GCN SUBSCRIBER PODCAST FAQ

GCN PODCASTING FAQ

What is pod casting?

A pod cast is an audio file (usually MP3s) that are available for downloading online. You can download it to your computer using special software that plays pod casts, or download it to your personal digital audio player (i.e. iPod, iriver, Creative Zen Touch, etc.).

Pod casting is like "radio on demand"-you listen to what you want, when you want to hear it.

Pod casting is a form of audio broadcasting on the Internet. The reason it became linked with the iPod in name was because people download pod casts (audio shows) to listen to on their iPods. However you don't have to listen to pod casts only on iPods; you can use your computer with some music software such as Windows built-in Media Player or Winamp, or other portable music players (iPod competitors) such as Creative Zen or iRiver. It really doesn't matter, as long as you have some way to play music on your computer you will be able to listen to pod casts.

How do I listen to a pod cast?

If you want to listen on your computer, you need to download and install Pod cast Receiver software to your computer.
You can use the latest version of Apple's iTunes (which has the software built in), or other services such as Odeo or Juice (formerly iPodder) to manage your pod cast subscriptions.
We highly recommend using Juice (PC, Mac and Linux capable).
If you want to listen to a pod cast away from your computer, you will need to transfer them to a portable media device. Check the pod cast software you're using for instructions on how to do this.

What Makes Pod casting Different?

It's all about having the files come to you through syndication instead of you going to the files through search.
To get our pod casts you use a software program called a Pod cast Receiver. Sometimes this is also called a pod cast aggregator (but again this is geek speak). Just know that Pod cast Receiver and aggregator mean the same thing. It's the software that you use to download and receive pod casts.
The Pod cast Receiver regularly checks the feed for new content that has been posted. When a new pod cast show is found, it's downloaded. The next time you plug your MP3 player into your computer, the new pod casts shows are synced by your media player. When you subscribe to a magazine a copy arrives in your mailbox every time a new issue is released. Subscribing to a pod cast is just the same, but instead of a mailbox, you have an aggregator - a program that runs on your PC and automatically downloads your favorite pod casts ready for you to listen to.
iTunes (NO you don't need an iPod) and Juice are the best known.

Now You Can Listen to Exactly What You Want, When You Want and How You Want! With pod casts, you're in control. Pod casts are also like Tivo because you're in control of when you listen to it.
You can rewind a pod cast. You can play it over and over. You can pause it. You can store it wherever you want. You can delete it when you want. Pod casts give you the control.
You can listen to pod casts on your computer, burn them to CD or transfer them to your MP3 player. You're in control of when and how you listen.
Compare that to listening to the radio. Big corporations decide what you get to listen to and when you listen to it. It's all controlled by what will make them money. Now you can have radio your way.
Unlike streaming audio, you can take a pod cast with you. To listen to streaming content you're tied to a computer with a fast Internet connection.
You're not limited to how many times you can download a pod casts or how many times you can burn it. It's not limited to only playing in certain media players.

"But I don't have an iPod."

Despite the name, you don't need an iPod to listen to pod casts. All you need is an MP3 player. Any MP3 player. In fact the computer you are using to read this is a MP3 player. There's nothing stopping you burning a pod cast to a compact disc and playing it on the CD player in your living room, office or your car. It's audio entertainment when and where you want it.

How Do I Download A Pod cast?

You need to a have a Pod cast Receiver software on your computer in order to download a pod cast.
Because of the many different types of Computers, Operating Systems, Pod cast Receivers and Media Players available we can't possibly provide information on how to download Pod casts.
We can tell you that we highly recommend using FireFox and Juice for our Pod casts. We only recommend these because of their ease of use and options they have available for you.
You will need to read the instructions for your particular Pod cast Receiver and Media Player in order to learn how to download a Pod cast.
To have it automatically downloaded for you every time a new episode becomes available follow the instructions of the Pod cast Receiver you use.

How Do I Get A Pod cast Receiver?

Click any of the icons here and it will take you to the web site where you can download their Pod cast Receivers.

Miro PC, Mac, Linux, Ubuntu	Feed Demon Windows Only	Juice PC, Mac, Linux	iTunes PC, Mac

I have a reciever, how do I get GCN's podcasts OR I click on the Podcast button but I just get a page with a bunch of code on it?

You can't listen to the PodCasts by clicking on the button. You need to right click the button and copy and paste the shortcut into your PodCast receiver. Specific instructions for downloading our PodCasts for both Juice and iTunes:

Juice Instructions:

1. Launch Juice

2.Click on the Subscriptions tab.

3. Add podcast feeds.
Right click the Podcast button on the GCN Website and select copy shortcut, click the green plus button on Juice, right click and select paste this link in the URL box, enter your username and password when asked,
Podcast feeds will have a orange dash icon next to them. When you select a feed, its URL will appear at the bottom of the window. Add the feed to your subscriptions by clicking Add. It should show up in the main subscriptions window with state "newly-subscribed".

4. Set scheduler options
Still on the Subscriptions Tab
click on the 7 icon that looks like a calendar and a clock with a white box,
click "enable scheduler" click the "check at regular intervals" select "12 hours"
Finally, click "Save" to apply the settings

5. Set your preferences. In the General Tab, select the "continue running in the background when I close the main window" This will make sure it keeps downloading for you.
In the Threads Tab, select "8" maximal threads for feedscanning per session and "5" maximal downloads per session
In the Player Tab, select a player that you use on your computer

6. Walk away
Now your podcast will be ready for you to use in your player when you need them!
Juice will now check for and download new content and transfer it to your Player (itunes, windows media player or winamp).
Of course if you'd like you can check for new podcasts at any time, just be prepared to stare at the download progress bar for a bit.

iTunes Instructions:

For GCN Members Go To: Members Archives enter your username and password

For Free PodCasts Go To: PodCasts

1. Select the show you want to set up for Podcast
2. right click "GCN PodCast"
3. select "copy shortcut"
4. Launch iTunes
5. in "Library" select "PodCasts"
6. on the tool bar select "advanced"
7. select "subscribe to PodCast"
8. a pop up box will appear, in the pop up box right click the white area and select "paste"
9. click "ok"
10. Members will have to reenter the username and password (possibly multiple times)
11. iTunes will begin downloading the PodCasts.

To learn more about PodCasts on iTunes you will need to go to the iTunes Help menu.

For any shows you missed in the Podcasting you will have to download them manually using the Archives we only keep 3-5 episodes on the server at a time. You will want to set up your reciever to download the PodCasts about every other day or once a week depending on how frequently the show airs.

Why Do I Have To Enter My Username And Password Twice?
OR I Entered My Username And Password and The Box Popped Up Again?

Some Browsers, Media Players and Pod cast Receivers may require you to enter your username and password twice. We don't know why and there is nothing we can do about this bug.
It is because of this that we recommend using FireFox (Browser) and Juice (Pod cast Receiver) for our Pod casts.

For almost all of the available Pod cast Receivers you will need to enter your username and password for each show you set up for download.
Again, we do not control this and there is nothing we can do to change this.

That's it! You now know what a pod cast is, how to listen to it.

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