Maybe I’m just too old (or not enough of a gamer), but I’ve never used Discord for screen sharing or voice chat. It’s basically my current ICQ.
Comment on Discord heightens ad focus by introducing video ads to mobile apps in June - Ars Technica
TehPers@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
Discord comes with other issues, but I would be fine with services offering an ad-supported free tier and an ad-free paid tier. That’s been a thing for a while. If Nitro gets rid of these ads, then that seems like a possibly sustainable approach to me.
Of course, this is ignoring Discord’s other issues, like their handling of user data. I’d love a service like Discord that was fully e2ee, even if it had an ad-supported free tier (without tracking) and a paid ad-free tier. Existing alternatives often lack some Discord features, like screen sharing and voice chats.
Powderhorn@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
Mac@mander.xyz 4 weeks ago
Discord’s call quality is 100x better than a phone call, btw.
millie@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
More reliable too, honestly. Plus the video streaming is indispensable. Honestly, discord voice chat is a big part of the reason I haven’t made a serious attempt to use Matrix for much if anything. The lack of push to talk is a deal breaker. Also like, none of my friends are there.
princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 weeks ago
Maybe if you pay for Nitro. Without it, the standard call quality is only 96kbps. Meanwhile VoLTE/VoNR and HD Voice have made mobile phone calls typically equal or higher quality. If you only ever call corporate/business/government services, those are typically still narrowband though, so you’re not going to notice.
millie@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
It depends on whether the server you’re on is boosted, also. But even a standard voice server is better quality than a phone. Phones may technically be able to play audio with a higher bitrate, but that’s limited by both cell service and speaker quality.
Powderhorn@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
I remember when standard mp3 quality – these are pre-Napster days – was 112kbps. Honestly, 96 is sufficient for a voice call, especially for those of us who remember landline quality.
Mac@mander.xyz 4 weeks ago
I dont.
I don’t care what calls can do. What they regularly do for me is sound like shit.
TehPers@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
The last thing I want to do with complete strangers is give them my phone number lol. Aside from obvious privacy concerns and call quality concerns, Discord is internet-based, so I don’t need cell service or international calling to talk to people.
Screen sharing during voice calls is super helpful as well. It’s a pretty major feature of Discord, Teams, and I believe Skype (RIP), but Teams is not really any better than Discord and a lot more bloated.
Powderhorn@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
International calls are what Signal is for!
TheRtRevKaiser@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
or not enough of a gamer
Yeah, Discord’s easy/free voice chat was the reason it got so popular. It was so much easier to use than any of the alternatives, and in-game VC was a mixture of piss-poor quality and full of toxic 14 year olds.
Nighed@feddit.uk 4 weeks ago
Their problem is probably that they actually took too long to monetise it.
Before Discord, groups were often paying for hosted team speak, ventrillo or mumble servers. Then almond came discord with it’s VC money and did what they did and more for free. Now most people probably are not willing to pay for what used to be a paid service.
Midnitte@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
That’s the silicon valley way though, get people hooked, then monetize.
Where are must people going to go, back to teams teamspeak? Nope, most are going nowhere, just like most users didn’t leave reddit.