well, WAV stands for Waveform audio format, alos know as WAVE or simply .wav after its extension. It is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. It is a variant of the RIFF bitstream format method for storing data in “chunks”, and thus also close to the IFF and the AIFF format used on Amiga and Macintosh computers, respectively. It is the main format used on Windows systems for raw and typically uncompressed audio. The default bitstream encoding is the Microsoft Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) format.
ore frequently, the smaller file sizes of compressed but lossy formats such as MP3, ATRAC, AAC, (Ogg)Vorbis and WMA are used to store and transfer audio. Their small file sizes allow faster Internet transmission, as well as lower consumption of space on memory media. However, lossy formats trade off smaller file size against loss of audio quality, as all such compression algorithms compromise available signal detail. There are also more efficient lossless codecs available, such as FLAC, Shorten, Monkey's Audio, ATRAC Advanced Lossless, Apple Lossless, WMA Lossless, TTA, and WavPack, but none of these is yet a ubiquitous standard for both professional and home audio.

The usage of the WAV format has more to do with its familiarity, its simplicity and simple structure, which is heavily based on the IFF file format. Because of this, it continues to enjoy widespread use with a variety of software applications, often functioning as a 'lowest common denominator' when it comes to exchanging sound files between different programs. Some PlayStation Portable game software uses the AT3 file format which is a WAV file compressed in an ATRAC codec that can be decoded by the unit's libatrac3plus decoder.

Answered by satyaiitk , an ibibo Master, at 3:20 PM on April 30, 2008

A sound format (pronounced “wave”) used to reproduce sounds on a computer

Answered by Archit , an ibibo Advisor, at 6:14 PM on April 26, 2008

Waveform audio format, is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. It is a variant of the RIFF bitstream format method for storing data in “chunks”, and thus also close to the IFF and the AIFF format used on Amiga and Macintosh computers, respectively. It is the main format used on Windows systems for raw and typically uncompressed audio. The default bitstream encoding is the Microsoft Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) format.

Contents [hide]
1 Description
2 Popularity
3 Limitations
4 Audio CDs
5 WAV file compression codecs compared
6 See also
7 External links



[edit] Description
Both WAVs and AIFFs are compatible with Windows and Macintosh operating systems. The format takes into account some differences of the Intel CPU such as little-endian byte order. The RIFF format acts as a “wrapper” for various audio compression codecs.

Though a WAV file can hold compressed audio, the most common WAV format contains uncompressed audio in the pulse-code modulation (PCM) format. PCM audio is the standard audio file format for CDs, containing two channels of 44,100 samples per second, 16 bits per sample. Since PCM uses an uncompressed, lossless storage method, which keeps all the samples of an audio track, professional users or audio experts may use the WAV format for maximum audio quality. WAV audio can also be edited and manipulated with relative ease using software. The WAV format supports compressed audio using Audio Compression Manager. Any ACM codec can be used to compress a WAV file. The UI for Audio Compression Manager is accessible by default through Sound Recorder.

Beginning with Windows 2000, a WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE header was defined which specifies multiple audio channel data (surround sound) along with speaker positions, eliminates ambiguity regarding sample types and container sizes in the standard WAVE format and supports defining custom extensions to the format chunk.


source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/WAV

Answered by Smarty , an ibibo Master, at 10:12 PM on April 25, 2008

well , Waveform Audio. The WAV format is an uncompressed audio format, meaning that WAV files take up many times more disk space than more commonly web-used formats, such as MP3 and MIDI. Pronounced wave, not wahv.The wav format is based on the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF), which stores audio files in indexed “chunks” and “sub-chunks.” RIFF is in turn based on the earlier Interchange File Format (IFF), established by Electronic Arts in 1985 for use in electronic gaming. Apple’s version, known as Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF), was released in 1988 for Macintosh computers. Due to the common roots of these various audio formats, however, the audio files will play on any computer system, IBM or Apple.

The wav file had two very big things going for it when introduced. Firstly, it could digitize sounds 100% faithful to the original source because it is a lossless format. “Lossless” means that the wav file format does not compromise audio quality even when it holds compressed data. Secondly, the wav file is very easy to edit and manipulate with software. Luckily for audiophiles, free wav file editing software has been available nearly as long as wav files themselves.

