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I had a caller who asked me about issues he’s having with iTunes and his Podcast. It won’t accept his Podcast at all, despite adding it three times. He’s exhausted all the suggestions on Apple support at this point.

To give a bit of background, a Podcast is a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers. The term podcast, like “radio”, can refer either to the content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.

There are a couple of things that could be going on here. If the feed itself is not formatted properly, it could be rejected. I asked him if he had run it through an RSS Validator? If the feed isn’t valid, iTunes may reject it. If they’re rejecting it outright based on editorial principle, that’s a different issue of course. I’m sure my caller isn’t doing anything of that nature. He has run it through an RSS Validator, and didn’t appear to have any trouble.

He can see his Podcast show up, but it’s not being added to the iTunes catalog for other people to be able to view. Basically, he just has to wait on Apple to “flip the switch” and allow it. Unfortunately, it takes awhile. There are a LOT of people podcasting these days. That’s why I’ve kind of stayed away from it. I have a Podcast, yes. However, I do much better on places like Twitter or YouTube. There are literally just SO many people Podcasting… it’s oversaturated. There is just a much bigger and more dedicated audience on YouTube. The most active members of our community are the ones who are on YouTube. They’re the people who hang out in the chat room, and leaving comments on the videos and blog posts.

It’s no longer interesting to have a Podcast, because everyone is doing it. It’s also not easy to get anywhere on YouTube either, especially if it’s about Technology. Everyone is already doing Tech, so you better have a good, unique angle. The caller stated that his Podcast IS tech-related. He is subscribed to many Tech Podcasts, and follows many people on YouTube. It doesn’t matter where or how someone sees you, it’s that they DO see you. What’s his spin? What’s his catch? He stated he hasn’t really found his own way yet. He knows he has to find his own flavor, to attract an audience.

What it boils down to is the fact that no matter what you are planning to talk about, you better stand out. You need to have a “hook”, so to speak. You need to be original, and fresh… and new! That’s the way you’re going to attract… and keep… an audience.

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Bottom line: I have Audible coupons, too.

I have three teasers for the promo, but I’m not sure which one is most effective. Which one would you find most compelling - assuming you were wanting to sign up and save money with an Audible subscription?

(1) Are you tired of reading books? Me too. Over the years, I developed pulpuslaceratapohobia - and the only known cure for that is Audible. Finally, a way to digest words without actually having to read them. Professional voices are wonderful choices if you love literary works in audio format. Are you ready to read some audio books? Maybe you should just listen to them instead.

(2) See Bob read. Read, Bob, read. Why isn’t Bob listening to books, instead? We’re not quite sure, but we’ve got a hunch that he’s never heard of Audible. You haven’t, either? Well, now’s your chance to check ‘em out - because the sooner you sign up for an account, the sooner your eyes can rest while your mind expands. Audio books are the only way to go.

(3) What was your favorite children’s book? What’s your child’s favorite book - and how many reads did it take before it became a not-so-favorite of yours? Audible to the rescue! Keep kids entertained with an audio book or two. The rewind button is only a click away. Save your voice. Save your sanity. Sign up today.

I’m not sure Audible would approve my copy, but… hey, the link works.

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ - Mool212 records TV shows using the Windows Media Center. He’s confused as to how to convert those files into other formats, and then be able to burn them onto a DVD. Luckily, there are some excellent tools that can help.

My friend Rakesh from Couchville.com is also the CEO of the Beyond TV program. This handy little program features some amazing things:

• No Subscription Fees. Ever.
• Skip commercials and other parts of TV shows
• Search for shows on actor, director, or title
• Burn DVDs of your TV recordings
• Automatically sync recordings to iPod, iPhone or Apple TV
• Intelligent Program Guide resolves conflicts
• Record HDTV from free, over-the-air or Clear QAM digital TV signals

Another place to get help in converting your Windows Media Center files is thegreenbutton.com. They have an excellent program there to convert DVR-MS to MPEGs.

