Teamspeak 3 Interview

[triggerpappy]

I am interviewing the folks at teamspeak next week about TS3. I was wondering if you guys had any questions I should ask em?
What are some features you guys would like to see in a VOIP program? How do you think TS3 compares feature and quality wise with vent, mumble, etc

Update: Interview is now up
http://www.fragworld.org/frag/interviews/interview-with-teamspeak-3.html

Thanks

 

[Ben90]

Ive use TS2/TS3/Vent/Mumble, and my personal favorite is mumble by far. With TS3 coming in second. Vent is just bad, I hate how popular it is. And TS2 is absolute crap (even worse than vent).

The feature that keeps my on Mumble is how low you can set the latency on the CELT codec. TS3 can use the CELT codec as well, but to my knowledge you cannot adjust the buffer size on it. When you are comparing just audio performance Mumble wins hands down, no contest. TS3 could catch up if they allowed changing the buffer sizes on the audio packets. (Please note I have actually never run a TS3 server so I don't know 100% if you can change or not, if you can change it to match Mumble, I might actually like TS3 more)

Now the GUI can go either way. Personally I hate how cluttered TS3 is compared to Mumble/Vent, but some people may like having ranks on their server. Personally to me I don't give a shit if someone is titled "Admiral Captain Server Admin Rank 54545" I just want to talk to the guy. Maybe some clans might like this, but I feel its unnecessary on a VOIP client.

The settings menu on the other hand is terrible in my opinion. Its just set up terribly, here have a look:

I'm not saying Mumbles is perfect, but its a hell of a lot cleaner. I think they need to reorganize the tabs to this:
General
GUI
Audio Input
Audio Output
Notifications
Shortcuts/Hotkeys

I know they don't want to hear this, but they need an overhaul on the GUI, its just confusing as shit to find stuff. I don't need to see what operating system someone is using, if I want to know ill just ask them. The whole thing is just a mess IMHO.

I absolutely love the FTP feature of TS3!!! Its really really really really amazing. Definitely makes TS3 stand out from the others IMO.

I know it sounds like I'm bashing the crap out of TS3, but understand I think it has potential, which is why I'm doing this. I know Mumble will never become popular because it doesn't have all those unnecessary flashy lights the other VOIP programs have, but if they could just clean up the UI and allow dynamic codec buffering I would imagine it would be the best VOIP client.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

well that's certainly YOUR opinion

in MY opinion, TS3's GUI is much better than Mumble's, and from my testing the latency difference of TS3 is just as good as Mumble's, at worst its negligible.

And as far as user friendliness? Sorry, but mumble is easily among the worst to get setup properly (particularly for those who do voice activation, push-to-talk is for nubs). TS3 is far and away the easiest to get setup and is also now the hands-down best audio quality.

Really the only reason I use mumble is because its almost as good and its cheaper to get servers for (most game servers I've come across will basically give away mumble servers for free)

And as far as popularity goes, from my experience Mumble is quickly becoming the most popular program amongst the more competitive-oriented communities, and it definitely has to do with cost. Vent is just a relic and quickly being phased out as Mumble and TS3 both sound and perform much better, as well as have more features.

If TS3 wants to better compete with Mumble, it will either need to become cheaper (at least for smaller servers), and/or offer more features that Mumble cannot match.

 

[simonizor]

Ive use TS2/TS3/Vent/Mumble, and my personal favorite is mumble by far. With TS3 coming in second. Vent is just bad, I hate how popular it is. And TS2 is absolute crap (even worse than vent).

The feature that keeps my on Mumble is how low you can set the latency on the CELT codec. TS3 can use the CELT codec as well, but to my knowledge you cannot adjust the buffer size on it. When you are comparing just audio performance Mumble wins hands down, no contest. TS3 could catch up if they allowed changing the buffer sizes on the audio packets. (Please note I have actually never run a TS3 server so I don't know 100% if you can change or not, if you can change it to match Mumble, I might actually like TS3 more)
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/5404/44475114.png[/img

Now the GUI can go either way. Personally I hate how cluttered TS3 is compared to Mumble/Vent, but some people may like having ranks on their server. Personally to me I don't give a shit if someone is titled "Admiral Captain Server Admin Rank 54545" I just want to talk to the guy. Maybe some clans might like this, but I feel its unnecessary on a VOIP client.

The settings menu on the other hand is terrible in my opinion. Its just set up terribly, here have a look:
[img]http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2569/capturenu.png[/img

I'm not saying Mumbles is perfect, but its a hell of a lot cleaner. I think they need to reorganize the tabs to this:
General
GUI
Audio Input
Audio Output
Notifications
Shortcuts/Hotkeys

I know they don't want to hear this, but they need an overhaul on the GUI, its just confusing as shit to find stuff. I don't need to see what operating system someone is using, if I want to know ill just ask them. The whole thing is just a mess IMHO.

I absolutely love the FTP feature of TS3!!! Its really really really really amazing. Definitely makes TS3 stand out from the others IMO.

I know it sounds like I'm bashing the crap out of TS3, but understand I think it has potential, which is why I'm doing this. I know Mumble will never become popular because it doesn't have all those unnecessary flashy lights the other VOIP programs have, but if they could just clean up the UI and allow dynamic codec buffering I would imagine it would be the best VOIP client.[/QUOTE]
You sound like you should be using Skype or something.

Team Speak (and possible Ventrilo) was designed with gaming in mind. It's intended to run in the background while you are gaming, so you don't want it using up a lot of your bandwidth with unnecessary quality boosts. The GUI also isn't all that important because you're not going to be looking at it very much. I think that Team Speak does a great job at it's intended function, which is to provide VOIP to people who are playing online multiplayer games that have no in game VOIP.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

are you being interviewed over teamspeak? that would be sweet.

