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National Library Service Plans Next-Gen Audiobooks
The New York Times (as carried here by CNET, registration-free) is reporting on what seems like an overdue update planned by the adminstrators of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which -- thanks to a copyright exemption -- can provide audiobooks without paying royalties. The Library Service will switch from 4-track tape players to audio devices based on flash memory. The article does not mention what sort of codec might be chosen, but does mention a couple of reasons (fragility, and diffculty for use by the blind) to not simply use CDs bearing some compressed audio format. The amount of listenable audio that can be squeezed into readily available pocket-sized storage these days is incredible, at least if you consider listenable things like the 32kbps recordings of old radio shows that the Sherlock Holmes Society of London makes available. (I wonder why small hard drives weren't chosen, though; they seem to bear up pretty well.)
Whatever format is chosen, it had better withstand the test of time. I'm sure solid state storage or something else suitable can make the data survive for a long time, but will the secret to decoding the data be buried along with the company that championed it? Seems to me that there would be a major advantage to sticking to pure PCM WAV or AU, maybe Ogg Vorbis / FLAC... the point being, there's no way the data should be put into RealAudio format or something proprietary like that.
Feel the CD's case, once the case is open you know how the disc lies there (label up, data surface down). Pick up the CD and go to the CD player. Provided the CD player is itself in a predictable orientation, you will have no probles putting the CD in the player with the correct orientation.
Why not just get them all iPods?
Can an iPod do talking menus or run an audio feedback UI?
Da Blog
I work for an open channel radio reading service for the blind and print impaired. We are limited to making four copies of a reading in order to maintain our copyright exemption.
Most radio reading services are closed channel on a sub carrier, and the listeners have to be provided with specialized gear to pick up the signal. These radios are free, but they must be physician-authorized. Some services also stream via the internet, but the sites are password protected.
I presume that talking libraries are limited to the number of copies they may distribute, as well. The current four track casette accomplishes two things: 1) maximize media storage 2)prevent ready distribution to non-vision impaired persons.
A proprietary audio file format is just an extension of the closed formats of sub-carrier frequencies and four-track casettes. Government will most likely subsidize hardware cost for playback devices, or codecs, as it does already with the special radios and tape decks.
The main goal is to prevent casual piracy in order to maintain this copyright exemption for the benefit of the vision impaired.
On a side note, I wish companies would begin releasing entire books on a single MP3 cd, but I guess they want to put as many steps in the chain to discourage casual pirates.
- "I found the tapes frustrating at times," Terri Uttermohlen said. "The sound quality isn't consistent. And I also found myself getting all excited at the end of side four but forgetting where I set down the box containing side five."
- From the article.
I don't know why they don't make MP3s and burn them to CD-R, that's cheaper than flash media, and you can get an MP3-CD player for less than a flash player, but they often don't have fast-forward.