Having stepped up from a 3+ year old 7290 to a shiny new 8820 last week, I'm finding myself looking for applications that are now newly accessible to me. One application I would love to have would be a podcast receiver. Even my PSP has the ability to, on a schedule, download podcasts and store them. To me, it seems like a no-brainer application for the Blackberry.

Now, the reality: The only application that seems to do it is AudioBay, and based on what I'm reading, it doesn't offer a trial and it doesn't seem to work very well. Have I missed its competition, or is that the only application in this space?

Would there be interest in one that works and works well? I could see perhaps two versions, a freebie "lite" version that would store a few episodes of one or two podcasts, and a paid-for version that supports unlimited episodes/podcasts, and adds the ability to schedule polling of them.

For me, having to sync a device to pull podcasts is a dealbreaker. I would love the ability to have constantly-updated podcasts on my blackberry, updated automatically, rather than when I remember to sync it.

*raises hand* me too me too! I would love a podcast client on my BB device.

Well in theory, I don't know the site from which you download, but the sites where I get my podcasts are either updated manually by itunes, but I know my podcasts also have a RSS feed that say the episode name, description and a link to the download because they take into account that not everyone uses iTunes. What you could do is just download it manually when they update their RSS feed. I think that should work for you, but as for automatically... I don't know.

Podcasts are kind of big! 80+ megs depending on each show, and that would drain a lot of battery to download 80 megs a day for podcasts, and then that's just for one show! I don't know if it's just me, but I'm thinking that's a lot of traffic for a handheld to be doing every day. I wouldn't download 200 megs every morning just to listen. I'd drag'm off my PC onto my phone.

AudioBay has an auto download function, that can be set to download new episodes of the podcast, via RSS, at a scheduled time.

I would set the app to download the episodes at 2AM, when the phone was not in use. I never got it to work 100% of the time, but the feature is there.

Completely unacceptable. There's a lot more to a podcast client than just clicking a link and downloading; there are networks of podcast shows, search functions, sampling a podcast, subscriptions and updates of course, and a host of other features. If you've every used a Nokia S60 device with their podcast client, you know how beautiful it can be. If you never have, then it's hard to explain how ghetto it is on the BlackBerry, BB is years behind everyone else.

On wifi it doesn't take that long, but these are your personal opinions - some of us will plug in our phone and let it charge while the device is downloading podcasts. I used to be subscribed to a few that taught languages, it was cool to have a new lesson already downloaded onto my device and ready to listen to during the bus ride to work. Having to use a PC of any sort to manage podcasts on your device defeats the whole purpose of being mobile.

I agree, podcast receiver software for the 8800 series would be fantastic! I would pay $20 for a working product.

Two Words for you all:

Project Tango

Podcasts are received via RSS. There's got to be an RSS reader out there that allows you to download new info, and podcasts should they be attached. There are several for Windows Mobile devices (SPB, Illium, etc). I guess I have to keep searching

Does anybody know of a player that allows you to leave off a podcast and come back to it, and it remembers your spot in the file, the way my ipod does?

Thanks

Adam

I FOUND ONE!!!

I too have been looking for a podcast downloader for BB and found PodTrapper.
www(dot)versatilemonkey(dot)com
(Sorry, must have ten posts to post links)

Offers automatic downloading of subscribed podcasts over cell network, wifi, or desktop program. Been using it for about five days and am in love with it.
30 day free trial and $10 to buy. I think it's exactly what you are looking for. Enjoy

Similar (and newer) thread here:
http://www.blackberryforums.com/gene...tion-bold.html