Unable to play podcasts

AntonySerio · 02-01-2013, 02:53 PM

Recently I have been having problems listening to audio podcasts on my 4th generation iPod thouch. I listened to podcasts for over a year using the Music app. then, recently (shortly after iTules 11 came out), Music quit playing podcasts. It would cycle through all of the podcasts in a playlist, without playing any of them, then go back to the playlist menu. New podcasts playlists would refuse to sync with Music. I upgraded to iOS 6.1, but that did not correct the problem.

After a bit of research, I decided to try the Podcast app. When I downloaded Podcast app, the Music app displayed a message, telling me that I had to play podcasts using the Podcast app. Whenever I try to listen to a podcast using the Podcast app, I recieve an error message saying "Playback Failed". I can see the individual podcasts in the playlist that I synced with my iPod using iTunes, but none of them will play. After installing the Podcast app, none of my old podcasts are even showing up in the Music app aymore. Does the Podcast app require an internet connection to work? So far, I have only tried using the app at work, which does not have open WiFi.

Most of the third-party podcast apps that I have seen look like they only sync through the 'cloud', rather than from my Mac. If I can not get the Podcast app to work, are there any other apps that will allow me to sync my podcasts using iTunes? Podcasts are one of the main reasons why I use my iPod touch, and without that functionality, it may as well have been 'bricked'.

AntonySerio · 02-01-2013, 04:25 PM

Well, I tried it at home, and the Podcast app works, but, once I put my iPod in 'airplane mode' (to simulate my WiFi-free work environment), the app no longer functioned. To me, this means that, it was working from the cloud. Now that I am at home, there appears to be a download function that wasn't available at work (hit the > at the top of the Episodes list and turn Subscription ON), so it could very well work without WiFi once it has been given enough time to download all of the podcasts that I want to listen to at work. However, from the looks of things, not all of the podcasts that I have subscribed to can be downloaded. The download button is not available, and the 'Playback Failed' error message appears whenever I try to play, even with a network connection.

Apparently, iTunes is no longer used to sync podcasts (but if that is the case, why is there still a podcast tab in iTunes for managing my iPod?), so it looks like there was just another layer of complexity added to my iPod. I didn't like the way iTunes 11 handles podcasts or playlists for that matter. If there was a way to downgrade to 10 (and go back to iOS 5.x), I would...

I will keep everybody informed as to how well this kludge works.

ganbustein · 02-01-2013, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntonySerio


	Apparently, iTunes is no longer used to sync podcasts (but if that is the case, why is there still a podcast tab in iTunes for managing my iPod?),

iTunes still syncs podcasts just fine, as long as you DO NOT install the Podcast app.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntonySerio


	so it looks like there was just another layer of complexity added to my iPod.

That pretty much sums up the Podcast app. Apparently, the app is designed for people who:
a) Listen to a lot of podcasts by jumping around between them. That is, they do not create podcast playlists, but rather play podcasts one at a time, manually selecting each one in turn.
b) Can't be bothered to sync podcasts through their desktop computers
c) Listen in an environment where there is really good internet connectivity
d) Either have very high data caps or do all their listening where there's WiFi.

None of those apply to me. I think the app is designed for the way some engineers living in Cupertino want to get their podcast fix, and they think that every sane person must be exactly like them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntonySerio


	I didn't like the way iTunes 11 handles podcasts or playlists for that matter. If there was a way to downgrade to 10 (and go back to iOS 5.x)

Nope. No going back. If it's any consolation, iTunes 11 can be tweaked to handle podcasts very similar to the way things used to be. You lose some sorting options, but I have always had a manual playlist that I populate each morning with the podcasts I want to listen to that day, in the order I want to hear them. Being a manual playlist, I can sort it however I want.

But the first step is to get rid of the Podcast app. The Music app (on the iOS device) won't play podcasts if the Podcast app is also installed.

AntonySerio · 02-01-2013, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ganbustein


	The Music app (on the iOS device) won't play podcasts if the Podcast app is also installed.

If that is the case, then why was Music flaking out before I installed Podcast?

AntonySerio · 02-02-2013, 09:00 AM

As per ganbustein's instructions, I have removed the podcast app. Music now has an older list of podcast playlists (dating back to December, which was the last time I was able to play podcasts), and it refuses to play any of them. The Music screen cycles through the entire list of podcasts in the playlist, at a rapid pace, without playing any of them. It was doing this before I upgraded to iOS 6.1. These are older playlists which I have not told iTunes to sync since December. I can not sync any new podcast playlists with my iPod using iTunes.

I have rebooted my iPod several times, and would try removing and re-installing Music, if I was allowed to do so. My next option would be to 'restore' it, except for the fact that my iPod was flaking out the last time iTunes backed it up, so, it might very well still be squirrelly after restoration.

Back in December, before all of these problems began, I was having difficulty syncing my iPod. iTunes would tell me that I didn't have enough memory on my iPod for any of my podcasts. I don't remember my exact resolution to that problem. I think I removed all of my music playlists, synced, then added each playlist back syncing all the while, and by the time I began adding podcasts, I had enough room again.

