iTunes 11.1 crashes with new podcast sync

I installed iTunes 11.1 when it first became available and had no problems. A few days ago, however, iTunes begain crashing within 30 seconds every time I opened it. I reinstalled iTunes with a fresh download. No luck. Thinking maybe something in my library got corrupted, I restored via Time Machine my complete iTunes library from the last day iTunes opened without crashing. Again, no luck. Then I noticed a subfolder in my library for a previous library that appeared to have been created automatically when iTunes 11.1 installed. So I option-clicked iTunes and directed it to that library file. At first this worked, but as I began updating podcasts downloaded since then, it crashed again.

Having ruled all this out, here is what I found. At some point (I think with 11.1) Apple added a new checkbox in Settings under Store called "sync podcast subscriptions and settings." I assume this is for iCloud or iTunes Match or one of those services that I don't use. When I reinstalled iTunes 11.1, I opted-in to that syncing when asked during setup (figuring it was your ordinary updating of new podcasts). But once I opted-out of podcast syncing in this settings page, my crashing problem stopped.

I don't know whether my original install of 11.1 had podcast syncing selected or not, so I can't say why this started after working successfully for at least a week. But if anyone else is having mysterious crashes with 11.1, try starting and racing into settings to turn off podcast syncing before it crashes on you.