VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Philip Banks]

I'm not anti VOIP or any other technology and do realise that things change. How does a voice over artists pay his bills each month that is the critical issue and that was the reason for my ISDN/VOIP comparison.

My last session on Friday was a TV commercial voiced down ISDN lines and my first next week will be a TV promotion/trailer session down ISDN lines. I fully accept the limitations of the out dated technology yet see it put food on my table every month.

The main reason Todd Schick and people like him don't get the ISDN work is because people know he has to organise a studio and that's enough to get them to call someone who has their own facilities. I can't condemn the London voice over market as being in a state of collapse because the amount of work that calls me to London is falling, it's falling because I live in Port Gordon and that's no use to a producer with a "need him in Wardour Street in 2 hours" requirement.

Today I have the technology to do VOIP sessions what I don't have is the demand.

[glittlefield]

[Drew]

Well, for us down here in Texas, it seems the argument is about to become moot. If Ma Bell is getting out of ISDN service, we're all SOL in this state. That means we're waiting for Frank to ride into the Cap Rock with the "next best thing".
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Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald.

[mcm]

I can relate to not wanting to change, since every time I try something new in my studio, everything else seems to collapse. If everything is working great and the money is flowing in for the people who use ISDN, why would they want to change?

If the telephone companies begin to cut back on their ISDN installations (and presumably their support of the prior installations), the system becomes unstable, particularly with VOIP gaining momentum and relentlessly improving in quality. And if for whatever reason an ISDN user had to move and couldn't get an installation at their new location, that's the end of ISDN for that user.

For every significant punctuation in technological evolution there has always been someone to say, it will never happen. There may come a time - not very soon, but someday- when nobody has land lines anymore anyway.

[Drew]

Good point, Mary. The kids I hire at the TV station don't use land-based telephony. They're 100% cell at their apartments. And most of what they do is text messaging.
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Skype: andrew.hadwal1
Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald.

[Bruce]

I can't imagine ISDN for audio going away anytime soon. As long as all those sports networks use it for their broadcasts and thousands of radio stations use it for interviews and their "stay at home" reporters (like our Dear Mistress), and thousands of recording studios around the world use it, the Telcos are going to continue to offer it. These users are powerful enough that unless a cheaper, ready to use technology comes about, they won't budge.

Plus, DSL isn't available in my 50 year old neighborhood (I'm too far away from a switching station) and my cable ISP is very fast with downloads (750 kbps) but terrible on upload (65 kbps) so I'd be screwed if they killed ISDN without a viable alternative for me, thank you very much.

Bruce

[Drew]

"These users are powerful enough that unless a cheaper, ready to use technology comes about, they won't budge"

Bruce, I think it all hinges on that. I still work for corporate broadcasters. If someone can sell them on "just as good or maybe better for way cheaper..." they'll drop the old in a New York second. It's all about the margin.
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Skype: andrew.hadwal1
Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald.

[Jeff McNeal]

If ISDN is on the way out, it sure doesn't appear to be in my little corner of the world. I'm using it multiple times a day, 5 days a week.

The "next big thing" is going to have to catch fire without me lighting the match or stoking the flames, I'm afraid.

[Sameer]

ISDN codecs wont go anywhere....atleast for the next 25yrs.....There will be lot of softwares/updates to better the technology....

I have tie-up with many studios across the globe for ISDN & most clients out of USA are keen on ISDN sessions only.

The last project I handled was for a PBS documentry which had a narration from a Hollywood actor who was filming in Shanghai & they wanted to record him on the Chinese New year.....it was quite a task to arrange a studio....with ISDN on a new year there....but finally it went quite smooth....

I had thought Apt Worldnet Tokyo would sell like hot cakes & become defacto codec as it can "talk" to virtually any codecs out there but the sale numbers arent encouraging.

[Jeff McNeal]

I just experienced a poignant example today of why ISDN is an essential arrow in my VO quiver.

This morning I received an audition from my Los Angeles agent for a Coca Cola TV spot. He wanted it by 3 PM. "No problem", I thought. I was busy with other projects and appointments until after 1 PM, but planned to cut the audition and MP3 it to him sometime after 2 PM.

At approximately 1:48 PM, my cable went out entirely. No TV, no cable modem. I called my agent and explained that I might not be able to get the audition to him on time. About 10 minutes before 3, I called a friend of mine who works for Westwood One. "Got an ISDN in there?" I asked. "Sure, what do you need?" Within two minutes of explaining my dire need to get that potentially important audition off, we were dialed in, had a lock on the ISDN and I fed him my audition, which he promptly saved as an MP3 and e-mailed to our mutual agent. It's a good thing that this gent and I are such good friends, because he was not included on the audition for the Coke commercial and took it in stride, just as I do when I'm not submitted for some of the gigs he's pitched for by our agent.

My cable service -- and Internet -- were finally restored. Around 5 o'clock this afternoon. It it hadn't been for ISDN and a good friend, I would have missed out on tossing my hat in the ring for the Coke gig. I probably won't get it anyway, but that's not the point of my story.

ISDN is going to be here for awhile. There will be those who insist upon it. When ISP reliability becomes as consistent and reliable as tap water delivery, I may reconsider my position, But not until then. Until then, I will keep as many arrows in my quiver as I can fit, for there is no perfect single solution.

[dhouston67]

[Travis]

Actually, you won't really notice it going away. The telcos will continue to offer the service to audio and medical facilities, where the "standard" protocols are established. However, as the rest of the world finds other solutions to data transfer, the price will gradually increase, until the cost will become prohibitive for most of us.

Soon, there will be other systems which use internet to accomplish the same task. It will take a while for them to become standardized, but eventually, every TV station and recording studio will have them. Studios will then, one by one, disconnect their ISDN systems, thereby saving what will then be a $500.00/month charge. Since the IP-protocol systems will offer uncompressed audio, lower cost, easier connectivity, etc., it won't be any big deal for any of us.

Two years.

==

Jeff McNeal - You don't keep a dialup modem handy for just such a situation?
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Travis
www.VOTalent.com

[Dan-O]

[audio'connell]

I've been a bit busy so not able to chime in but having read this thread through and long ago considered the ISDN investment, I liken to cost of it to any recent past, current or future ISDN equipment purchases to that of a stock.

As a stock, ISDN has a value but its growth potential is fairly limited so by buying in now you're unlikely to increase your return over your initial investment.

Or to sound a bit less geeky, I have partnerships with recording studios in my area who already have ISDN, give me a very preferred rate on its usage and I include it in my pricing. Booking time is not usually a problem but that could be considered a risk....not as big a risk as the overhead of a new ISDN purchase versus the number of times its been requested of me...all of which I fulfilled for clients seamlessly.

Frank....lets get moving on the Beta project!!!!!
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- Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent

[glittlefield]