 

[Aikouka]

I'd be interested to find out what they'd try to do from a business standpoint to overcome their current negative status as the "worst VoIP service" because of TS2. I haven't given TS3 a try yet, but my Vent server is actually expiring next month and it's possible to sway me .

 

[triggerpappy]

are you being interviewed over teamspeak? that would be sweet.

Actually we are doing the interview via phone and skype.
If we have a lot of people we do use TS3 and it has built in recording though skype is better quality and what we typically use for our podcast.

For those that may want to try out TS3 we have a free public TS3 you can use and make private channels in.
if you email us you can get a permanent channel to use.
Connect info "chicago.psybergaming.net" port 9991 no password.

Thanks for the input so far

 

[mrblotto]

Been using TS3 for a while now (in beta form). Likin it so far. Just been searching around for a decent replacement for TeamSpeak overlay.

 

[Fear No Evil]

From an Administrative standpoint I'd like to see them simplify the way they do access. They have this complex system of tokens and access levels which I totally did not understand. I just want a username and password option. It was for myself and some friends, I don't need 256 layers of security.

 

[Ben90]

Well I downloaded and Installed TS3 server to check for latency vs Mumble, and it looks like I may be wrong with the above. It seems that transmission delay is only 10ms more than mumble (1/100thof a second). However I believe the output buffer is set to a higher unchangeable number somewhere around 50ms vs 10ms for mumble making the total latency about 1/20th of a second higher (negligible). Take my 50ms output buffer measurement with a grain of salt as I have no way of testing this aside from a horribly inaccurate listening test. If a code monkey, or someone who knows more about TS3 than I do could correct me it would be appreciated.

Either way 1/20th of a second is pretty negligible for most people so I think latency is a moot point. I still don't like the GUI, but as someone else pointed out, thats just an opinion.

 

[JJChicken]

One thing I don't like about teamspeak (and I haven't used any other program so I don't know if it is an issue with them) is volume regulation: i.e. one friend will be too loud, another will be too soft. It takes AGES to calibrate everyone's devices to be on the same level.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I hate TS, it's always seemed really clunky.

 

[Ben90]

One thing I don't like about teamspeak (and I haven't used any other program so I don't know if it is an issue with them) is volume regulation: i.e. one friend will be too loud, another will be too soft. It takes AGES to calibrate everyone's devices to be on the same level.

Mumble does this already, but I completely agree. This would be an amazing feature to have.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

From an Administrative standpoint I'd like to see them simplify the way they do access. They have this complex system of tokens and access levels which I totally did not understand. I just want a username and password option. It was for myself and some friends, I don't need 256 layers of security.

I'd agree with this assessment as well. I like TS3, but they made it a little too complicated for what the product is.

Also, the devs really pissed a lot of people off with the continued delays and lack of updates on TS3. The product was supposed to go into open beta in spring 2006 IIRC, and then it just disappeared. The "It's done when it's done" mantra isn't the way to win customers.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I'd be interested to find out what they'd try to do from a business standpoint to overcome their current negative status as the "worst VoIP service" because of TS2. I haven't given TS3 a try yet, but my Vent server is actually expiring next month and it's possible to sway me .

TS3 is pretty well done, but as I mentioned in the post above, the devs pissed a lot of loyal customers off with the continual delays and lack of information regarding TS3. The original open beta, IIRC, was supposed to start in spring 2006 (or maybe 2007) and when it didn't materialize, they resorted to the "it's done when it's done" excuse. Developers who resort to that excuse clearly have no clue about customer service and how to retain customers. The "It's free!" argument doesn't float either, as there were many paying customers.

 

[triggerpappy]

Mumble does this already, but I completely agree. This would be an amazing feature to have.

You can control other peoples volume via TS3, mumble and vent just by right clicking on the person and adjusting their individual volume level. Vent also has a volume normalization feature to make everyone the same level.

- Go to Setup
- Enable Direct Sound
- Select the SFX Button
- Select Compressor and click Add.
- Under Compressor Properties use the following settings
- Gain = Adjust for how loud you want people to be. (I use 15)
- Attack = 0.01
- Release = Around 500
- Threshold = Around -30
- Ratio = 100
- Pre delay = 4.0

 

[Anubis]

Vent also has a volume normalization feature to make everyone the same level.

- Go to Setup
- Enable Direct Sound
- Select the SFX Button
- Select Compressor and click Add.
- Under Compressor Properties use the following settings
- Gain = Adjust for how loud you want people to be. (I use 15)
- Attack = 0.01
- Release = Around 500
- Threshold = Around -30
- Ratio = 100
- Pre delay = 4.0

yea and it doesn't work for shit, you still get people who sound like they are speaking through a megaphone and others who sounds like a hummingbird

 

[triggerpappy]

yea and it doesn't work for shit, you still get people who sound like they are speaking through a megaphone and others who sounds like a hummingbird

LoL to be fair lotta guys have shitty headsets and mics or don;t have them set up in windows right. I know mine breaks all the time but I know exactly what you mean.

 

[triggerpappy]

Ok The Interview with Teamspeak is Now Up

http://www.fragworld.org/frag/interviews/interview-with-teamspeak-3.html

We talk about some of the things you guys mention like the GUI and permissions being overly complicated. Check it out and thanks for the input from everyone on this thread.

thanks

 

[guy93]

The real question is, is it better than Mohawk?