Just me or is the Podcast app...pretty bad

[mtmjr90]

I've downloaded the third party PODCASTS and slapdash apps, but those have their own issues (often times, when I attempt to play a podcast I've downloaded, I'll get an error message saying the file can't be played). So at this point, I've pretty much lost the ability to consume podcasts reliably. I hope MS updates the app soon and often.

I'd recommend either Podcast Lounge or Podcast Critter to get you through these trying times.

 

[electricbopeep]

I'd recommend either Podcast Lounge or Podcast Critter to get you through these trying times.

Thank you! I've downloaded Podcast Lounge and I literally uttered "Wow" aloud as I was exploring all the features of the app (and gasped when I saw that they had an audio-only mode for video podcasts, and gasped again at the smart playlists feature). The app is extremely well thought-out, from what I've seen so far. I have only been subscribing/downloading/discovering for the last hour, so actually playing a podcast, specifically when I'm underground and offline, will be the true test of its execution *fingers crossed*.



Sent from my RM-893_nam_att_206 using Tapatalk

 

[Startswithaj]

I too have issues with this app. Like someone else said earlier, it's slow. Very slow. I have a problem with the app crashing all the time. It usually takes at least three times of me tapping on the tile for Podcasts to open. It's really annoying.

Finding apps sometimes is problematic. I often have to open up the browser instead and go directly to the podcast's website, copy the feed url, then go back into the app to paste it in search.

On the plus side, I like that I can now "add to now playing". Which I couldn't do on WP8.

 

[srvean]

Never thought that Microsoft could develop such an app.

• Crashes all the time.
• User interface is several generations old. Recessive and if you want to exit the application after playing 2 or 3 podcasts - you need to hit the back button several times.
• No background download
• No list of recently downloaded podcasts.
• Worst: consumes so much data even though I've set to download only with WI-FI.
  • Issue: keeps checking for new podcasts even under metered connection. I subscribe to 15+ podcasts and eats up to 0.25GB / day

Hope a fix is made available soon. Until then I'm going to use some third party application.

 

[byobg]

Thank you! I've downloaded Podcast Lounge and I literally uttered "Wow" aloud as I was exploring all the features of the app (and gasped when I saw that they had an audio-only mode for video podcasts, and gasped again at the smart playlists feature). The app is extremely well thought-out, from what I've seen so far. I have only been subscribing/downloading/discovering for the last hour, so actually playing a podcast, specifically when I'm underground and offline, will be the true test of its execution *fingers crossed*.

Yup to all that. It's true that the built-in Podcast app will probably get better eventually (because it's hard to imagine it getting worse) - but if every single one of its bugs was fixed, it would still just be a clunky minimally-featured podcast app.


The *second* that Podcast Lounge releases an update that can save episodes to an SD card (which wasn't possible until 8.1), I'll install it and never look back.

 

[marcthepunk]

I have a Lumia 820 with SD card and this built-in app was one on my waiting list and its does not disappoint. No doubt, I'm heavily into podcast with my 3hr or more a day commuting. It works great, background downloading only over wifi, very little wear on the battery, subscribing to a new podcast via the Bing search is all very amazing. And with the new storage saver, I dont worry a bit because all the content is stored on the SD card. Before this app, my podcast content was managed by my Synology nas and I had to remember to sync via pc every evening. Now I dont even worry about that anymore. This new built-in app works great for me with very little concerns. I have downloaded and tried most and even paid for some from the store. Unfortunately not one was totally satisfying foregoing the storage issue, I had to work around stuff to get them the way that I want them to work and it became tiresome. One slight issue and not annoying to mention with the built-in app that I'd found is when quitting the app. Using the back button thru the app doesnt entirely close it. Today I just hold down on the back button to close the app, and neatly this practice has now become the way I close any app on the phone.

 

[nmercy]

I agree, the podcast app is pretty much bare bones now, still an improvement over the last iteration, but still have some complaints:

1) Forgets your position, especially when it goes from downloaded to streaming or you lose connection while streaming.
2) Forgets which podcasts you've listened to, especially when it goes form downloaded to streaming
3) Starts at the podcast selection screen, but if you have something in the now playing after 5 or seconds switches to now playing (came to bite me when I accidentally started a podcast without my headphones in)
4) Seems to skip around when you pause and come back
5) Back Stack is not properly implemented.
6) Converts a podcast from downloaded to streaming when it's in your now playing (old one would keep it downloaded until it wasn't now playing)

As far as changing a series setting, go into that series then press the "..." and press "Series Settings"

 

[bigkevbosky]

It's AWFUL. The fact that it forgets your position in a podcast is insane. That's a BASIC function that any podcast app should have. I've switched to Podcast Lounge and found it works pretty well as long as you manage it manually.