AntonySerio · 02-02-2013, 09:43 AM

Well, I restored my iPod to it's factory settings, and now iTunes refuses to sync any of my music or podcast playlists. I can sync my apps just fine, but even though I told iTunes to sync my music playlists and my podcast playlist, whenever I open Music, it claims that it is empty. The iTunes 'storage meter' at the bottom of the screen for my iPod, says my iPod is nearly empty, with 947 MB of 'Other' and no music on it. When I switch iTunes from my iPod to my library and back to my iPod, the 'meter' then says that I have 2.32 GB of music on it. I've tried syncing several times. The top window never says that it is syncing music, and when I am done syncing, the 'meter' says that I have no music on my iPod, and the Music app is invariably empty.

I could brave the Lake Effect snows and bring my iPod down to the nearest Genius Bar in Syracuse, but unless I lug my iMac down with me, I will not be able to demonstrate my syncing problems...

AntonySerio · 02-03-2013, 11:31 AM

Is there any way to determine if this is an iTunes problem, or an iPod problem, without using a second Mac or iPod?

AntonySerio · 02-03-2013, 04:41 PM

I decided to see if I could sync photos to my iPod, only to be told:
"The iPod <iPod name> could not by synced because the connection to the iPod was lost."

So, thinking to myself, 'I wonder if the cable is starting to go south'. I've had to chase my cat away from my computer several times after catching her using my iPod cable as a chew toy. So, I dug out a spare iPod cable, and tried syncing with that. No dice. Music still won't sync, and iTunes loses connection with photos.

Any ideas, or is my iPod now a brick?

DeltaMac · 02-03-2013, 05:51 PM

I have heard of this problem when connecting to the iPod through a USB hub.
Are you connecting directly from your iPod to a built-in USB connection on your Mac?
Even a USB extension cable might not be fully reliable.
So, one USB cable connecting iPod directly to built-in USB port on your Mac.

AntonySerio · 02-03-2013, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaMac


	I have heard of this problem when connecting to the iPod through a USB hub. Are you connecting directly from your iPod to a built-in USB connection on your Mac? Even a USB extension cable might not be fully reliable. So, one USB cable connecting iPod directly to built-in USB port on your Mac.

It was a nice try, but after I plugged my iPod directly into my mac, without a hub, I still have the same symptoms.

AntonySerio · 02-08-2013, 04:36 PM

So, Apple says the warranty is long gone on this iPod, and it is no longer eligible for AppleCare. I could either wait and see if somebody at Apple has a fix for this particular problem, or keep it for use around the house with speakers as a Pandora station. The apps work fine, I can still install new ones, either from iTunes or the App store, and the camera still works. Or, since the warranty is gone, are there any alternatives that I could use for uploading MP3 files to my iPod?

Another alternative would be to wait for Blizzard season to be over, and exchange it for a newer one in Syracuse (and hopefully get a discount).

AntonySerio · 02-11-2013, 08:45 PM

So, I am attempting a restore again. iTunes says that the capacity of my 8GB iPod is 6.36GB. Does that mean that the flash memory of my iPod has been damaged, and that I no longer have the full 8GB that my iPod came with? Is there a way that I can have Disk Utility take a look at my iPod and verify it's drive?

AntonySerio · 02-11-2013, 09:05 PM

Even setting up my iPod as a new device (rather than restoring from backup) didn't work. I have no idea where to go from here, aside from turning it in for a new gadget.

AntonySerio · 02-19-2013, 04:07 PM

The iTunes 11.0.2 patch apparently fixed the problem!!!!!

I just wish it came in before I spent fifty bux on a FM transmitter for my 'Droid tablet. I opened the box and recycled the packing material, but I may still have the receipt somewhere...

02-01-2013, 02:53 PM	#1
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	Unable to play podcasts Recently I have been having problems listening to audio podcasts on my 4th generation iPod thouch. I listened to podcasts for over a year using the Music app. then, recently (shortly after iTules 11 came out), Music quit playing podcasts. It would cycle through all of the podcasts in a playlist, without playing any of them, then go back to the playlist menu. New podcasts playlists would refuse to sync with Music. I upgraded to iOS 6.1, but that did not correct the problem. After a bit of research, I decided to try the Podcast app. When I downloaded Podcast app, the Music app displayed a message, telling me that I had to play podcasts using the Podcast app. Whenever I try to listen to a podcast using the Podcast app, I recieve an error message saying "Playback Failed". I can see the individual podcasts in the playlist that I synced with my iPod using iTunes, but none of them will play. After installing the Podcast app, none of my old podcasts are even showing up in the Music app aymore. Does the Podcast app require an internet connection to work? So far, I have only tried using the app at work, which does not have open WiFi. Most of the third-party podcast apps that I have seen look like they only sync through the 'cloud', rather than from my Mac. If I can not get the Podcast app to work, are there any other apps that will allow me to sync my podcasts using iTunes? Podcasts are one of the main reasons why I use my iPod touch, and without that functionality, it may as well have been 'bricked'.

