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Podcatcher program of choice

ColdguyColdguy
edited September 2008 in Technology
Just wanted to know what you all thought, I was tempted to get a mp3 player that isn't the iPod and wanted to know what would be the best program to download podcasts from? I would leave in the computer at night when I sleep so I was hoping it be something that would go out and automatically download the latest episode when it became available. Any ideas besides iTunes?
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Comments

  • SailSail
    BashPodder
  • Josh BytesJosh Bytes
    I've tried a lot different ones the last one I used was FeedReader. It's not just a podcatcher it's also an RSS. The interface is clean it's very easy to use. Now I just use iTunes. I still like Feedreader. But since I own an iPod, using iTunes saves me time and it's just more convenient.
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    I just use Winamp.
  • ThirdWorldManThirdWorldMan
    direct download.
  • ......
    BashPodder and manual download through Google Reader.
  • BronzdragonBronzdragon
    I used to use Juice (formally known as 'podcatcher' I believe) but it didn't work on vista, so I switched to iTunes. You can use iTunes just fine as a podcatcher. It downloads non-DRM mp3's to a directory. you just can't sync it with iTunes.
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    iTunes. That is all I need.
  • JohnUJohnU
    Any ideas besides iTunes?
    I use Amarok in linux and I think it is being ported to Windows so that might be an option for you.
  • ColdguyColdguy
    Anyone tried songbird? I have heard mixed things about it and it does what I am looking for.
  • JakdJakd
    I just use Google Reader now, will give BashPodder a look though.
  • AprecheApreche
    It's sad but true. If you are looking to listen on a portable device, the iPod/iTunes combination is still unbeatable. There are basic features they have that other people still have not implemented. I can start listening to a podcast, and pause it. Then after I sync with iTunes, it will play on my computer from where I left off. Oh, it works in reverse also. Nothing else can compete with that, so far.

    If there were actually a decent open source portable media player with wifi, we could beat the iPod/iTunes combo. Too bad there isn't.

    If you are just watching/listening on your computer, you can use any podcatcher. They're all the same for that purpose.
  • ......
    It's sad but true. If you are looking to listen on a portable device, the iPod/iTunes combination is still unbeatable. There are basic features they have that other people still have not implemented. I can start listening to a podcast, and pause it. Then after I sync with iTunes, it will play on my computer from where I left off. Oh, it works in reverse also. Nothing else can compete with that, so far.
    I never set that up. Purely because I hate iTunes and never have, and prolly never will, use it for podcast grabbing. I don't remember correctly anymore, but under the standard iPod firmware, you cannot stop halfway in a song, turn off the iPod and then resume where you left off before after turning it back on, no? I mean, you have to start from the start again. Or has it been too long ago for me to remember its features properly?
  • AprecheApreche
    but under the standard iPod firmware, you cannot stop halfway in a song, turn off the iPod and then resume where you left off before after turning it back on, no? I mean, you have to start from the start again. Or has it been too long ago for me to remember its features properly?
    I've been able to start and stop in the middle of video and audio podcasts ever since the iPod mini. I've never seen another player in my life that does it, the iPod is the only one.
  • ......
    but under the standard iPod firmware, you cannot stop halfway in a song, turn off the iPod and then resume where you left off before after turning it back on, no? I mean, you have to start from the start again. Or has it been too long ago for me to remember its features properly?
    I've been able to start and stop in the middle of video and audio podcasts ever since the iPod mini. I've never seen another player in my life that does it, the iPod is the only one.
    Okay, then the original iPod software and Rockbox both can do that. Bottom line: Best feature ever.
  • DaveDave
    I've been able to start and stop in the middle of video and audio podcasts ever since the iPod mini. I've never seen another player in my life that does it, the iPod is the only one.
    Maybe there's some complex definition I'm missing here, but I've never had a player that DIDN'T let me do that. Even the crap $30 sansa I had to use for awhile would resume wherever I left off when I turned it back on.
  • VhdbloodVhdblood
    It's sad but true. If you are looking to listen on a portable device, the iPod/iTunes combination is still unbeatable. There are basic features they have that other people still have not implemented. I can start listening to a podcast, and pause it. Then after I sync with iTunes, it will play on my computer from where I left off. Oh, it works in reverse also. Nothing else can compete with that, so far.

    If there were actually a decent open source portable media player with wifi, we could beat the iPod/iTunes combo. Too bad there isn't.

