Podcasts


SyncTunes will allow you to select podcasts: the basic setting is to transfer all podcasts within iTunes or only those that have not been played yet. When SyncTunes transfers podcasts it updates each podcasts' 'date updated' and 'played count' so that new podcasts can be identified for the next Sync. Once selected the amount of diskspace needed for the podcasts will be calculated, be combined with the space required by the playlist, and displayed in the status area in the main window.

Advanced settings are available that will limit the selection criteria to those shows that have been downloaded by iTunes within the last N hours/days/weeks, and to those shows that are enabled within the iTunes Podcasts playlist.

Note: iTunes provides a small checkbox next to each podcast show. When the checkbox is 'ticked' the show is enabled.

Podcasts can replace those already in the special 'podcasts' subfolder within the Destination Folder or be merged with them.

Note: If both playlist and podcasts are set to be ignored, but there is a selected Volume, a Sync can still be performed. In this case any M3U playlists will be regenerated, if M3U playlists are set to be created.

Main Window (basic) settings
Playlist-main

Playlist settings are described here.

  • Ignore podcasts and sync only playlist
  • Replace or merge with existing podcasts
  • Option to delete copied podcasts from iTunes
  • Select all or only new podcasts
  • Transferred podcasts' played count and date updated

Options¹:
  1. Sync shows option [C]: this option enables podcasts to be transferred during the sync. This option will be automatically selected when SyncTunes launches if the the special Podcast playlist is detected in iTunes.
  2. All/New either/or option [A / N]: this selection will determine if all podcasts are to be transferred or just those that are new [new = played count is 0]. Use the Advance:Podcasts menu to restrict the podcasts to those that have been added to iTunes with the last N hours/days/weeks.
  3. Current PDA tracks will be either/or selection: If the Replaced option is selected then the current podcasts on the memory card will be synchronised with the selected iTunes podcasts. If the Merged option is selected then the new tracks will be added to the memory card's existing podcast tracks.
  4. Delete podcasts in iTunes option [D]: this options will ensure that, once successfully transferred to the memory card, the podcasts will be deleted from within iTunes and the Finder.

Advance Menu settings
Podcasts-adv

  • Select to remove iTunes marker for new podcasts
  • Set whether to update iTunes play counters
  • Restrict podcasts to those received by iTunes within the last hours/days/weeks
  • Restrict podcasts to those that are enabled/checked in iTunes

Options²:
  1. Remove 'New Show' mark in iTunes option: this option will momentarily play the podcast in iTunes to force the removal of the 'New Show' mark (the blue blob) to the left of the podcast. This is useful because iTunes will stop automatically downloading shows that have 5 or more unlistened to shows (i.e. shows that have the 'New Show' marker). This will only be performed on unplayed podcasts where the 'Played Count' is zero.
  2. Sync updates iTunes' ... option: this option will set the podcast's 'Last Played' date to the time of the sync and with increment the 'Play Count' by 1.
  3. Date added within option: this option allows podcasts to be restricted to a specified time within which they were added to the iTunes Podcasts playlist. Use the right-hand list to select the time units (hours/days/weeks) and the left-hand list to select the number of units.
  4. Only if 'enabled' in iTunes option: this option allows podcasts to be restricted to those that are enabled with iTunes. When a podcast is added to iTunes it is automatically enabled. Enabled podcasts are denoted by a ticked blue box next to the podcast: for example, the following screenshot shows that #314 of Adam Curry's Daily Source Code is enabled while #312 and #313 are not.
Enabled podcasts example


Notes:
¹ Some options have associated keystrokes, e.g. [P] denotes that the p key activates the option
² Using both options will restrict the selected podcasts to those that are 'enabled' and dated in the specified timeWhen an unplayed podcast is synced the 'Played Count' will be set to 1: this is necessary to determine which are new shows as the 'New Show' mark is only visual.