SC_Thor recommends using FFMPEG. This is an open-source program that will take virtually any audio or video format, and convert it to any other format… for free. You can then put them into your DVD burning program.

As far as my recommendation for putting things onto DVD, it’s Nero. This is probably the best program I’ve used for burning purposes. I’m a Nero MVP, and help provide feedback to them. So if you have any suggestions or comments you would like to get to someone at Nero, be sure and send it to me.

Want to embed this Convert Windows Media Center DVR-MS to MPG video in your blog? Use this code:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D6kLxfJs1Tk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D6kLxfJs1Tk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ - Chris Proctor emailed to say he’s trying to salvage music off of old, damaged CDs but they’re full of static and fuzz and other scratchiness. He’s wondering if there are programs available to remove that audio “noise”.

The static and fuzz Chris is referring to is commonly known as “pops” and “hissing”. The pops are from vinyl albums, and the hissing sounds come from cassettes. Most of the software you’ll find to fix these problems is quite expensive.

One program I’ve found that isn’t so pricey is Spin It Again. You can get this for around $30.00, and they even have a 30 day free trial. Not only will the program make the whole recording and track dividing process easy, but it will also clean your recordings by getting rid of click and pop record noise, or by removing hiss and hum off old cassettes. You can also record your LP collection and cassettes to your iPod or portable MP3 player! Check out some of the samples on their site to hear the before and after difference yourself.

I still recommend using the Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Pack. Unfortunately, Microsoft has discontinued Plus! SuperPack for Windows XP and Plus! Digital Media Edition. Many of the features and tools that have been enjoyed for years now can be found in new Microsoft titles and services including Windows Vista. The Microsoft Plus titles will be available in retail outlets while supplies last… so get it while you can!

Another idea is WavePad. I haven’t tried this myself, but it was recommended by chatter UncleJohn. WavePad audio editing software is a sound editor program for Windows. This audio editing software lets you make and edit music, voice and other audio recordings. When editing audio you can cut, copy and paste parts of recordings and, if required, add effects like echo, amplification and noise reduction. WavePad also has a free trial.

Have you guys dealt with this before, and if so… what programs did you use? I’m interested in finding out what works, and what doesn’t.

Want to embed this Remove Audio Noise from LPs, Cassettes, MP3s video in your blog? Use this code:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n7YC_Zco51Y"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n7YC_Zco51Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Color me shocked. Jack from Fosco & Jack’s Kickass Podcast is pleased as punch with our program, though he only listens to it (MP3 audio) rather than consuming its native format (MP4 video). His perspective speaks volumes for any audio or video ‘caster:

First, let me say that I really enjoy the content on your RSS feed and have both learned a lot and enjoyed myself greatly listening to the Chris Pirillo show. I usually listen to your show on my iRiver or on my Nokia mp3 phone (6133a if you are curious). Nonetheless I looked at the shows from today and see that the MP3 format I know and love is no longer included. Is there a separate feed I should use? Or (and please say no) is this format been no longer syndicated. This would be mean great sadness to me if it were true and I definitely hope you can help me with this simple matter as your show is one of few that I don’t miss an episode of. Thanks again, not only for any help you can be on this matter, but for your show.

First, let me explain to everyone that we have been producing videos with the full knowledge that some people are only interested in listening to our discussions - which is the prime reason I don’t do a lot of up-close shots in general (instead, choosing to refer to the screen). I treat the video segments like I’m in a “radio” studio - so the value of the video is in my presence as well as the live chat scroll. Little value is lost with audio-only delivery and subscription - which, by the way, has a completely separate feed (for MP3, as opposed to the regular show feed which is for iPod/PSP-compatible MP4 video).

