/decode it in my PC.
And any Android device running at least Android 9 Pie ;)

[tebasuna51]

Encoder exhale v1.1.0 for Windows in https://www.rarewares.org/aac-encoders.php

ffmpeg still can't decode it.

[Kurtnoise]

ffmpeg still can't decode it.
it does using libfdk-aac library

Its also supported in mpv using the same library.

[tebasuna51]

it does using libfdk-aac library

Its also supported in mpv using the same library.

But exhale claims to be open source, and libfdk is not open source and can't be distributed with ffmpeg or lavfilters.

Where I can download a mpv portable player to test it?

[richardpl]

If you download illegal player I will report you to GPL police force.

[tebasuna51]

Is mpv a illegal player?

I only want a player than can decode aac open source from exhale.

[stax76]

Where I can download a mpv portable player to test it?

For a typical Windows user mpv is challenging because it does not have a GUI.


But you can use a GUI frontend like my mpv.net:

https://github.com/stax76/mpv.net


Tip: use the last beta

https://github.com/stax76/mpv.net/blob/master/Manual.md#download


I did update libmpv only locally so users might have to update it manually:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/mpv-player-windows/files/libmpv/

[richardpl]

Is mpv a illegal player?

I only want a player than can decode aac open source from exhale.

Yes, if build with libfdk you are not allowed to distribute such binaries.

[tebasuna51]

mpv send the same message than ffmpeg:

C:\tmp\Test\mpv>mpv z5.m4a
(+) Audio --aid=1 (*) (aac 2ch 44100Hz)
[ffmpeg/audio] aac: Audio object type 42 is not implemented. Update your FFmpeg version to the newest one from Git. If the problem still occurs, it means that your file has a feature which has not been implemented.
Could not open codec.
Decoder init failed for aac
[ffmpeg/audio] aac_fixed: Audio object type 42 is not implemented. Update your FFmpeg version to the newest one from Git. If the problem still occurs, it means that your file has a feature which has not been implemented.
Could not open codec.
Decoder init failed for aac_fixed
Failed to initialize a decoder for codec 'aac'.
Audio: no audio
No video or audio streams selected.

Exiting... (Errors when loading file)

The question is for what we need a non free decoder (libfdk) to decode a open source encoder.

[tebasuna51]

The exhale developer (https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php?topic=118888.msg980871#msg980871) talk about "MPEG reference software decoder for USAC to decode exhale's bit-streams".
Where we can obtain that decoder?

@richardpl
There are any problem to include a free decoder for USAC in ffmpeg?

[richardpl]

You are deeply confused. MPEG decoder is not free or open source at all.

[tebasuna51]

Yes I am very confused, it is possible make a open source encoder without open source decoder?

[kedautinh12]

Try here
https://github.com/moisespr123/exhale-gui

[hajj_3]

v1.2.0: https://gitlab.com/ecodis/exhale/-/releases/v1.2.0

[Bigjackaal48]

Yes I am very confused, it is possible make a open source encoder without open source decoder?

That the painful part xHE-AAC needs newer decoders that are made for USAC/xHE-AAC. At 144kbps VBR QAAC & Opus are already transparent for music...So I have no clue why this format aiming at?.

[VoodooFX]

That the painful part xHE-AAC needs newer decoders that are made for USAC/xHE-AAC. At 144kbps VBR QAAC & Opus are already transparent for music...So I have no clue why this format aiming at?.
It's not for the transparent music encoding, its aim is at very low bit rates between 12 and 64 kbit/s, good for speech, like audio books or movie audiotracks & ect..

EDIT:
There are some tests -> https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,120997.0.html

[Barough]

exhale v1.2.1-b17f659c
Built on December 22, 2023, GCC v13.2.0

https://gitlab.com/ecodis/exhale/-/commits/master
https://gitlab.com/ecodis/exhale/-/releases

DL :
https://www.mediafire.com/file/eq0ymgo2o72f09o/

[LargerJackaal]

It's not for the transparent music encoding, its aim is at very low bit rates between 12 and 64 kbit/s, good for speech, like audio books or movie audiotracks & ect..

EDIT:
There are some tests -> https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,120997.0.html

Opus 1.4 ~ 1.5 can match since It has ML for <32kbps.

[VoodooFX]

Opus 1.4 ~ 1.5 can match since It has ML for <32kbps.

Is that ML activated by default? Last time I tested opus it couldn't match HE-ACC v2.

[Z2697]

Is that ML activated by default? Last time I tested opus it couldn't match HE-ACC v2.

The "ML" thing that's made to improve audio quality is totally on decoders' end.