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| Thread ID: 80049 | 2007-06-09 21:14:00 | iTunes | Morpheus1 (186) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 557696 | 2007-06-09 21:14:00 | Is there an alternative for iTunes? One that is free? The bad reviews on download.com make me want to find another program. I want to download podcasts (not music or videos) from sites that require iTunes - without having to use iTunes. | Morpheus1 (186) | ||
| 557697 | 2007-06-09 21:22:00 | If the site requires iTunes then I would imagine that you would have to use iTunes to download a podcast from that site. However if your really desperate about getting an alternative you could try looking on the iLounge site to see if they suggest any viable alternatives.. The worst things that most people complain about iTunes is the size of the footprint in Windows as the Mac version is somewhat smaller. Other than that it works. |
winmacguy (3367) | ||
| 557698 | 2007-06-09 21:59:00 | A basic question. Does iTunes allow a user to download the podcast as a mp3 file to be used various ways, or only as a file to be transferred to an iPod player? Its odd to me that some sites have podcasts as direct mp3 downloads while other sites require iTunes (xml web page). I have a small mp3 stand-alone player, ie not on the computer. It is not an iPod. Another question - if a person has an iPod, can they only download audio using iTunes or can any mp3 file be transferred to the iPod? |
Morpheus1 (186) | ||
| 557699 | 2007-06-09 22:58:00 | A basic question. Does iTunes allow a user to download the podcast as a mp3 file to be used various ways, or only as a file to be transferred to an iPod player? Its odd to me that some sites have podcasts as direct mp3 downloads while other sites require iTunes (xml web page). I have a small mp3 stand-alone player, ie not on the computer. It is not an iPod. Another question - if a person has an iPod, can they only download audio using iTunes or can any mp3 file be transferred to the iPod? iTunes can import directly as MP3. Its under the iTunes>Preferences>Advanced>Importing>import using... and select your codec from aac, aiff, apple lossless, wav, mp3 then set your codec bit rate under the custom setting below it. iPods will also play all of those formats. You can download an MP3 file from any site that supports MP3, you just have to open it using iTunes on your PC if your wanting to use iTunes to play it. Hope that helps. iTunes is free to download and comes bundled with the latest version of Quicktime. The iTunes store requires iTunes. I think that iTunes only works with the iPod when directly synching music though. You may require another app if you want to put music or podcasts onto a different MP3 player or just drag and drop the file onto th music player depending on how the process works. |
winmacguy (3367) | ||
| 557700 | 2007-06-09 23:26:00 | Have you tried iTunes? I wouldn't rely on reviews when a product is free. Give it a try yourself and see if you personally like it. If you do, keep it. If not, drag it to the Trash and download something else. :) When you use iTunes to download a podcast, it downloads in whatever format the creator uploaded it in, usually MP3 or AAC. They can be played on whatever device you want to play them on provided they support the format used. This quote from Apple's website might be helpful to you: A podcast is an episodic program delivered via the Internet using an XML protocol called RSS. Podcast episodes can be audio files, video files, documents, or any combination of the three. The publisher or broadcaster podcasts the program by posting the episodes and the XML document to a Web server. The consumer subscribes to the podcast using a client application, such as iTunes, which regularly reads the XML file and downloads new episodes. Because podcasts can include several of the most common types of media, they can be used to offer many different kinds of programs. Any television or radio program can of course be transmitted as a podcast, as can any lecture, performance, or other recorded event. Using the AAC file format, audio podcasts can include synchronized still images to create a narrated slideshow. In this way, a series of lectures can include the lecturer’s voice and presentation slides. In most podcasts, each episode is the same file format, so subscribers can enjoy the program the same way each time. However, some podcasts use multiple media. Language courses, for example, can combine video for a sense of the foreign country, audio for information and ear training, and documents for practice and reference. - www.apple.com |
maccrazy (6741) | ||
| 557701 | 2007-06-09 23:36:00 | Its a good start to be looking for a viable alternative before installing the travesty that is itunes, Can you link a page that has a "podcast" that requires itunes to be installed?, I'll see if I can snafu the sucker. Calling a simple audio file a "podcast" is retarded in its own right, Trying to force you to use a specific, unrequired, necessary, unwanted (and crap) app is beyond retarded. |
Metla (12) | ||
| 557702 | 2007-06-09 23:50:00 | i think alot of podcasts have itunes feeds. I haven't come across any that I couldn't download by themselves. And to quote Metla Its a good start to be looking for a viable alternative before installing the travesty that is itunes There have been a few members here that have started using iTunes, because they couldn't find a better alternative. |
plod (107) | ||
| 557703 | 2007-06-09 23:52:00 | Calling a simple audio file a "podcast" is retarded in its own right, Trying to force you to use a specific, unrequired, UNnecessary, unwanted (and crap) app is beyond retarded. I missed out an un. |
Metla (12) | ||
| 557704 | 2007-06-10 00:00:00 | Its a good start to be looking for a viable alternative before installing the travesty that is itunes, Can you link a page that has a "podcast" that requires itunes to be installed?, I'll see if I can snafu the sucker. Here are some sites that require iTunes and without iTunes you cannot even browse the podcasts: www.oculture.com www.duke.edu This is a page with xml links: www.productivity501.com This is the sort of page I like because it has direct mp3 downloads or other formats: uc.princeton.edu What bothers me is that so many sites ONLY allow iTunes. What is the sense in this? It in effect pushes people into buying an iPod. W*T*F_*? If iPods can play any mp3 file then why not just have all podcasts as straight no-nonsense mp3 files? Looks to me that Apple is the same as M$ in making people buy their products and it pisses me off. My guess is that any site that only has iTunes for podcasts gets a nice fat $$ kickback - why else would they bother or maybe too many users are too thick to know how to download without a fancy interface? Metla, lets see how long it takes WinMacGuy to counter what I am saying and to add some other bs about how much better iTunes/Apple is. I'm glad you, MacH8er and others are here to expose this bs. |
Morpheus1 (186) | ||
| 557705 | 2007-06-10 00:07:00 | well, I can't get em, I supose we will have to hope for an "iTunes altenative" which will identfy itself as itunes and then let you accees the file without installing itunes. | Metla (12) | ||
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