32 kbps MP3 downloads: useful?

I never use the 32k files but I doubt my habits give much of an indication as to what other people do.

xiaohu, we all agree it is worth the money, but I just think you need to experience a little more of the non-USA world before making claims about what can be done with all other people's budgets.

I find that at 32 kbps the sound quality vs. size trade off becomes not worth it. To me, it sounds like I'm listening to you through a tin can and it's quite distracting. I use 64 kbps which works well for me. Plus my Palm Treo downloads faster them my computer at times so download speed isn't a factor for me.

Dont use it.

The situation might be different in countries that have third world networks, like Oz. Most of my friends still have Internet accounts that only allow 200 megabytes per month, and I still hear about people paying 32 cents per kilobyte (yes kilo-) for all net traffic on their mobile devices. I've used the 32k files and found them a worthwhile tradeoff at times. For Spanish they seem to work better than for Chinese, the pronunciation being somehow more predictable, less subtle. I'll download the 32k manually whenever I must hear something as soon as it's released (in peak net time) instead of waiting until it gets downloaded overnight/morning within my daily period of uncounted downloads, and then I'll keep only the good 64k file for future study. I could quite easily live without them. I can't say the same for other people who have bandwidth that is limited beyond your reasonable imagination.

Hmmm, interesting. They're only going to be less and less useful as time goes by. Already, a 2MB file vs. a 4MB file hardly seems like a big "savings" considering the loss of sound quality. Still, if any of you are in love with the 32 kbps files, we want to know!

I have found that the regular 64 kbps file sizes are okay to save space in my phone. I have a 2 gig card and still have plenty of space left. Being that upgrading to an 8 gig cards isn't that expensive it hardly seems that the 32 kbps files make much sense considering the sharp drop in quality. Besides, I think most people are going to iPhone, or iPod touch, in which case there is so much storage space, the smaller file sizes aren't really an issue.

I never used the 32kbps files, just the 64. I have always wondered if the 128kbps is really that much different when listening to just human voice. I understand for music, but unless you or Jenny starts singing with background music...that'll be the day...I only see 64 worth downloading. Does anyone ever heard that much different between the two? Just my 2分. of course that wasn't the question, but I even question the reason for 128kbps, except for sound-quality die-hards.

I've never used the 32; I have my iPod touch, and I just run everything through iTunes and the ipod.

rich: I don't waste storage space on the 128 kbps files, not because I'm so worried about the storage space, but the improvement in sound quality between the two files is so slight that there is no point in wasting the storage space. Of course originally I wanted the best of the best so I only downloaded the 128 kbps files, but when I started experimenting trying the other files, I discovered there is very little difference. For Chinesepod podcasts 64 seems to be the magic number.

By the way: Is the IPhone CPod-compatible, i.e. does it display Hanzi? It took me forever to get Hanzi on the current Windows-Mobile-5-brick (contract based slavery duration is approaching its end - yippieh!).

I'm thinking... wouldn't ChinesePod have detailed stats on how many people are using the 32 kbps files? Or are those stats skewed by people inadvertantly clicking on the 32 kbps link and not knowing any better. In Canada, cellular data plans are still pretty pricey compared to other parts of the world.. $65/month for 1 GB is about the best you can find right now.. so 32 kbps may be desired by some people, due to cost. Actual download speed isn't really an issue where I am. Anyways, I agree with people about the difference between 64 and 128.. I don't hear one. With CPod's studio equipment, and for an spoken audio podcast, 64 kbps is more than adequate in my opinion...

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Moloch, we do have stats, but we always find it very worthwhile to hear what users have to say, as just one without the other can, at times, be somewhat misleading.

I'm not a Premium subscriber (wish I could be!), but I always use the 64s unless I'm having difficulty hearing the difference between words. Then I download the 128 to see if I can hear it better. I burn the 64s to an audio CD for listening to on the way to work in the car; so far, about 6-7 lessons fit per CD, depending on the lessons. (As for $240 a year being inexpensive - please remember that it's all a matter of perspective. What's inexpensive for some is quite expensive for others.)

user3881: $240 per year ISN'T expensive. Unless you're unemployed, a bum living on the street, or live in a country where the exchange rate is so great that $240 American dollars turns into thousands, you CAN afford $240 dollars per year! Besides, you can always purchase the month to month plan. ;)

It is a little presumptuous to make claims about what others can or cannot afford, or what their circumstances or lifestyles must certainly be if they cannot.

AuntySue: I don't think it's presumptuous at all. If someone says they can't afford $20 dollars per month, it only shows where their spending priorities are. IF a premium membership on Chinesepod is the most important thing to them, the money WILL be there. I'll give you an example. I have a friend who is AWAYS complaining he's broke. At one time I lent him $500 dollars to pay his rent because he was almost 2 months behind. He still owed $3000 on his car payment, which he hadn't made a payment in almost a year, and was constantly getting repossesion threats in the mail from the loan company, and he "couldn't afford" car insurance. (It took him 2 years to finally pay me back the money I loaned to him). Now, this guy ALWAYS seemed to have money to go to Starbucks, ($10 dollars per day, $300 dollars per month for Coffee), to go to restaurants ($30 dollars per day, $900 dollars per month for eating out), to 足浴 3 times per week ($240 per month for massage), to buy CD's ($225 per month for Music) among other things. So once again, we're talking about priorities. His priorities were to his guilty pleasures, and then IF he had money left over he would put it to what was really important. I find the vast majority of people who are always claiming they are broke are just like my friend. In fact, I USED TO BE just like him. I didn't watch what I was spending, going to movies all the time, out to eat, to buy DVD's, Video Games, things I really didn't need. It's amazing one you start cutting back on things like that, how much you don't miss it, and once you really look at how LITTLE THINGS add up fast, it will make your head spin! If someone were to say they don't have enough money for the practice plan...okay I could buy that, because $2,400 per year IS alot of money (however broken down as $200 per month isn't too bad)...BUT $20 DOLLARS PER MONTH? I say once again, $240 dollars per year is NOT alot of money. If $240 at ONE TIME is a bit much to swallow, there is always monthly billing! And besides, it's SO WORTH IT!

Yeah, support the starving ChinesePod staff (who go to coffee houses all the time I hear. ;) Seriously... their work is much more in-depth and time consuming than any Chinese textbook author & publisher has done I don't doubt, textbooks can cost you even $45-$50 (I just bought a book to learn Business Chinese for $55 for a course that lasts only 2 months, and that is just for the book, not my tuition!). You do have to decide what is worth it for you, but also how you can support the work of others that you approve of, and as I agree with xiaohu, one can cutback in some places to find that extra money, and must remember the gain they will receive parting with that money. Yet let's shut up, I don't want them rising prices... ha ha.

Rich: LOL! Right, let's say no more about that! :)

John: By the way, I think the 32 k files would be worth keeping. I think for people on the free accounts there should ONLY be the option to download the 32 k files to provide a marked incentive to upgrade. I honestly thing Chinesepod gives away too much for free, I feel you could sell more memberships if you held back a little more of the real goods. For $240 per year for the full membership (without practice plan) it's so inexpensive and so worth it people should really feel what they're missing if they don't upgrade.