HD Voice Brings Crystal Clear Sound to Smartphones Discussion

[Dragan Petric]

Mobile carriers in Europe have begun offering HD Voice service. This greatly improves the quality of phone conversations, but requires wireless networks and phones to be upgraded to support it. It's worth it, says Dragan Petric in his latest column.

Read the full content of this Article: HD Voice Brings Crystal Clear Sound to Smartphones

[DLCPhoto]

Do you know if this will eliminate the digital lag that now occurs with cell phones? I can accept the lower fidelity of the sound quality, if the latency issue could be solved. This is the biggest reason I avoid using my cell phone, in favor of a land line - it seems both parties are constantly talking over each other, and it drives me crazy.

[KSD]

Do you know if this will eliminate the digital lag that now occurs with cell phones? I can accept the lower fidelity of the sound quality, if the latency issue could be solved. This is the biggest reason I avoid using my cell phone, in favor of a land line - it seems both parties are constantly talking over each other, and it drives me crazy.

lag? there shouldn't be any lag....

[DLCPhoto]

It seems that some people are either more easily bothered by the lag I'm referring to, or I guess it may vary from one phone/provider to another, but it's fairly easy to demonstrate what I'm talking about.

Make a cell phone call to someone else's cell phone (or land-line) in the same location where you are. Say something into your cell phone while listening to the phone you're calling. When I do this, there is a definite time lag between when I say something, and when it is heard on the receiving phone. It is definitely not virtually simultaneous, as it is when using landlines (not VOIP) on both ends.

The practical result of this is that people often start saying things on their end, not aware that the other person has just done the same thing, and it interrupts the natural flow of conversation, as each is trying to figure out who should respond next. I almost feel like I have to say "over" after each sentence, to let the other person know when to respond.

Surely I can't be the only one who notices and is bothered by this???

[lelisa13p]

I'm so glad to hear you bring up this issue. I thought that I was perhaps overreacting.

AAMOF, that "talk-over" situation that you've described drives me crazy, too. It's maybe even more annoying when using a landline & speaking with a cellphone user. I'm an odd one in that I've never liked talking on the phone and that omnipresent lag has actually made my distaste worse.

[jigwashere]

That lag issue seems worse for me depending on who I call. I know it's fairly consistent when I call certain people, but not others. It's likely carrier differences, but I've sometimes wondered whether it's differences in devices, too. It's so bad sometimes, it's like talking 1/2 duplex instead of full.

[DLCPhoto]

Well, it appears I'm not crazy...

I did a little googling on latency, voip, network extenders and such, and it appears there is significant variation in how much latency there is, with landlines being almost instantaneous, and cell to cell, voip, etc. creating varying amounts of latency, typically at least 1/4 to 1/3 second, and commonly up to 1/2 second, and occasionally even more.

So my initial question remains - how will this HD technology effect latency? If we're dealing with a more data-rich signal, I fear it might actually make the latency worse!!

[KSD]

there is no way there is a 500ms latecy....most likely its 150-250ms. When i use my cellphone as a modem i get 250ms. some people with 3g get more like 100-150 and some 4g users get 50-80ms....which is impossible to notice....

edit: it wont affect latency either way. just makes sound come through clearer. Honestly i don't unserstand how i get a 250ms with 3g personally but thats crappy AT&T and my crappy nokia

[DLCPhoto]

there is no way there is a 500ms latecy....most likely its 150-250ms. When i use my cellphone as a modem i get 250ms. some people with 3g get more like 100-150 and some 4g users get 50-80ms....which is impossible to notice....

edit: it wont affect latency either way. just makes sound come through clearer. Honestly i don't unserstand how i get a 250ms with 3g personally but thats crappy AT&T and my crappy nokia

I've not done the research and testing myself, but came across this thread at Howard Forums which seems pretty legitimate:

Voice Latency Test Results

These tests measure the time it takes, for sound to enter one device and come out the other device. In other words, the one-way time it takes for your speech to reach your calling party (and vice versa). They say that just 40 or 50ms of latency is the point at which voice delay becomes noticeable.

Here are the results!

land line to Sprint: 149ms
land line to ATT: 162ms
sprint to ATT: 291ms
landline to Google Voice to Sprint: 279ms
landline to VOIP: 326ms
Sprint to VOIP: 450ms
VOIP to GV to Sprint: 750ms

The latency is going to vary significantly with different phones, providers, signals, whether or not VOIP is involved, etc. But the reality is that for many of us, as lelisa13p confirms, it is a very annoying problem that is present and very disruptive of normal voice commmunication.

Different people, and their equipment/service, may or may not have or notice the problem as much as others, but it is definitely an issue.

[KSD]

I've not done the research and testing myself, but came across this thread at Howard Forums which seems pretty legitimate:

Voice Latency Test Results



The latency is going to vary significantly with different phones, providers, signals, whether or not VOIP is involved, etc. But the reality is that for many of us, as lelisa13p confirms, it is a very annoying problem that is present and very disruptive of normal voice commmunication.

Different people, and their equipment/service, may or may not have or notice the problem as much as others, but it is definitely an issue.

found this a couple months ago while searching for info on sprint and stuff.

FPS gaming via phone tether? - Page 3

he shows sprint and verizon getting 110-150ms....I will swear those numbers are far to high

EDIT: just like my att phone gets 250ms or so which is BS because ATT has me bouncing around. When I do a speed test I get all sorts of weird locations. I usually pop up like 1000 miles from my location. In California I pop up in Arizona.....in Chicago I pop up couple states away. In NC i pop up in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and a couple other states.