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  • #1

    Best compression method?

    Searching through my computer I noticed some huge bitmaps, and decided to compress them and burn to CD.

    Taking a 155MB TIFF file as an example, WinZip managed a 10% reduction to 139MB, WinRAR cut it 29% to 111MB. However, while size is important, so is reliability

    What compression method do you use, and why? What would you recommend for archiving? Speed is completely irrelevant to me, I want the most reliable, then the best compression.

    RAR? ZIP? ACE? GZIP? BZIP2?

    Thanking you in advance,

    P.
    Meet Jasmine.
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  • #2
    I tend to prefer bz2.
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    • #3
      From my experiece, WinACE does pretty good overall compression of image files in general (over winzip & winrar). I've never run across or heard of BZIP2, so I can't help you on that.

      And I think that WinRAR is able to decompress WinACE files (I think).
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      • #4
        Originally posted by Wombat
        I tend to prefer bz2.
        Forgot to mention that I'll be doing this in Windows Do you just use BZ2 in *nix? Or in Windows as well?

        Edit: Just downloaded the commandline version of bzip2, testing it at the moment on the TIFF
        Last edited by Pace; 14 January 2003, 09:46.
        Meet Jasmine.
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        • #5
          Usually I'm using it in Unix-land, but that's because I don't have much use for compression on my windows setups. bzip2 is free though, and supported by many programs. I generally see a 20-30% improvement in file size over standard zip files.
          Gigabyte P35-DS3L with a Q6600, 2GB Kingston HyperX (after *3* bad pairs of Crucial Ballistix 1066), Galaxy 8800GT 512MB, SB X-Fi, some drives, and a Dell 2005fpw. Running WinXP.

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          • #6
            Ok, just compressed the TIFF to a 108MB bz2, so that's a full 30% compression, and just edges out RAR. However, how do I make my archives more 'solid'?

            Oh, and any way to leave the existing file intact when I bzip it?
            Meet Jasmine.
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            • #7
              Try Ace. I'd be surprised if bz2 beats it... and it's more fault-tolerant and secure.

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              • #8
                FYI Pace http://www.compression.ca/act-graphics.html

                http://www.compression.ca/


                I personally prefer WinRar, WinAce make smaller files in some cases altough it's slower most of the times.
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                • #9
                  Maybe you consider use WinRAR with "solid" and "recovery record" options. The files will be much larger, but safer.
                  I use only WinRAR.

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                  • #10
                    bz2 on linux, ace on windows. simple as that.
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                    • #11
                      What are the advantages of ACE over WinRAR?

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                      • #12
                        Yeah, I was going to ask that as well.

                        ACE has so far provided the largest compression, but as you'll all note from above, this is my second priority

                        A small useless file is...worthless.
                        A large useful file is...priceless (well, kinda)

                        Robustness of the archive is paramount, otherwise I'll just leave the files as they are, maybe use JPEG or something

                        How good is the RAR recovery method? And is a 2% record good? 20%? 200%?

                        P.
                        Meet Jasmine.
                        flickr.com/photos/pace3000

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                        • #13
                          Another option that may be a bit more time consuming would be to save using png which uses lossless compression. Although it uses the gzip algorithms, so it isn't the best compression. The advantage is that you don't have to uncompress them to view, just use any newer picture viewer and it should support png.
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                          • #14
                            yeah bz2 or winace.

                            winace is probably more convient in windows.
                            But there are windows versions of bz2
                            (its is open source after all)

                            winace did compress better than winrar last time I did some tests

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                            • #15
                              Is PNG as sturdy as TIFF though? Or as sturdy as JPEG?
                              Meet Jasmine.
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