Ask X3F: podcasting is hard edition

Ask X3F is back yet again with a fresh installment. This week we talk about voice chat issues, Live Anywhere, and missing Xbox 360s. We also put together some helpful tips for those of you that are thinking about attempting to create a podcast of your own. Just don't go thinking you can take down the award winning Xbox 360 Fancast, okay?

If you've got a question for Ask X3F, send it to: ask [at] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.

Hey guys i have a pretty long question for you, so i might as well get started.

Me and a few friends are making a little indy podcast about non other then, the Xbox 360, we are all interested in it and it feels like it would be fun to express our opinions and discuss things happening in the ever so expanding realm of Gaming.

Now i have some questions about how to get started making a podcast.

1. What should i do about an intro, break and outro song( I like the fancast's intro, how did you make it or where did you get it from?)
2. How should i record the show, we will not be in the same room so this may show to be a problem. (I know about Skype but how would i go about getting everyone into one room and recording it?)
3. When the show is recorded and edited in my program of choice (Windows Movie Maker) how do i get it into a RSS and viewable on iTunes and Zune Marketplace?
4. Last but not least, any comments or helpful tips you would like to add.

Thanks for your time and
congrats on making it over the year hump on the fancast

Sincerely Project
Ekim

PS: My Internet is Ferret approved so no worries there.

Two people actually asked us this question this week, and it's one we've been thinking about answering for a while anyway, so here we go.

1. We got the intro song from PodsafeAudio, a website dedicated to providing Creative Commons music for podcasters. Creative Commons music essentially means that you don't have to worry about infringing copyright because the artists have agreed to let you use the music, though usually you must attribute the artist when using their music. Another great place to find safe music is the Podshow Podsafe Music Netowrk. Both of these sites provide great, legal music. You should know that using copyrighted music can get you into trouble, and the safest thing is to either use your own music or find a source like the two mentioned above.

2. Skype is the answer. Basically, you need to record a Skype conference call. To do this, you'll need a program that can record Skype audio. We recommend Pamela for PC users and Audio Hijack Pro for Mac users. Both programs cost money, but are well worth it. We've tried cheaper solutions and also attempted to rig up free solutions. Cheaper programs don't work as well (in our experience) and trying to do it free winds up being an exercise in frustration.

3. First of all, we would suggest you try Audacity if you haven't already. It's a great (and free) audio editing program. As for RSS, this is actually one of the more difficult parts of podcasting. First you'll need a site that hosts your finished podcast files. If you're using a blogging platform like Wordpress, you should already have an RSS feed. Assuming your using Wordpress, you'd need to create a podcast category, let's call it "podcasts." So, your RSS feed would look something like this: pagename.com/category/podcasts/rss. You'll then have to create a new entry and enclosure for each podcast file you upload. Wordpress will actually do this automatically once you link your MP3 file in a post. Setting up iTunes tags is a bit hairier. You'll either have to have XML ninja skills or use automated tools or services to generate the necessary code tags. Podpress can do that for Wordpress blogs, and services like Feedburner can do the same thing for other blogs.

4. Useful tips? Have a plan for your shows. Type up a general layout of what you plan to discuss so you can keep the conversation moving. Record to a high quality format like WAV or AIFF. They hog a lot of space, but the quality is great, and you can always delete them once you have a finished MP3. Encoding to MP3 should be the last thing you do by the way, as it degrades your audio each time you do so. Get a leveling program (we suggest Levelator) to help even out everyone's volume. And have fun, obviously.

Do you guys, or your connects to Microsoft, have any information on the Xbox Live Anywhere Mobile platform? This has been in the works for years, and there are even pictures of it running on Major Nelson's phone. Engadget did a story on it in May of '06. Is there any new information about this project? Has it been scrapped? Is it still in the works?

Microsoft assures us that they're still "working on it," but that's all we know. We'll keep our eyes open, but we'd guess Live Anywhere won't be showing up anytime soon.

i've been waiting since two weeks before christmas to buy an elite and theyre sold out EVERYWHERE! not a single best buy within 60 miles of me has one.. AND I LIVE IN ORANGE COUNTY! amazon, circuit city, best buy, you name it. sold out. was the black xbox 360 elite a limited edition console that they arent making more of? or will the elite now be white? whats going on? whats with the delay?

We've noticed the shortage as well, and discuss it at length in the latest episode of the Fancast. Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski has been doing some digging and has made some interesting discoveries. He too has seen Best Buy computers that list zero 360s in stock and zero in transit. He later contacted someone high up in the retail scene and got word that "Yes something is up." Our best guess is Microsoft is clearing out the older model 360s in order to make way for the more reliable Falcon models.

Hey guys,

I'm sure you have heard of Microsoft Retail ExpertZone, the program for retail employees that rewards discounts in exchange for passing small quizzes on Microsoft products. They have a variety of Microsoft published games on the rewards list, including Gears of War, Halo 3, PGR4, et cetera. I have noticed that Mass Effect is missing. Do you know if there is a chance of it making it on this list?

Thanks,

Mac (bigmacline)

We haven't the foggiest. Assuming it does show up, you can feel free to pick up a copy for us, though.

After hearing about the ability to change voice privacy settings on the 360 at a system level, my friend and I decided to change our settings to allow voice communication from only people on our friends lists. We then go into play some un-ranked games of Halo 3 and we can't hear each other. What gives? The idea of not having to change my voice settings to mute other players every time I play appealing. Is Halo 3 not respecting the Xbox 360's dashboard voice privacy settings?

Not sure exactly what's going on here, but it we can think of a few things. First of all, certain Halo 3 playlists don't allow you to chat with players at all anyway. Also, remember that Halo 3 uses push-to-talk, so you have to hit the D-pad to initiate chat (you probably know that, but we're covering all the bases here). It's also possible that since chat is designed so everyone can hear you, it mutes you across the board so that non-Friends can't hear you. If anyone has an idea to help Mac, put it in the comments.