3 chapters across the catalog
The Fraunhofer Institute has officially terminated its licensing program for the MP3 format, leading to media claims that "MP3 is dead." The hosts argue this is a strategic push by the tech industry to move users toward proprietary, fee-based formats like AAC. They predict that companies like Apple will eventually stop supporting MP3 files to force adoption of licensed alternatives, despite the continued viability of open-source encoders.
The technical challenges of recording a podcast between the United Kingdom and the United States involve significant Skype latency, often resulting in 0.8-second delays and conversational overlaps. Plans are discussed to transition to a dedicated ISDN setup using AAC codecs to improve audio quality and reduce buffering issues. One host has already installed ISDN capabilities at a property in San Francisco to facilitate this change.
Skype Latency and ISDN Connection Technical Comparison
The hosts compare the technical performance of Skype versus ISDN for remote broadcasting. Adam Curry notes that ISDN provides a 60-millisecond delay due to dedicated circuits, whereas Skype typically has a 600-millisecond latency. John C. Dvorak mentions his recent Comcast speed boost to 16 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up, though he notes performance drops when connecting to international servers in England.