I don't understand how a dev can make Podcast Lounge but Microsoft with their engineers and software developers can't do any better. I'd rather they don't even put in a podcast app if they're going to do such a half a$$ job of it.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

Well, the old Music+Videos app's podcast section had to ability to search for two podcasts that I work with.
The new Podcasts app can't find them.
Do I have to submit the podcast addresses, somewhere?
I assumed that it would automatically contain everything the old one did.
JJ

 

[ncxcstud]

has anyone had the issue where most of the 'podcast album tiles' within the app are just blacks squares? I only have two podcast 'album' pictures that show up out of the 8 or so podcasts I have subscribed to. Really annoying to try to remember which 'blank area' is what podcasts.

They all work - they just don't have any pictures...

DLC Podcast
CAGCast
Uninformed Opinions
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me
Major Nelson Radio
Sermon Brainwave

I haven't been able to figure out how to 'fix' this yet...

 

[neo158]

I don't think the podcasts app is that bad, it does as it's name suggests by allowing people to find podcasts and listen to them.

 

[btbam91]

This app works perfectly for me.

 

[neo158]

Well, the old Music+Videos app's podcast section had to ability to search for two podcasts that I work with.
The new Podcasts app can't find them.
Do I have to submit the podcast addresses, somewhere?
I assumed that it would automatically contain everything the old one did.
JJ

The podcasts app uses Bing to search for podcasts so you might need to speak to Microsoft about that. You can enter the URL in the box within the podcasts app.

 

[Opera Ghost]

In the past couple weeks I have noticed that I can no longer unsubscribe and remove old podcast series. I had several podcasts that I no longer wanted to receive. It will allow me to unsubscribe and delete all episodes. But later I will see that they have returned to my collection. No reboot, it just added it back to my collection. I've had to go into each of those episodes and configure them to stream only. I used 39GB of data last month (Wi-Fi) and this bug was a huge reason as the Podcast app used 31GB all by itself. It had never been over 10GB before.


I have used the native Podcast functionality since WP7 and never have had major issues before. This, and no longer having a method for discovering and listening to new podcasts really has me questioning the Bing team's takeover of this app. To me, it is less functional today than when we had WP7.

 

[JHunsaker]

I used this app everyday while at work but starting about 2 weeks ago the app started crashing while it updates the subscribed podcasts. This makes the app unusable as it tries to update when it first loads but it crashes/closes everytime. Microsoft please fix this issue.

 

[dj9928]

Its a very basic app, better than what we in the UK had previously though and that was nothing. But I'm sticking with podcast picker. Works well enough for me.

 

[simbadogg]

I'm seriously getting so sick of the podcast app, it crashes so much and is honestly wasting so much of my data when I'm streaming at work (no WiFi). 'The best part is, everyone at all different Microsoft twitter handles doesn't seem to know who actually works on it, or is responsible for it.

 

[byobg]

I'm seriously getting so sick of the podcast app, it crashes so much and is honestly wasting so much of my data when I'm streaming at work (no WiFi). 'The best part is, everyone at all different Microsoft twitter handles doesn't seem to know who actually works on it, or is responsible for it.

There are other options. Podcasts! is good, Podcast Lounge is good, Podcast Picker is good, probably a lot of others are good too - because devs have been working on them for years, in some cases, instead of months. Probably at some point the built-in podcast app will get good too, but why wait for that? Yes, there should be a minimum level of functionality and quality for built-in apps, and yes, the built-in Podcast app doesn't clear that bar no matter how low you put it - but people can still have a good podcast experience on a Windows Phone with a third-party app. (If I were Microsoft, I'd actually be pushing people TOWARDS third-party apps, and labelling the current built-in a "beta" - because a user having a GOOD experience with a third-party app on a Windows Phone is a WIN for Microsoft, and a user having a BAD experience with a built-in app is a FAIL.)

 

[anon(8985111)]

Just wondering whether someone at MS is still taking care of this App...

Does anyone know a podcast App that can notify me via the notification center once a new episode is available?

 

[jonathan sink]

Not just you, I find the podcast app almost unbearable.