How to Download a Video Podcast
A video podcast is an episodically released series of video files that are distributed through a feed. Apple's iTunes program streamlines the podcast download process and enables users to activate subscriptions to periodically receive episodes. In addition to being a podcast client, iTunes also serves as the media management program for Apple's iPod and iPhone portable devices.
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Instructions
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Download and install iTunes. The free software can be obtained directly from the Apple website (see Resources).
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Set up an Apple account, this registration will enable you to download video podcasts from iTunes. Go to the "Store" tab on the iTunes program menu, select "Create Account" and follow the program instructions.
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Click on the URL to a video podcast feed on a Web page or enter it in the address field of a Web browser. ITunes will automatically open and populate with the episodes of the video podcast. Alternatively, users can access video podcasts by doing a search for their titles in the iTunes store.
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Select an episode on the video podcast page in iTunes. Click the "Get Episode" icon in the "Price" column to download the episode. If the video podcast is free, the download will commence immediately. If there's any cost associated with the video podcast, users will be prompted to log-in with their Apple ID and authorize the purchase. The episode will be downloaded and stored in the "Podcasts" section of the iTunes library.
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Subscribe to a video podcast to regularly receive episodes and automatic updates. Click the "Subscribe" icon on the video podcast's iTunes page and follow the program instructions to activate your subscription.
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Tips & Warnings
The iTunes program can still be used as a podcast client for video podcasts that are not recognized by the iTunes store. Just click on the "Advanced" tab on the program menu, select "Subscribe to Podcast", enter the podcast feed URL and click "OK". ITunes will activate a subscription to the video podcast and begin downloading episodes.
Video podcast episodes are typically encoded in a digital video compression format known as M4V. Users can access these M4V source files by right-clicking (CTRL-click for Mac users) on episodes, and selecting "Get Info". The file directory for an episode will display under the "Summary" tab in the information pop-up window. Although iTunes stores media in a default location, users can copy video files from their original directory to another location. Users can also go to this storage location to open M4V files in a media player and preview them independently of the iTunes program.
