Updating feeds and Downloading Podcasts
BeyondPod keeps a local (cached) copy of each subscribed feed, so you can view the
feed content even if you are offline. To get the latest feed content, you have to
tell BeyondPod to update (synchronize) a particular feed or feeds. Updates can potentially
take a very long time and consume large amount of bandwidth and battery. BeyondPod
lets you update a single feed or all feeds in a given category.
There are 2 ways to download podcasts for a given feed:
- To download a single episode, open the feed (tap on it) and then use the Download
button that is displayed for every episode in the feed’s content.
- If you want to regularly download new episodes, you can configure the feed to
automatically download new episodes during its update. To configure automatic downloads
select the feed, then Menu > Edit Feed. Scroll down, and select
Download Newest Episodes in the "Feed Podcast Episodes" box. You can optionally
enter a number of episodes to download. Next time you run a feed update using Menu
> Update, it will automatically download the new episodes.
Keep in mind that if you invoke a feed update from the refresh button of the
Feed Content View, it will do a quick (feed only) update, and will not download
any available podcasts. Use
Menu > Update Feed or start the update from
the
Feeds View it will both update the feed and download
any new podcasts.
Podcast Download Logic
BeyondPod offers 2 different algorithms for downloading podcast episodes. (You can
select the desired algorithm in the "Feed Podcast Episodes" dropdown of the Feed
Properties Dialog):
- "Download Newest Episodes" - This algorithm is designed to always give you the
latest available episodes (useful for News feeds where you always want the latest
news). When using "Download Newest Episodes", BeyondPod first looks at
the list of all available episodes, and then takes the 3 most recent (newest) episodes
(this number can be configured for each feed in "Get XX episodes" in the feed properties).
Out of the 3 it checks if any has been previously downloaded, ignores it, and downloads
the remaining episodes. Before any episode is downloaded, BeyondPod will also check
and delete any "old" episodes for that feed. You can set rules for which episodes
are considered "old" using the Episode Cleanup settings in the properties of that
feed. "Stream Newest Episodes" uses the same logic except instead of downloading
the episodes it creates a "stream-able" versions of each episode (e.g. episode is
downloaded as it is being played).
- "Download Episodes In-Order" - This algorithm is optimized for feeds with episodes
that are designed to be listened in order (for example audio books or lectures).
When a feed is set to "Download Episodes in Order", it will start with the OLDEST
available episodes and download the first (oldest) 3 (this number can be configured
in "Get XX episodes" in the feed properties). As you listen (and delete) any of
the downloaded episodes, you "make room" for the next episodes to be downloaded.
(For example if initially Lecture 1, 2 and 3 were downloaded, you first have
to delete Lecture 1 to "make room" for Lecture 4 to be downloaded during the next
update). "Stream Newest Episodes" uses the same logic except instead of downloading
the episodes it creates a "stream-able" versions of each episode.
As podcasts are downloaded, they are added to the "download history" (marked as
"Downloaded") so they are not downloaded again even if they are deleted.
Podcast cleanup settings (which old episodes to delete to make room for new ones)
can be set globally for all feeds (in BeyondPod Settings > Feed Defaults ) or specified
for each feed individually in the feed properties.