Lowering Podcast Bitrate

For example:
Engadget podcast: 64Kbps, 44KHz
New Scientist podcast: 64Kbps, 22KHz

Both sound quite good!

Veronica?

Have you made up your mind?

Please say yes! (I'm reduced to pleading, as I have already used 3/4 of my monthly download limit in 15 days, alot of which is taken up by the podcast, and I would hate to stop listening to it!)

Thanks

Will Moisis

If they can't help you out, and If you don't mind listening a day or two behind, I can try and reencode the mp3 and put it up on a server for you, at least temporarily... I have limited 'online' space, but I'll find a space. I'll bring it down to 32kbps if you want. Anyway, let me know. I can encode the night it is released (usually released around 3pm PST, and I could have it available to you by say, 8pm that night? If you are interested, let me know.

Thanks, that would be fantastic...

32kbps ACC would be ideal for me, although MP3 will suffice...although I still don't see why Cnet can't do it. They should know that they will lose customers and waste bandwidth if they keep it that way...(this is not directed at Veronica, btw) Even if a different bit rate is just an option

Anyway, if you could do that that would be great. I don't normally recieve the podcast until the next day anyway due to the time diffence in Australia..

Thanks again

Will

Took friday's show and downgraded it with Audacity and the Lame MP3 encoder. brought it down to 9MB and sounds fine. Tom/Veronica (I know Molly is out of town), if you want a link to DL the sample, just reply here and I'll send it along to buzz@cnet.com
Of course, I'm sure in the same amount of time V could do it herself and listen to it Either way, 1/2 the size file at 64kbps MP3 would be good as the main feed, or if a secondary option at 32kbps.

ok, i'll give it a try today. then you can let me know in the forums how it sounds.

V

This isn't a win/lose thing. If the podcast sounds ok (and it will, more of less) and it helps out folks who have a bandwidth cap (some countries pay by the gig), or not so much space on their portable devices (smaller flash devices) then we all win.

Just remember to take credit at your next performance review. Multiply (# of podcast downloads per day)*(difference between 64kbps and 128kbps file size)*(amount CNET pays per megabyte for bandwidth)= amount of dough you saved for CNET. Good info to keep in your hip pocket when asking for a raise.

I think the quality should stay the same. This podcast sounds great and you can really hear the difference between this and other podcasts. I'm for quality over quanity!

We still hope the reduced quality will let us hear those background cackles from Veronica when she's not on mic.

But BOL is for all to enjoy... so if we lose 'em, please find a cackle-workaround.

I can just cackle more, I suppose!

Ok, the new one is up! Let me know what you think...

It sounded just fine to me, I really didn't notice that much of a difference. The only difference I noticed was in the music at the beginning.

Yeah, on our Powerbook, desktop PC (with nice speakers/sub) and on the iPod, it sounds underwatery.

Agreed on Engadget and other podcasts @ 64 kbps sounding good. We think it may be the encoding process itself or that it's mono vs. stereo. Perhaps your "friends" at Engadget can help you out? (two timer!)

unfortunately, the program i use does not give me a lot of flexibility in how i can encode the audio. Actually, i can't do much to it at all... and i come from a studio recording background, so this is somewhat frustrating to me.

if you guys really don't mind the quality, i will continue to do it at 64.

THANKS FOR THE PIZZA GUYS! (and the personal jab....)

I think it sounds fine. Keep it at 64

Please keep it at 64kbps

I have a 2GB cap per month, with exess at 15/cents per mb. If it continues at 128kbps, it takes up almost half my allowance....

PLEASE keep it at 64, or at least make it optional, as I wont be able to continue to listen to BOL...

I repeat PLEASE!!!

There is NO WAY I could survive on 2 gigs per month! NO WAY! lol I download WAY too many Linux distributions, I probably surf and download 2 gigs of web pages per day! Ok, maybe not 2 gigs a day, but at least 2 gigs worth of web pages per week!

I either live with that crappy satellite plan at 512kbps or have dialup at 28kbps, still with a (slightly larger) cap. What would you choose?

Well, obviously the faster one, lol

I definitly noticed the quality difference today and I didn't even know it was going to be 64kb before hand. I don't mind the extra download time for the extra quality. It's one of the reasons I listen to this podcast.

You seem to be the only one that agrees with me. I'm not sure which way to go on this...

V

I record at 48kbps, it also sounds fine to me, and a 30 minute episode is usually not over 10MB. I don't have any fancy speakers, so maybe if I did it would not sound as good? I'm not an audio engineer, so I don't know.

The "s"'s sound fluttery and the quality difference is appreciable.

But, is there a way we can have more than one version without creating more work for you, V? I know some BOLers have volunteered to downsize the podcast... can we somehow figure out an "official" posting of the 64 kbps version?

We vote for quality, but don't want to leave people out in the cold because of download costs.

I'm thinking two podcasts might be the way to go. Make a different feed for the 64 bitrate version.

What do people think of that? I'm not willing to make another iTunes feed, but a normal RSS feed for the 64 bitrate verion would be fine.

Let me know, this hurts my brain.

V

Veronica,

It is really wierd how the 64kbps podcast sounds. I've heard other podcasts that sound really good at 64kbps. You might want to check the type of encoder you are using. I believe 128kbps for a voice podcast is a bit high for streaming on mobile devices like the Treo 650 or others.

Thanks,

Al

I've listened to the podcast at 22khz/32kbps and it sounds fine at that even (downgraded by audacity using LameMP3).
http://home.comcast.net/~ucffool/bol121205.mp3

That is downscaled from the 64kbps version. basically, each night by 8pm PST the old file comes down and is replaced with the new one with the same format, bol, then the month/day/year. So tonight it will be bol121305.mp3

This is just to help out Will, and is no way convenient.
I have no issues with 64 version, and only in the intro can i notice a difference, driving in the car today to work it sounded just as good (and just as crappy when Molly is calling in compared to in studio, regardless of bitrate).
Personal opinion: Love 128 version, still think main podcast should stay as that.

The solution requires 5min of V's time or someone elses who can convert and make another feed, to have the main 128 feed, and then a 32 or 64 feed for those where quality is not near as important as size (available only direct from cnet, not on itunes). I don't have a website or any fancy rss setup or host so I can't do that, but to help out Will until something is decided, I'm doing this nightly conversion and posting it on the website at 1/4 the size of the original. Takes 10min of my time, with actual user input for 2 minutes (most of that to email him)..
So if you want to go back to 128, and work out the other details, I can convert it and put a post up here when I have the converted version up, for those who want it till V can get a longer lunch