Topic: Isdn

The discussion reflects on early internet technologies including the M-Bone protocol and the 1996 Rolling Stones concert broadcast. Historical consumer products like Web TV and AOL TV are reviewed alongside technical standards such as 56k frame relay and ISDN connections.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open episode 604 of the No Agenda show from Austin, Texas and Northern Silicon Valley. The hosts address technical audio issues involving Skype and the obsolescence of ISDN lines. They jokingly announce that "Club 33" has burned down due to low donations, necessitating an insurance claim.

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.

The benefits and drawbacks of installing an ISDN line for remote broadcasting are debated. While the technology allows for high-quality participation in radio shows from home, it is expensive and has led to an influx of automated telemarketing spam. One host reports that British Telecom (BT) seemingly shared his business number, leading to frequent "ISDN spam" calls.

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.