program or be programed (chapter three free, sxsw)


- bill 11-17-2010 5:04 pm

I've studied and worked in the field of digital signal processing lo these many years. The launching point of the first article, the limitations of sampling and quantization (which are inherent aspects of digital signals), is a tricky topic to me. Generally, these things adversely impact what they attempt to capture. For example, the 24 Hz frame rate of film is inadequate. The spatial resolution of DVDs is inadequate. The 8 resolution typically used to convey digital video are inadequate. Etc.

But these inadequacies aren't inherent in quantization and sampling as implied by the introductory remarks of the article. It's just that economically feasible media (whether analog or digital) usually is inadequate in some measure or another. Fuzzy thinking about this distinction, between what could be and what often is, irritates the hell out of me.

I'm glad I stuck with the article. The launching point is troubling in its fuzziness, but place the author goes from that launching point is a very interesting discussion about the limitations inherent in choice.


- mark 11-18-2010 4:49 am


Aside: Why do many media formats have inadequate sample frequency and sample depth? Why do people use MP3's rather than Super Audio CDs? Choice trumps quality.
- mark 11-18-2010 4:53 am


from the brian leher show yesterday
- bill 11-18-2010 11:55 am





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