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02-01-2013, 04:25 PM	#2
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	Well, I tried it at home, and the Podcast app works, but, once I put my iPod in 'airplane mode' (to simulate my WiFi-free work environment), the app no longer functioned. To me, this means that, it was working from the cloud. Now that I am at home, there appears to be a download function that wasn't available at work (hit the > at the top of the Episodes list and turn Subscription ON), so it could very well work without WiFi once it has been given enough time to download all of the podcasts that I want to listen to at work. However, from the looks of things, not all of the podcasts that I have subscribed to can be downloaded. The download button is not available, and the 'Playback Failed' error message appears whenever I try to play, even with a network connection. Apparently, iTunes is no longer used to sync podcasts (but if that is the case, why is there still a podcast tab in iTunes for managing my iPod?), so it looks like there was just another layer of complexity added to my iPod. I didn't like the way iTunes 11 handles podcasts or playlists for that matter. If there was a way to downgrade to 10 (and go back to iOS 5.x), I would... I will keep everybody informed as to how well this kludge works.

02-02-2013, 09:00 AM	#5
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	As per ganbustein's instructions, I have removed the podcast app. Music now has an older list of podcast playlists (dating back to December, which was the last time I was able to play podcasts), and it refuses to play any of them. The Music screen cycles through the entire list of podcasts in the playlist, at a rapid pace, without playing any of them. It was doing this before I upgraded to iOS 6.1. These are older playlists which I have not told iTunes to sync since December. I can not sync any new podcast playlists with my iPod using iTunes. I have rebooted my iPod several times, and would try removing and re-installing Music, if I was allowed to do so. My next option would be to 'restore' it, except for the fact that my iPod was flaking out the last time iTunes backed it up, so, it might very well still be squirrelly after restoration. Back in December, before all of these problems began, I was having difficulty syncing my iPod. iTunes would tell me that I didn't have enough memory on my iPod for any of my podcasts. I don't remember my exact resolution to that problem. I think I removed all of my music playlists, synced, then added each playlist back syncing all the while, and by the time I began adding podcasts, I had enough room again.

02-02-2013, 09:43 AM	#6
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	Well, I restored my iPod to it's factory settings, and now iTunes refuses to sync any of my music or podcast playlists. I can sync my apps just fine, but even though I told iTunes to sync my music playlists and my podcast playlist, whenever I open Music, it claims that it is empty. The iTunes 'storage meter' at the bottom of the screen for my iPod, says my iPod is nearly empty, with 947 MB of 'Other' and no music on it. When I switch iTunes from my iPod to my library and back to my iPod, the 'meter' then says that I have 2.32 GB of music on it. I've tried syncing several times. The top window never says that it is syncing music, and when I am done syncing, the 'meter' says that I have no music on my iPod, and the Music app is invariably empty. I could brave the Lake Effect snows and bring my iPod down to the nearest Genius Bar in Syracuse, but unless I lug my iMac down with me, I will not be able to demonstrate my syncing problems...

02-03-2013, 11:31 AM	#7
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	Is there any way to determine if this is an iTunes problem, or an iPod problem, without using a second Mac or iPod?

02-03-2013, 04:41 PM	#8
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	I decided to see if I could sync photos to my iPod, only to be told: "The iPod <iPod name> could not by synced because the connection to the iPod was lost." So, thinking to myself, 'I wonder if the cable is starting to go south'. I've had to chase my cat away from my computer several times after catching her using my iPod cable as a chew toy. So, I dug out a spare iPod cable, and tried syncing with that. No dice. Music still won't sync, and iTunes loses connection with photos. Any ideas, or is my iPod now a brick?

02-03-2013, 05:51 PM	#9
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,996	I have heard of this problem when connecting to the iPod through a USB hub. Are you connecting directly from your iPod to a built-in USB connection on your Mac? Even a USB extension cable might not be fully reliable. So, one USB cable connecting iPod directly to built-in USB port on your Mac.

02-08-2013, 04:36 PM	#11
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	So, Apple says the warranty is long gone on this iPod, and it is no longer eligible for AppleCare. I could either wait and see if somebody at Apple has a fix for this particular problem, or keep it for use around the house with speakers as a Pandora station. The apps work fine, I can still install new ones, either from iTunes or the App store, and the camera still works. Or, since the warranty is gone, are there any alternatives that I could use for uploading MP3 files to my iPod? Another alternative would be to wait for Blizzard season to be over, and exchange it for a newer one in Syracuse (and hopefully get a discount).

02-11-2013, 08:45 PM	#12
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	So, I am attempting a restore again. iTunes says that the capacity of my 8GB iPod is 6.36GB. Does that mean that the flash memory of my iPod has been damaged, and that I no longer have the full 8GB that my iPod came with? Is there a way that I can have Disk Utility take a look at my iPod and verify it's drive?

02-11-2013, 09:05 PM	#13
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	Even setting up my iPod as a new device (rather than restoring from backup) didn't work. I have no idea where to go from here, aside from turning it in for a new gadget.

02-19-2013, 04:07 PM	#14
AntonySerio Prospect Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	The iTunes 11.0.2 patch apparently fixed the problem!!!!! I just wish it came in before I spent fifty bux on a FM transmitter for my 'Droid tablet. I opened the box and recycled the packing material, but I may still have the receipt somewhere...