I think it is crazy for all podcasts not to be available as an mp3 (audio only) format. I can’t tell you how many video podcasts I listen to that I’ve never even seen. I understand that some things might go over my head because of certain visual cues missing, but I usually find that the shows I enjoy are compelling enough even if I don’t see the video, such as yours. Why don’t people get that mp3’s are still king and that most people could be more likely listen than to sit watch. I’ve always felt this is true and thought that video podcasts who do not release an audio only format (Rocketboom, Scoble, Geekbrief, Ask a Ninja, Tikibar etc…) are missing out on a big audience by doing so. Learn from Diggnation, The Chris Pirillo Show, and from the CNN/FOX/MSNBC channels on my satellite radio in my car. Hell, even Howard Stern had a TV show at one point and yet the Audio version of the same content is what consumers were ultimately hooked on. Most of the time, the audio is good enough if the content is good to begin with.

Heh. He gets it - he understands what we’ve been doing and how we’ve been doing it, even though I’ve never gone through and actually explained the method to my madness. People who consume podcasts while driving can still enjoy our productions - and enjoy them on a completely different level if they choose to watch the archives later.

Moral of the story? Don’t let the medium destroy your message and alienate your audience.

What is love / Oh baby, don’t hurt me / Don’t hurt me no more / Oh, baby don’t hurt me / Don’t hurt me no more

Oh, I don’t know why you’re not there / I give you my love, but you don’t care / So what is right and what is wrong / Gimme a sign

What is love / Oh baby, don’t hurt me / Don’t hurt me no more / What is love / Oh baby, don’t hurt me / Don’t hurt me no more

I’m not sure about this one. Could either be tied into the Windows sound event process or the audio driver’s limitations?

My name is Chris Proctor. I’ve never written before, but I have a feeling you might be able to answer a question I have concerning system sounds on Windows Vista. I know about your digital wisdom from TechTV (the only thing I really don’t like about G4TV is that they dropped all the TechTV stuff after they bought it), and have seen a few of your web videos, so I’m confident you can help in some way or another. Don’t worry, my question is relatively a very small issue.

OK, I’ll try to stop rambling and cut to the chase here. Basically, I can’t get Vista to play a few sounds in a custom sound theme I’ve made. See, what I’ve done is I’ve created a theme that consists of all custom sound effects, all video game sound effects to be exact (yeah, how dorky is that?). And, for the “grand finale” of this theme, I’ve built 2 custom sound clips. I’ve built a medley of short video game tunes for the start-up sound, and a similar medley for shutdown. The start-up medley runs about 1 minute 40 seconds, and the shutdown medley runs about 1 minute 55 seconds. Before I built these 2 sound clips, I had other sounds for start-up and shutdown which worked perfectly. The start-up tune was 12 or 13 seconds long, while the shutdown tune was about 6.

It’s my guess that Vista has some sort of time restraint for the sounds that I don’t know about. Do you know if there are? And, if there turns out to be no time restraint, do you have any idea why Vista suddenly doesn’t want to play these sounds when I ask it to? It’ll play all others in the theme just like it should, and the 2 big sound clips will play in Windows Media Player, WinAmp, and even when I press the play button in the sound theme dialog box. But, it just doesn’t want to play them at the times they’re instructed to. Any ideas?

I know this may seem like a trivial thing in the face of the horror that is Vista, but damn it, I built this from scratch and I just want it to work. It’s a little pet project that’s been black flagged on the last lap and I need a little help. I greatly appreciate any such help you can provide. Thanks for your time.

UPDATE: I was hoping someone from Microsoft would pick up on this issue and continue the discussion. Silly me forgot to ping Larry about it! No matter, he’s come up with quite a comprehensive report on why Windows shutdown sounds work the way they do…

In between getting rickrolled by Ben Gold (ricktroll?), the chat roomer “hellkine” passed along a rather interesting remix. I’m getting to the point of fearing what will be on the other end of any YouTube URL, but this one turned out to be generally interesting. If you thought the Windows XP startup sound sounded anything but seriously spectacular, maybe you’re not really listening?

Rather, maybe you were waiting for a better interpretation of the theme? I’m almost tempted to extract the music from the following videos and save them as MP3s (for posterity).

Could you have done this any better?