    If you are just watching/listening on your computer, you can use any podcatcher. They're all the same for that purpose.
    The Zune software does this just as well as far as I'm concerned. I used to use iTunes for podcatching, but when I got my Zune, I switched to the Zune software and there was no noticeable difference.
    I've been able to start and stop in the middle of video and audio podcasts ever since the iPod mini. I've never seen another player in my life that does it, the iPod is the only one.
    Maybe there's some complex definition I'm missing here, but I've never had a player that DIDN'T let me do that. Even the crap $30 sansa I had to use for awhile would resume wherever I left off when I turned it back on.
    My Zune does this also. I don't really think that this is special.
  • ......
    edited September 2008
    Nine has the status ailments: 'sleepy' and 'cold'. Give two paracetamol + water + sleep?
    Post edited by ... on
  • VhdbloodVhdblood
    edited September 2008
    My Zune does this also. I don't really think that this is special.
    Maybe there's some complex definition I'm missing here, but I've never had a player that DIDN'T let me do that. Even the crap $30 sansa I had to use for awhile would resume wherever I left off when I turned it back on.
    Not important. My question was to know if the iPods did it too, since I could no longer recall if they did or not. This in light of one being able to stop halfway through a podcast in iTunes, sync the iPod, and then just continue listening to the podcast where one left off in the iPods podcast menu item. This caused me to think that possibly this wasn't the case with normal songs/podcasts synced as songs, not podcasts. I got my answer, so further discussion is useless.
    I was responding to Scott's comment on the fact that he's never seen another player that can do this. I fully realized that your issue had been resolved, and I'm fairly certain Dave did too.
    Post edited by Vhdblood on
  • ColdguyColdguy
    Do you think Zunes are better then iPods?
  • ......
    I was responding to Scott's comment on the fact that he's never seen another player that can do this. I fully realized that your issue had been resolved, and I'm fairly certain Dave did too.
    Oh doh, yes my bad, I missed that. I was still thinking that said entire quote was related to my question, it was not.
  • ThemistakenoneThemistakenone
    My PSP, or direct download.
  • VhdbloodVhdblood
    edited September 2008
    Do you think Zunes are better then iPods?
    I'm not really sure, as I haven't had a whole lot of time with an iPod, but I love my Zune. I went for an 80gb, so it's got a little touchpad scrolling system unlike the 30gb ones, and that adds to it for me. It's never frozen on me, unlike quite a few of my friends' iPods.

    Also, Microsoft's Zune tech support is amazing. I got premium headphones with mine that are basically inner-ear earbuds. They sound amazing, but the left one went down to about a quarter volume, and it was driving me crazy, so I called Zune tech support, gave them my Zune serial number, and got a new pair shipped in less than a week. I didn't even have to send the old pair back.

    All-in-all, I've had only good experiences with it, and it seems Microsoft is only trying to make them better. With the recent update to 3.0, even the old 1st generation devices have wireless marketplace downloads and games.

    In the end, I think it's personal preference, but I vote for Zune.
    Post edited by Vhdblood on
  • AprecheApreche
    It's not just the pausing and remembering where you left off. It's the ability to sync to the computer, and when you play on the computer it will pick up where you left off. You can also start listening on the computer, then sync to the player, and it will remember.

    I can start listening to a podcast on my PC when I wake up, then when I leave the house and get in the car, the iPhone will pick up from where I left off. It works both ways
  • AtheriShadowAtheriShadow
    I used to direct download everything. I eventually got an iPod, and iTunes was obviously the best choice after that. I had to direct download before that because I had an old Rio player for which the sync software seemed to be useless and tacked on, and it didn't cooperate with any podcatchers I tried.
  • ErynEryn
    edited September 2008
    Don't forget that iTunes/iPod will remember your place in every single one of your podcasts, not just one at a time. Say, if you start out listening to one podcast, then switch to another podcast before the first one finishes, then switch to listening to music before the second one finishes, and then eventually go back to the first podcast, it will still remember where you left off in that first podcast. Same goes for the second podcast.

    This feature is very useful for me, since I switch podcast episodes fairly often. I'll be listening to Dave and Joel on my commute, then switch to GeekNights upon getting to work (since GeekNights is practically the only podcast I can hear clearly on my iPod speaker over the noise levels at work); on the way home, maybe I'll be in the mood for some AWO, and won't get back to Dave and Joel 'til later that night. Without the memory feature, it would be a huge pain to have to manually find my place in every one of those podcasts each time I switched over.
    Post edited by Eryn on
  • ColdguyColdguy
    So it is looking like direct download with a handy RSS feed will do the trick. Thanks for all your input, now the question remains which is the best player for them? iPod? Zune? Something else?
  • AprecheApreche
    So it is looking like direct download with a handy RSS feed will do the trick. Thanks for all your input, now the question remains which is the best player for them? iPod? Zune? Something else?
    Player doesn't matter. mp3s sound the same wherever. The listening experience is pretty much the same no matter what you use. It's all about the acquisition and management.
  • DkongDkong
    Google Reader + right click > save as

    Works wonders.
  • CHOIS CHOIS CHOISCHOIS CHOIS CHOIS
    iTunes, it just fucking works.
  • NeitoNeito
    So it is looking like direct download with a handy RSS feed will do the trick. Thanks for all your input, now the question remains which is the best player for them? iPod? Zune? Something else?
    If you really, really like the features of the iPod, get an iPod. Otherwise, a Sansa will do you well, I think. Basically, just stay away from the $40 convenience store MP3 players. Anything between that and an iPod is pretty much the same.
    However, make sure it has a genre sort. That lets you make a playlist of all your podcasts in just a single option.
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