Glossary: Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP)

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Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP): An audio encoding scheme using technology developed by Meridian Audio that is the industry-accepted standard for compressing audio data on DVD-Audio disks for transfer and decoding by a DVD-A player. MLP is a "lossless" compression codec. DVD-Audio can play back surround sound audio (in 5.1 format) at 24-bit/96k Hz resolution. However, DVDs have a maximum data transfer rate of 9.6MB/second. So a 5.1 surround track at 24-bit/96kHz, which requires a data transfer rate of about 13.8MB/second, would get bogged down unless it is compressed. MLP uses a complex combination of filters, entropy coding, prediction and buffers to compress (encode) that signal so it can be transferred at the 9.6MB/second rate, and then decode (uncompress) it for playback by a DVD player. The MLP process also reduces the size of audio files by 30 to 50%, thus allowing a full 74 minutes of surround audio to fit on a DVD-A. The DVD Forum, the industry group that sets standards for all types of DVD production, selected Meridian Lossless Packing as the specified standard for audio compression on DVD-Audio discs and players. MLP can also be used to simply get longer stereo recording times onto the disc, whether the files are at 96kHz or 192kHz sampling rates. Since Meridian Audio is primarily a manufacturer of high-end home theater hardware, they licensed MLP to Dolby Laboratories for management. Dolby handles further licensing of MLP to DVD player manufacturers and software publishers who incorporate it into their DVD encoding programs.

M-RAM (Magneto RAM)

M-S Stereo

M4P

Macassar Ebony

Machine Control

Machine Head

Machine Room

Macro

MADI

Mag

Magneto-Optical

Mahogany

Mains

Maintenance Upgrade

Major Scale

Makeup Gain

Mandocello

Mandolin

Mandolin Rail

Mannheim School

Manual

Maple

Mapping

Map Shape Nationals

MARCAD

Marcato

Marker

Marquetry

MAS (Motu Audio System)

Masking

Master

Master Fader

Mastering

Master Volume

Matrix Mixer

Matrix Surround

Max/MSP

Maximize (Maximizer)

Maximum SPL (Sound Pressure Level)

MDF

MDL

MDM

Mean-free Path

Measure

Mebibyte

Mechanical Right

Media

Median Plane

Media Transfer Protocol (MTP)

Medium Diaphragm

Mega

Megabyte

Melisma

Melisma

Melita Bridge

Mellotron

Melodeon

Melody

Membranophone

Menu

Merge Files

Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP)

Metadata

Metal Particle Tape

Meter

Meter Bridge

Metronome

Mho

MHz, Megahertz

MI

MiB

Mic

Mic Amp

Mic Level

Microfarad

Microphone

Microphonic

Microtone

Microvolt

MID

Middle C

MIDI

MIDI Channel

MIDI Clock

MIDI Control Change

MIDI Controller

MIDI Delay

MIDI Echo

MIDI Implementation Chart

MIDI Interface

MIDI Log Jam

MIDI Manager

MIDI Merger

MIDI Mode

MIDI Part

MIDI Port

MIDI Thru

Midrange

Miller Effect

Milliamp

millisecond

Millivolt

Mini Disk

Mini DisplayPort

Mini Humbucker

Minimalism

Minimoog

Minimum Terminating Impedance

Mini Plug/jack

Minor Scale

Minor Second

Mirroring

Mix

Mixdown

Mixed-Mode Disc

Mixer

Mixing

Mixing Console

Mix-Minus

Mix to Disk

mLAN

MMA

MIDI Machine Control (MMC)

MME

Mnemonics

MOD

Modality

Mode

Mode

Modeling

Moderato

Moderato

Modified Sine Wave

Modifier Keys

Modular Synthesizer

Modulation

Modulation Noise

Mod Wheel

Maximum Output Level (MOL)

Momentary Switch

Monitor

Mono

Mono Bridge

Monophonic

Monotone

Morado

Mordent

Mortise-and-tenon

Motherboard

Mother of Pearl

Motif

Motion Graphic

MOTO

Motorized Fader

Mount

Mounting Ring

MOV

Moving Coil

Moving Fader Automation

MP3

MP3 Surround

MPC

MPEG

MPEG-2

MPEG-4

MPU-401

MRB

Mrs. Mills

ms

ms

MSB

MTBF

MIDI Time Code (MTC)

MTS (Multi-channel Television Sound)

MTS (MIDI Time Stamping)

Mu

Mudrange (slang)

Muffler

Mult

Multi-mode Filter

Multi-Pattern

Multi-Sample

Multi-threading

Multiband Compressor

Multieffects

Multimedia Card

Multimode Filter

Multipath

Multipattern

Multiplex

Multisession

Multitasking

Multitimbral

Multitrack

Musette

Musical Telegraph

Musique Concrete

Mustache Bridge

Mutation Stops

Mute

Mute (musical instrument)

Mute Group

mV

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