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iTunes to Downcast to Overcast
How do you listen to and consume your favourite podcast shows?
Maybe it’s through the Apple Podcast app or maybe its via some of the other apps available now through the App Store?
Over the years I have gone through a few apps but like many, I started listening via the iTunes application.
My first independent application was the Downcast app. This worked well but has been problematical over the years with syncing issues, but overall, it has been the app I always used. Then, during a mad time when I sold my iPhone 5 and bought into the Android world by purchasing a Galaxy S3, and that meant a new podcast app as Downcast wasn't available on Android, that was Pocket Casts.
When I came back to my senses and replaced the S3 with another iPhone 5 I returned to using Downcast until the arrival of Overcast on iOS.
At first, Overcast seemed a possible replacement for all the previous applications but I didn't like the in app purchases needed to make it really useful to me so I returned to my old friend, Downcast. Then Pocket Casts came to iOS and it too was bought and trialled but again, just like on Android, I found it to be to awkward in use and not very intuitive to use and... Yes, a return to Downcast.
Finally we arrive at the present day and the recent announcement that Overcast was now a free to use application but with the option to contribute via Patronage, where you can pay a subscription if you wanted to support his work.
So now, I am experimenting with a combination of Overcast for audio podcasts and Downcast for video podcasts... one for video and one for audio I hear you say? Yes,This is because Overcast does not support video versions of podcasts but this suits me well. I now only have two video podcasts on Downcast and that helps no end with the syncing of the app on my MacBook, iPad and iPhone. The advantage of Overcast is its simplicity and clearer look, where there is little chance of selecting by accident the send to Apple TV which can happen if I try to reduce the volume via the app and not via the iPhone volume up/down buttons which can happen .
So what's stopping me returning to Downcast only and discarding all the other apps, including the Apple Podcast app? Not a lot at this time but, if Marco Arment adds video podcast playback to the app, and an OS X application too, then Overcast would become my one and only podcast application.
How do you consume your podcast shows such as the Mac show, I'd be interested to hear what you do?
by MacJim
Author
James Ormiston