[Mike Walker]

I use both Ipodder and Doppler. Both work equally well. I find Ipodder somewhat simpler (to me). But really, it's just personal choice. I don't consider either "better".

 

[Jahn]

I listen to the ESPN ones and Cinecast. Did I already say this? I wonder if it's TOO illegal to really podcast a radio show using songs - if i recorded one, how would i give royalties to the composers i use? Argh what a pain!

 

[LFC_SL]

lets hope the record companies don't decide its copyright infringement or something like that, or decide they want to charge us all

 

[raisin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vranswer NOT listening. Period. Like my music.

Thank's for letting me know how stulted i've become.

 

[mudlouse]

i spend a lot of time driving, i think putting some podcasts onto the stereo might be a good idea

 

[~Kaotic~]

hmm, Interesting, now I know what to listen to besides music. thanx to all the suggestions.

 

[LFC_SL]

at least you can fast forward thru the inane drivel or what the presenters call "chat" and "funny" together

 

[Kestrel]

Lovely way to take something that has already been going on for years and slap on the iPod name D;

 

[wolfen68]

My brother-in-law recently got into "podcasts" on his ipod. It's his number one interest now and his entire reason for using his ipod. He downloads all manner of stuff and listens constantly (talk shows, indie music, whatever). When I checked his downloads, they were all 64 kbps....not too tempting to me if you're going to listen to some new independent music.

It seems the hype on these has expanded beyond what they really are. Kinda like austonia says...it's just an mp3...no big deal. More importantly (and sadly) this podcast concept doesn't work well for people without a broadband connection...like me

 

[DJGeorgeT]

well PODCASTING is supposed to sound hip, but it is sounds cheesier than cheese. Also when I first heard the term, I thought I needed an Ipod. Thank god I didn't

 

[Fickle-Friend]

Isnt podcasting just a kinda glorified Winamp? Winamp has been doing net radio streams for years!!

 

[jparris1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fickle-Friend Isnt podcasting just a kinda glorified Winamp? Winamp has been doing net radio streams for years!!

iTunes has been doing radio streaming for a long time as well. Podcasting is different. They are not streams. At their heart they are just mp3s of various recorded content, be it music shows, talk shows, entertainment, etc. But what makes it a podcast, as least as far as it was defiend by those championed the term originally, is the combining of the mp3 with a rss feed, so that the appropriate applications could automatically check for updated shows and download them. The new iTunes has just streamlined the process a bit more for iPod users, but any of the podcast capable rss readers can also work fine, and have been for quite some time.

For me it has replaced any need to listen to regular radio. I like On The Media from WNYC for instance. I could download the show from their site, or stream it, or heck just plan to catch it on the radio when it plays. But with their podcast, iTunes checks everyday for a new edition, and when it finds it downloads it to my computer. The next time I sync with my iPod it's there to listen to in my car. Just convenient way to listen to it on my terms at the time I want.

Even if you don't have an iPod or iTunes, I still think podcasts are convenient and useful if you want any content besides music to listen to.

 

[Mike Walker]

Don't slam podcasts just because most are at 64kbps! My podcasts are each an hour. Even with a broadband connection, that's going to take several minutes to download. So the producer (of the podcast) must balance sound quality with the convenience of a fast download. Here's the deal: MP3 files can be "tweaked" in a number of ways by producers who know what they're doing. Think 64kbps audio can't sound good? CLICK HERE! http://www.theproductionroom.net/july7high.mp3

I'm not telling you exactly HOW I tweak the audio, but that is surprisingly good sound for 64kbps, huh? Nope, it's not artifact-free. Neither is radio. But it sure does shatter preconceptions about what lower-bitrate audio in general, and mp3 (being an "old" codec) in particular can sound like. How did I do it? Just as radio stations won't tell you exactly what they use for audio processing, I WILL NOT tell exactly how I prepare my mp3 files...because I humbly submit that they sound better than ANY OTHER 64kbps audio out there!

Yes bitrate has an impact on sound quality. But it's not the be-all and end-all that those who don't work with pro autio often assume it to be! For every perceived limitation, there is a way to mitigate it!

 

[LFC_SL]

Most podcasts I've got seem to be at 64 kbps - surprisingly good quality. Nice and clear. Plus it sounds better than the radio

 

[iDesign]

Curiously the iTunes music store seems to have removed a large number of Podcasts shortly after the launch of iTunes 4.9. The Air America Majority Report was available after the launch of iTunes 4.9 but no longer appears on the site. Has anyone observed this and or have any information about how the Majority Report Radio Podcast may be obtained through iTunes?