Flexbeta Goes Inside Data Compressors

Dom · May 20, 2004, 08:11 AM

FlexBeta takes a look at today's popular file compression tools, including WinRAR, WinZip, and WinAce.

"A good file compressor these days is very essential given the amount of information that is transferred over the internet. Many email services allow only a few Megabits of data storage, not to mention the excessive download time a 50MB file can be for a user on a dial-up connection. So what makes a good compression application? I would say the answer is in the numbers; the numbers of course of the results from the tests we ran on 7 different data compressors using different compression technologies. Collecting several files and categorizing each test, we collected data compression rate, time and space saved for each of the compression applications.

Most types of computer files are fairly redundant -- they have the same information listed over and over again. File-compression programs simply get rid of the redundancy. Instead of listing a piece of information over and over again, a file-compression program lists that information once and then refers back to it whenever it appears in the original program. Most compression programs use a variation of the LZ adaptive dictionary-based algorithm to shrink files. "LZ" refers to Lempel and Ziv, the algorithm's creators, and "dictionary" refers to the method of cataloging pieces of data."

-Article

_____________________
Source: FlexBeta

RIV@NVX · May 20, 2004, 08:44 AM

Of all those they tested, I personally prefer 7-zip, because it's free and supports more and more widely used 7z format.

Vampyromaniac · May 20, 2004, 09:28 AM

they have some wacky stats in that article . . . .

The_Neon_Cowboy · May 20, 2004, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RIV@NVX
Of all those they tested, I personally prefer 7-zip, because it's free and supports more and more widely used 7z format.

zips rars cabs etc are way more popular then no steanking 7z forat the just recenly has shown up on the scene ....

and buy the way all software is 100% free for some people

I use full winrar 3.30, and it also btw can be used just like winzip forever shareware that doesn't time bomb ...

The_Neon_Cowboy · May 20, 2004, 09:54 AM

and there are far better but slower compressers i've personally seen 3gb files compressed into 300-150mb ones but they take forever to decompress

thie numbers ar off btw ...

winrar useing .rar and useing the higest comression shaves off about 20 mb from a 189 mb zip
there are normal, low and maxuim settings there isn't just one setting

compression also varies with what is getting compressed

RIV@NVX · May 20, 2004, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Neon_Cowboy
zips rars cabs etc are way more popular then no steanking 7z forat the just recenly has shown up on the scene ....

and buy the way all software is 100% free for some people

I use full winrar 3.30, and it also btw can be used just like winzip forever shareware that doesn't time bomb ...

7zip is getting popular on the warez scene; it's still nowhere near RAR or ZIP, but what I like about it is that the archiver supports opening RAR, ZIP and lots of other formats and that it's completely free. I don't like using cracked software, that's just it.

Matth · May 20, 2004, 09:03 PM

7-Zip is really several things....

The 7-Zip program itself is:
1. A better zip compressor than most others - files are still compliant with ZIP, but the compression is tuned about as well as possible, if you use the maximum settings for PASS and FB
2. A somewhat quirky archiver program - I prefer to open the files in a program, rather than rightclick the program from the file(s)

The 7Z format is a solid compression format (files blocked together) that does far better than non-solid ZIP, but (like ZIP) other programs can have compression and decomprtession of without extra fees.

IZARC is the other one noted for 7Z.

http://www.tugzip.com/ - another one recently discovered with 7-zip (I assume they mean 7Z) support.

ZIP has had it's day, the performance of ZIP just isn't good enough, and it really only hangs on because everyone's got it, because everyone can implement compress/decompress support, usually based on Info-Zip - well now, everyone can implement a compression that is on the same level as RAR.

7Z - the format, is a far bigger picture than 7-Zip, the program.

May 20, 2004, 08:11 AM	#1
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Flexbeta Goes Inside Data Compressors FlexBeta takes a look at today's popular file compression tools, including WinRAR, WinZip, and WinAce. "A good file compressor these days is very essential given the amount of information that is transferred over the internet. Many email services allow only a few Megabits of data storage, not to mention the excessive download time a 50MB file can be for a user on a dial-up connection. So what makes a good compression application? I would say the answer is in the numbers; the numbers of course of the results from the tests we ran on 7 different data compressors using different compression technologies. Collecting several files and categorizing each test, we collected data compression rate, time and space saved for each of the compression applications. Most types of computer files are fairly redundant -- they have the same information listed over and over again. File-compression programs simply get rid of the redundancy. Instead of listing a piece of information over and over again, a file-compression program lists that information once and then refers back to it whenever it appears in the original program. Most compression programs use a variation of the LZ adaptive dictionary-based algorithm to shrink files. "LZ" refers to Lempel and Ziv, the algorithm's creators, and "dictionary" refers to the method of cataloging pieces of data." -Article _____________________ Source: FlexBeta

May 20, 2004, 09:28 AM	#3
Vampyromaniac confutatis maledictis Join Date: May 2002 Location: somewhere dark Posts: 5,974 Rep Power: 77 System Specs	they have some wacky stats in that article . . . . __________________ *Digitalis 3.3* Athlon 64 3000 // ASUS K8V SE Deluxe // 1024MB PC3200 (2-2-2-10 1T) ATI All-In-Wonder 9700 Pro // 20" Dell 2005FPW (DVI) M-Audio Revo 7.1 + Philips Acoustic Edge // Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 320/16 Western Digital WD3200KS + 120/8 Seagate 7200.7 NEC ND-3550A 16x DVD±RW + Lite-On 52x24x CD-RW Antec Sonata case // 480W Antec TruePower personal bests \|\| Aq'3: 46796 \| 3D'01: 20461 \| 3D'03: 6336 \| 3D'05: 2677 \| PC'04: 4605 \| PC'02: 7691,9092,1250

May 20, 2004, 09:54 AM	#5
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 92 System Specs	and there are far better but slower compressers i've personally seen 3gb files compressed into 300-150mb ones but they take forever to decompress thie numbers ar off btw ... winrar useing .rar and useing the higest comression shaves off about 20 mb from a 189 mb zip there are normal, low and maxuim settings there isn't just one setting compression also varies with what is getting compressed __________________

May 20, 2004, 08:44 AM	#2
RIV@NVX Freedom is a feature. Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Croatia, Rijeka Posts: 4,476 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Of all those they tested, I personally prefer 7-zip, because it's free and supports more and more widely used 7z format.

May 20, 2004, 09:03 PM	#7
Matth Flash Banner Hater Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,426 Rep Power: 93 System Specs	7-Zip is really several things.... The 7-Zip program itself is: 1. A better zip compressor than most others - files are still compliant with ZIP, but the compression is tuned about as well as possible, if you use the maximum settings for PASS and FB 2. A somewhat quirky archiver program - I prefer to open the files in a program, rather than rightclick the program from the file(s) The 7Z format is a solid compression format (files blocked together) that does far better than non-solid ZIP, but (like ZIP) other programs can have compression and decomprtession of without extra fees. IZARC is the other one noted for 7Z. http://www.tugzip.com/ - another one recently discovered with 7-zip (I assume they mean 7Z) support. ZIP has had it's day, the performance of ZIP just isn't good enough, and it really only hangs on because everyone's got it, because everyone can implement compress/decompress support, usually based on Info-Zip - well now, everyone can implement a compression that is on the same level as RAR. 7Z - the format, is a far bigger picture than 7-Zip, the program.