Podcasts won't play one after another

Different models behave in different way with Podcasts, which model of iPod are you using?

For instance, the 5th gen video iPod and the iPod Touch both play one Podcast at a time, then stop. I have yet to find a way of making them do anything else. However, the iPod Classic (160GB) will play one after another providing you have the "shuffle" feature turned off. however, since the Podcasts are listed in reverse chronological order and therefore play that way too, it's rather inconvenient to listen to the latest episode followed by a previous one! I keep my shuffle feature on to prevent continuous playing on my Classic.

So, even if you have model I haven't mentioned, try turning on the shuffle (songs or albums) and see if that cures the problem. You'll soon know, check the display , if it says 1 of 1 then you know it's going to stop at the end of each episode. But if it says 1 of "X", then it will keep going.

By the way, to make this feature work on the Classic, do not use the Main Menu "shuffle" (from stop mode) as this doesn't work! Either go to Settings/Shuffle or turn it on while a song is playing by using the "press centre button until shuffle appears".

You may think I'm joking, but I'm not.

Phil

With a fifth gen iPod video, podcasts can be played sequentially by using a playlist. I made a smart playlist of only unplayed podcasts. As long as iPod is set to not shuffle in settings it will play son to song just fine. By default podcast files are set to skip on shuffle this is why shuffle needs to be off even in a playlist. You can manually change podcast files in 'get info' to uncheck the skip on shuffle. The problem is that you would do this for any new files downloaded.

I originally wrote:

the 5th gen video iPod and the iPod Touch both play one Podcast at a time,

Ooopppsss!!!!
Actually, the Touch plays one episode after another, but I can't find a way to stop it from doing that either. (This is what happens when you use three different iPods.) Apologies for that.

DeeBeex wrote:
My ipod is a video ipod ver 1.3

I think 1.3 refers to the software version number rather than the model. Possibly you have a 5th generation video iPod. However, to be sure, check this page: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1353 which will help you identify your model. If it is a 5th gen iPod, then as I said before, it only plays one Podcast at time, although I have never tried the "playlist" method for Podcasts that camoracer suggests, because to be honest, I felt it was going to take up more time than I wanted to spend. But if it suits your needs, go for it.

Phil

I'd like to add my voice in support of a feature a lot like what DeeBeex is proposing: some sort of sequential playing of podcasts.

I'd actually propose this:

Mode 1) Like I see today: podcast plays once, then stops. HOWEVER, at the end of the podcast, the "menu" should return to the podcast LIST, with the NEXT podcast selected.... ready to be played with the center button or play button. (BTW, "next" would mean "chronologically next").

Mode 2) Podcast plays once, then has a brief pause (maybe 5 seconds), then immediately moves on to the NEXT podcast chronologically.

Both of these modes would be very helpful when I'm in the car and listening to VERY SHORT podcasts, like The Onion Radio News, or Two Minute Danger Theatre... both of which have episodes that are usually a minute or two.

Yes, maybe I could get close to this with a playlist. But why not build that in as the default mode for podcasts?

By extension podcasts -- when playing from their podcast list -- should simply ignore the global "repeat 1", "repeat all" settings. Likewise, ignore global shuffle settings. Either that, or have a separate value of these for podcasts.

iPod Dan wrote:
I'd like to add my voice in support of a feature a lot like what DeeBeex is proposing: some sort of sequential playing of podcasts.

Well, as I said (eventually!) , the iPod Touch does play Podcasts sequentially. In fact - I can't stop it from doing so. If you feel that strongly about your suggestions, you should submit feedback about them. Here's a link to the Classic feedback section; http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html. However, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I'm fairly certain from past experience that any existing model of iPod will not have "revised features" such as the ones you suggest added to them. Minor changes, maybe, but ...

*Now ...*
Podcasts on iPod Touch - good points:
1. plays sequentially (if that's your preference) and in chronological order
2. Podcast programme list shows (before starting an episode) the episode playing time or remaining time of part-listened episodes (this is a really good feature)
3. Episode artwork is now full size on screen

But - and now the bad points:
1. plays sequentially (I don't like this)
2. unable to see episode information at any time! (how could anyone take this away?)

The moral of this story is that although iPods are fantastic devices for Podcasts, Apple seem unable to get it perfect - yet anyway.

The iPod Classic is also good (although my 160GB version is no longer available new) but notice that it also has its imperfections, such as sequential playing in reverse chronological order. See what I mean about Apple being unable to get it completely right?

Phil.

Hi All

I have IPOD classic so basically if I understand correctly I can't play podcasts in chronological date order,I have to put shuffle on and play one at a time?

Pavb2

paulbarr wrote:
I have IPOD classic so basically if I understand correctly I can't play podcasts in chronological date order,I have to put shuffle on and play one at a time?

Yes.

Several people have recommended putting the episodes into a playlist in correct order and using that. I've never tried doing this, so I don't know whether it works.

Phil

It does. Just make sure you right-click on the playlist and choose 'Copy to Play Order' before sycing it to the iPod.