Opening .ogg files

jmt356
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Opening .ogg files

Post by jmt356 »

Every time I click on the pronunciation icon of a word in Wikipedia, a window pops up asking me how I want to open the .ogg file. Two questions:

- Why would Wikipedia choose to use such an obscure extension such as .ogg for sound files, when most people have software that can easiest open up other extensions, such as .avi, .mp3, .mpeg-4, .wma, etc., which do not require searching for special software to open them.

- What is the easiest way to open up an .ogg file? There are so many extensive help pages online but I would prefer to make this as simple as possible without having to invest a lot of time through suggestions that don't work.
Regards,

JMT

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Leif
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Location: Middle of England

Re: Opening .ogg files

Post by Leif »

jmt356 wrote:- Why would Wikipedia choose to use such an obscure extension such as .ogg for sound files
According to Wikipedia, "Ogg is a free, open container format maintained by the Xiph.Org Foundation. The creators of the Ogg format state that it is unrestricted by software patents[2] and is designed to provide for efficient streaming and manipulation of high quality digital multimedia." - see Ogg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

jmt356 wrote:- What is the easiest way to open up an .ogg file?
See if any of the suggestions at Wikipedia:Media help (audio and video) help.
Leif

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HansV
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Re: Opening .ogg files

Post by HansV »

1) You'd have to ask Wikipedia why they use .ogg.

2) You can download and install the free K-Lite Codec Pack. You'll be able to open lots of extra media types in Windows Media Player, among which .ogg. The Basic version is good enough. See Download K-Lite Codec Pack.
Alternatively, you could install VLC Player. This free media player handles most media types, including .ogg, out of the box. See VLC media player.
Best wishes,
Hans

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John Gray
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Re: Opening .ogg files

Post by John Gray »

You might wish to read the relevant sections of the Wikipedia article about the GIF graphic file format, and the litigation and rows about patenting and licensing.

This would be an extremely good reason to choose a file format which was guaranteed to be free of such problems!
John Gray

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