“vbognot626″ (Vince) one-upped “hellkine” almost immediately thereafter with a link to this inspired interlude:

I wonder if either of those tunes were created on Windows?

I’ve long believed that the future of media playback on the desktop (or mobile device) would ultimately pass through Flash. Why there hasn’t been a truly universal, codec-neutral media player released for any operating system is beyond me. Lockergnome reader Anthony Baker submitted the following, in respect to the future of the Windows Media Player:

From what I can gather, there are high playback error rates with WMP (around 10%) that aren’t found during Flash playback (drops to 1%). Doesn’t seam like the problem is with the Windows Media codec for video itself, but the player. Methinks that Silverlight will be the answer to this, as they get around a lot of the playback problems in inherent in the current versions of the WMP. You get the video quality (which is, frankly, very good for streaming video) and a good playback.

The problem, of course, is that Silverlight doesn’t yet have the kind of adoption rate you need to formally ditch WMP for WMV playback, so they’re either stuck with what they’ve got, or they go Flash. As I recall, with the new version of MSN Video, playback has gone ALL Flash for the time being — specifically because of the great kind of playback performance they’re getting with Flash Video.

I’m fully expecting there to be an iPhone firmware update in the next few months that will include a Flash player with it. In related news, I just had the sucker “black screen” on me while I was trying to set up voicemail. Had I not been streaming live, nobody else would have heard how it was bungling my custom greeting recordings. Media is still in the dark ages, my friends.

Via “Ice Ardor” in our live chat room:

About five years ago I made the switch from Windows Media Player to MusicMatch Jukebox Plus. I made the switch because WMP refuses to play mp3 files without slaughtering the quality, because Microsoft wants you to use their proprietary wma (DRM-able) format. WMP’s codec is pretty horrible, so the audio quality wasn’t great.

Anyways, I’ve been on MusicMatch Jukebox Plus because the software came for free with a Cassio my dad bought a decade ago. I’ve got great ripping and burning speeds with my 48x drive–some CD’s I exceed 30x ripping speed, and burning is pretty fast as well. Unfortunately, MMJB has ceased production since it was purchased by Yahoo!. It’s got a few bugs in it that make it crash about twice a month, it runs a little sluggishly sometimes, and takes forever to load. Now Yahoo! is phasing it out and introducing their new Yahoo! Music Jukebox, which in comparison doesn’t have a fourth the features that MMJB Plus had. I’ve been looking at the List of Media Players on Wikipedia, but haven’t really chosen a new media player to switch to, yet.

I don’t like the look of Winamp (and I’ve had a negative view on Winamp because it’s owned by AOL/Time Warner), but I don’t feel comfortable moving back to WMP because all of my music is in mp3 format, not wma. Furthermore, ever since Microsoft started to move its products towards Vista, the user has lost a lot of control and customizability. There’s features that I know existed in WMP10 that I can’t find in WMP11.

Is there any way that I can replace WMP’s mp3 codec? Do you have any suggestions for a media player that I should try? What media player do you use?

For the first time ever, Gnomedex will have a live video stream of on-stage events - something I’ve wanted to offer from the very beginning of the event series (which started seven years ago). Ustream has opened up personal communications and professional business models, taking them each a step further by helping push our conference experience to the connected world in real-time. They will be set up on a dedicated line, much like we had done for the audio stream in years past. There will be no need for anybody else to stream the event.

Not only will the video stream be live (passed through my own account in conjunction with the community), but through the magic of Ustream’s infrastructure, each session will be uploaded to our various online video network accounts almost immediately after it’s been recorded. So, even if you’re unable to experience the magic of Gnomedex live - you can catch it before the energy and buzz dissipate. Indeed, it will be nice to review and share the sessions with friends - long before and after the conference comes to a close.

Much like our live videos are produced with Ustream today, each segment will have our live chat and sponsor logos integrated throughout. You’ll have the opportunity to be a part of the videos, whether you’re chatting from the Gnomedex auditorium or from a remote location. I’m sure this won’t keep backchannels from popping up here and there, but at least we’ve given everybody a chance to be a part of our Gnomedex family.

