Below is a table showing the basic characteristics of different encoding formats, and the ability to play them back on your Mac.
Table 9.1. Encoder Table
| Name | Lossless | Real-Time | iTunes | QuickTime | iPod | Other Devices | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 | N | Y* | Y | Y | Y | Y | *Real-Time encoding uses LAME MP3 Encoder |
| AAC | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | MP3 has better hardware support than MP4 AAC |
| Ogg Vorbis | N | Y | Y* | Y* | N | Y | *Requires OggComponent QuickTime component |
| 3GPP | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Suitable for low-memory devices such as mobile phones and PDAs |
| FLAC | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | FLAC playback requires 3rd party software such as VideoLan (VLC) |
| AIFF | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Apple Lossless | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Proprietary format by Apple |