the take
Ethan supposedly bought a $20,000 broadcast button that's supposed to cut the sound and video and throw up a technical difficulties screen. then he used it on stream, talked about some of the people on his own podcast, and it didn't work. they could all still hear him. his reaction, fuck, why did i spend $20,000, is honestly the most relatable thing in the whole saga. also we watched a clip where he was shirtless and we have questions.
this is the hosts' commentary and speculation for entertainment, not a statement of fact about anyone in it.
the backstory
The H3 Podcast has used a livestream kill switch that fans call The Button since March 2023. It's a broadcast delay unit that reportedly cost about $20,000: it keeps the stream roughly 30 seconds behind, so Ethan or a producer can wipe what was just said before it airs. Every time it gets hit, fan-made art plays while the stream is blanked.
It hasn't always caught everything. In an August 2024 episode, clips spread on Reddit of a moment where audio that was supposed to be blocked went out anyway. Which specific stream the clip in this video is about is our read of what's going around, not something we've confirmed.
where it's from
more podcasts & creators 🎙️more h3 podcast🎙️ full episode: ep 5🎥 the h3 situation
transcript
auto-transcribed from the clip audio. speakers aren't labeled and there may be small errors.
- 0:00Ethan supposedly bought this $20,000 button.
- 0:04It's like a broadcast button that's supposed to cut out the sound and video, and it just goes to, like, a, you know, technical difficulties type thing.
- 0:10But he used it on stream and was talking about some of the people on the podcast, but it didn't work.
- 0:16Like, they could still hear him, and he's like, fuck. Like, why, why did I spend twenty thousand dollars?
- 0:22I just watched a clip and he was shirtless, and I was like, what are you doing?
- 0:26He looks like such a loser.
faq
- What is the H3 Podcast button?
- A broadcast delay kill switch the show bought in March 2023 for about $20,000. It keeps the livestream about 30 seconds behind so the crew can cut something before it airs.
- Has the H3 button ever failed?
- Yes. In August 2024, clips circulated of an episode where audio that was supposed to be blocked still made it onto the stream.
