error messages "podcast ... cannot be played on this iPhone"

yea, same problem here. I have both an iPhone 4 (4.1) and iPhone 3GS (4.1) and they both are now having the same problem. My iPad, no issue whatsoever and before, I could download the podcasts via iTunes store no problem on Wifi. Now on the phones, I have to download it via Desktop iTunes and then sync it over and they play without fail.

Hi, I had the same issues with video (and sometimes audio) podcast won't download with the above error message. Usually I kill the iTunes app by double clicking the Home button, and then hold down the iTunes App icon until the icons jiggle, then tap on the ➖ minus button. When you restart the podcast download it usually works. If it still doesn't try to kill several other running apps. It seems this is cause by low memory condition. Let me know how it works for you...

Hindra

I saw this problem on my daugthers ipod touch recently, didn't have it on my iphone 3GS until the latest update where I can't sync a number of podcasts from my computer or download them directly to the phone without this error.

Same problem here on Ipod 3rd generation and ios4. I've tried resetting, logging in and out of the store in settings, shutting down all apps, restarting ipod. Still same problem.

I have been having this problem ever since getting an iPhone 4. Never had it on earlier gens. And, I have had a replacement unit (for other reasons) and still get the same problem. Until today there was only was one podcast that would not download. But today, two others that were downloading without issue are now prompting the "cannot be played" message (they are Olbermann Countdown and Rachel Maddow show - both audio (this is for reference for others, please lets not get into politics)). And yes they ALL work if I upload them via iTunes. ***** - I live in Sydney and like to download US evening's podcasts at the end of my day here for the drive home. So, I need to be able to download without a computer.

I'm having the same issue, do you have any ideas yet?

Thanks

Mike

It was suggested in another forum to check the Technical Specifications of the device in question. I did this and started comparing the specs for the video (H.264) that would not sync to my iPhone 4 from the podcast that got the error message.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html
The maximum bit rate for video on the iPhone 4 is 2.5 Mbps. The bit rate for the podcast is 2505 Kbps.
A list of fourteen videos would not play and for each one the bit rate was a tiny bit over the maximum bit rate spec shown for the iPhone 4.

Seems like a tiny problem but this could be the reason some podcast videos can not sync to an iPhone or iPod.

Yep, me too. I used to just use iTunes so this was never a problem until I moved and don't have the internet for 2 weeks. So I'm trying to download Podcasts straight the the iPhone and this issue pops up on about 50% of podcasts.

Hi!

Our audio podcast Macradion ( http://itunes.apple.com/se/podcast/macradion/id287209580) had this same issue.

Since we stopped adding chapters using Podcast Maker the problem stopped. So ask the other podcast producers to stop using chapters for a while.

It looks like it can be caused by a number of reasons. I wrote about it in more detail in a blog article here:

http://www.nerdsonsite.com/blog/2010/12/27/cannot-be-played-on-this-iphone/

The short version of it is, disable any HTTP anti-virus that is used by your router, Unified Threat Management appliance or perhaps even hosted at your ISP along with a proxy. I noticed that if I skipped virus-checking on a domain where a podcast is hosted (cachefly.net, for example, is a Content Delivery Network so it covers a lot of podcasts), it works beautifully.

Hope this helps.

Tried to download Motor Trend podcast and I have the same problem on my iPhone 4strange that 2010 podcasts will download?

Jup - Me too. cannot download podcasts TATW for love nor money.

Think we should all write to steve. Apple love to break things that work fine before!

I'm having the same problem with Podcast downloads, quicktime moves, etc. I did a factory restore - no resolution. I closed all the apps and did a reset - no resolution.

BEGIN RANT:

Remember when Apple meant "It Just Works"???

I used to be a microsoft/PC guy but switched to apple when their iPhones and iPod's JUST WORKED! Is Apple becoming like Microsoft, ie. too big to care?

I was going to buy a 4G iPhone but after Apple screwed that one up, I decided to wait for the 5G. Now, I might just junk my imac, macbook pro, 3 iphones, 2 ipods, etc. and go back to the PC world. At least that stuff isn't 3 times more expensive.

All I want to do is download a podcast to my phone! From the iTunes Store! Come on Apple, if it can't be played on your best selling device then why do you allow users to upload it and offer it for download on your store?

END RANT

I have been trying to download a bunch of old episodes of Astronomy cast and am running into the very same problem. It occurs for me constantly when downloading batches of these old episodes (pre 2009). A temporary workaround, which is kind of annoying, but works nonetheless for me:
1) kill the iTunes app at the multi-task menu
2) relaunch iTunes app and navigate to podcast
3) download episodes one at a time not allowing any items to be queued. i.e. wait for the little '1' badge on the downloads icon to disappear before starting the next episode.
4) continue doing this episode after episode until one breaks it. Then repeat the steps, killing and relaunching the iTunes app