Answered by Saurabh , an ibibo Master, at 9:49 PM on April 25, 2008

A Wave file is an audio file format, created by Microsoft, that has become a standard PC audio file format for everything from system and game sounds to CD-quality audio. A Wave file is identified by a file name extension of WAV (.wav).The WAV format is widely used as the audio medium for professional recording and editing. For creating music CDs, WAV files are converted to the CD-DA audio format, and both WAV and CD-DA files take up a similar amount of storage space.

Answered by Ashish Yadav , an ibibo Wizard, at 9:00 PM on April 25, 2008

well Ana, An audio file format, developed by Microsoft and IBM. The conversion process from an analogue signal to a digital file can be done over several levels - 8-bit or 16-bit depth and 11, 22 or 44.1kHz sampling rate.
WAV (or WAVE), short for Waveform audio format, is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. It is a variant of the RIFF bitstream format method for storing data in “chunks”, and thus also close to the IFF and the AIFF format used on Amiga and Macintosh computers, respectively. It is the main format used on Windows systems for raw and typically uncompressed audio. The default bitstream encoding is the Microsoft Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) format.

Source site:http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/WAV

Answered by Uttam , an ibibo Master, at 7:20 PM on April 25, 2008

Waveform Audio (.wav) - a common audio file format for DOS/Windows computers.

Answered by pooja , an ibibo Master, at 5:05 PM on April 25, 2008

type protected audio file

Answered by sha shiraz at 3:03 PM on April 25, 2008

ana it is short for Waveform audio format, is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. It is a variant of the RIFF bitstream format method for storing data in “chunks”, and thus also close to the IFF and the AIFF format used on Amiga and Macintosh computers, respectively. It is the main format used on Windows systems for raw and typically uncompressed audio. The default bitstream encoding is the Microsoft Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) format.

Contents [hide]
1 Description
2 Popularity
3 Limitations
4 Audio CDs
5 WAV file compression codecs compared
6 See also
7 External links



[edit] Description
Both WAVs and AIFFs are compatible with Windows and Macintosh operating systems. The format takes into account some differences of the Intel CPU such as little-endian byte order. The RIFF format acts as a “wrapper” for various audio compression codecs.

Though a WAV file can hold compressed audio, the most common WAV format contains uncompressed audio in the pulse-code modulation (PCM) format. PCM audio is the standard audio file format for CDs, containing two channels of 44,100 samples per second, 16 bits per sample. Since PCM uses an uncompressed, lossless storage method, which keeps all the samples of an audio track, professional users or audio experts may use the WAV format for maximum audio quality. WAV audio can also be edited and manipulated with relative ease using software. The WAV format supports compressed audio using Audio Compression Manager. Any ACM codec can be used to compress a WAV file. The UI for Audio Compression Manager is accessible by default through Sound Recorder.

Beginning with Windows 2000, a WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE header was defined which specifies multiple audio channel data (surround sound) along with speaker positions, eliminates ambiguity regarding sample types and container sizes in the standard WAVE format and supports defining custom extensions to the format chunk.

for more inf check source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAV

Answered by raj u , an ibibo Master, at 2:50 PM on April 25, 2008

WAV stands for Waveform audio format, alos know as WAVE or simply .wav after its extension. It is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. It is a variant of the RIFF bitstream format method for storing data in “chunks”, and thus also close to the IFF and the AIFF format used on Amiga and Macintosh computers, respectively. It is the main format used on Windows systems for raw and typically uncompressed audio. The default bitstream encoding is the Microsoft Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) format.
The wav format is based on the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF), which stores audio files in indexed “chunks” and “sub-chunks.” RIFF is in turn based on the earlier Interchange File Format (IFF), established by Electronic Arts in 1985 for use in electronic gaming. Apple’s version, known as Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF), was released in 1988 for Macintosh computers. Due to the common roots of these various audio formats, however, the audio files will play on any computer system, IBM or Apple.

for more detail visit to :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WA V
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is- a-wav-file.htm

Answered by Hemant Kumar , an ibibo Master, at 10:40 AM on April 25, 2008