But don’t thank Ponzi or myself - thank Ustream.

Ryan Stroup asked me for the best way to sync audio and video sources:

I had a question for you about syncing audio and video. I haven’t seen you talk about this yet so I thought it would be a good question to ask. I would like to start using an external mixer for audio rather than the internal mic on my miniDV camera. High end cameras have audio inputs available but that is outside of my budget. My mixer is connected to the computer’s Line-In port on the sound card so I can record audio from the mixer directly to the PC. I’ve decided what I can do is record the audio using Audacity while I’m recording video on the camera. Okay, FINALLY to the question. In your opinion, what is the best way to sync the audio I just recorded in Audacity with the video?

So, I asked Jake about it:

Old school is the way to go - something like a clap board or a hand clap on screen, so that you sync the sound to the recorded movement. From there, leave the camera rolling and there should be no problem getting sync sound in post.

My problem is that once I start clapping, I can’t stop. In fact, I’m clapping right now - which really makes it difficult to finish this sentence.

Now here’s a new service that’ll come in handy for would-be soundboard creators…

Soundsnap is a new online platform for finding and sharing free samples, sound effects and music loops. Designed as a resource and community for musicians, sound designers, producers, film makers and web/video game developers, Soundsnap provides user driven content for use in virtually any kind of media production. Users can freely download and upload content to be legally shared and used in any media project.

Indeed, I jumped right in and found what it was I was looking (read: hearing) for. Not sure if I’d consider it a platform, but it’s certainly chock-full of sound effects.

Soundsnap launches with 30,000 available free sounds ranging ‘from high quality music loops and music samples, sound effects such as animals, industrial, nature, sports, and human, to sound design, sound art, comic, unreal, and science fiction. Visitors can search for sounds by keyword searching or browsing by category, user/creator, or tags, which are user generated keywords used to place sounds into categories.

It’s definitely worth remembering - although I’m surprised that more people aren’t talking about it yet?

1. It rains a lot in Seattle - no phone is worth getting pruned over.
2. I don’t need to give people another reason to beat me up.
3. Despite the Apple brand, I’m confident iPhone 2.0 will be more my cup of tea.
4. Going from 3G to Edge is like going from DSL to dial-up.
5. Can’t replace the battery? Is that a feature?
6. I’d rather find a sponsor for it (and the plan), instead.
7. Buyer’s remorse will set in after bragging rights are no longer valid.
8. Still unclear on Windows / Outlook integration.
9. Do I really need to make Steve Jobs any richer than he already is?
10. Do I really need to give AT&T any more of my money?

    

11. I’m already sick of the hype.
12. My current mobile device (a Blackjack) is working just fine for me.
13. My current iPod isn’t broken yet.
14. I’ve tried touch-screen phones before and hated the experience.
15. I’m afraid of dropping something worth more than my TV set.
16. No support for the SlingBox yet.
17. Unsure of the iPhone media recording experience at this point.
18. There’s no iTunes content subscription service yet.
19. Waiting to see how many Apple fanatics return theirs.
20. Why should I? Seriously, WHY?!

I’m thrilled witless - making #1 Guru on YouTube today without having been featured anywhere significant within the network. Everything is going according to a loosely-structured plan, and things are only getting better with every passing day. While anybody is free to set up an account, we’ve been specifically invited to MetaCafe, LiveVideo, and a few other video verticals - all because of our production workflow, inherent community value, and forward-thinking sponsorship strategies.

Marshall is starting to put two and two together, too. He submitted a video voicemail via Eyejot - and I thought it was a good enough question to dive further into (although OPML is anything but a simple subject for people who are still trying to wrap their heads around the Back button in their browser). No matter, here’s how it came out:

A few hours ago, I received an odd notification in my brand search folder. Some site was referencing my YouTube video, but… here’s the text, which seemed to be a machine translation of the video’s audio…
(more…)