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Just to throw my hat in the ring...
I also use EAC to tag and rip to FLAC. Once you have EAC setup, it's a breeze to throw a disc in, start the process, and walk away. And the way I figure it -- hard drives are cheap (and getting cheaper) and once you rip to a lossy codec, you can never get that information back without re-doing all your work. Might as well go lossless from the outset. Beyond the convenience of having a digital archive of your music is the fact that CDs have a very short lifespan -- many of the ones I bought in the late 80s/early 90s are flaking and scratched, making them unplayable on anything but the best transports. Fortunately, my Plextor drive can squeeze blood from a stone.
Lots of guides out there for automating the EAC>FLAC process -- some good ones are here and here. (The latter refers to other compression schemes, but offers multiple options) I also often use Tag & Rename to clean up and/or edit the tags. Not free, but highly recommended.
Other fantastic freeware apps include:
Burrrn
Most EAC>FLAC guides include a step to create a .CUE file which greatly facilitates burning an exact backup copy (with exact gap duplication, lead-ins, etc.). With Burrrn, you basically drag and drop these CUE files and never have to worry about any other settings.
Xlobby
Great free frontend for your HTPC/Media server. Learning curve is a little steep, but flexibility is unmatched, even by the pricey alternatives.
And here is a list of the growing number of standalone components that support FLAC.
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the difference between OGG 128 & 256 is pretty interesting
nice work brad
appears FLAC vs. WMA is just a matter of preference, and maybe depends on the player you plan to use. i think i'll have to go with WMA simply because that's what i expect the xbox360 to support in terms of streaming since no supported file types have been released.
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