<br />
So the evaluation of lossless codecs typically depends mainly on other features, which is what our first table shows; features like how well it is supported in devices and software, license costs, etc. Additionally, as archiving is one of the main applications for a lossless codec, of chief importance is the ability to use and recover data in the future. FLAC stands out as the most widely supported codec, and the only codec that at once is non-proprietary, is unencumbered by patents, has an open-source reference implementation, has a well documented format and API, and has several other independent implementations.<br />
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So the evaluation of lossless codecs typically depends mainly on other features, which is what our first table shows; features like how well it is supported in devices and software, license costs, etc. Additionally, as archiving is one of the main applications for a lossless codec, of chief importance is the ability to use and recover data in the future. FLAC stands out as the most widely supported codec, and the only codec that at once is non-proprietary, is unencumbered by patents, has an open-source reference implementation, has a well documented format and API, and has several other independent implementations.<br />
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