Using the Zune Software it is easy to listen to PodCasts on the Windows Phone. If you commute or have to wait regularly, you miss a lot when you don’t plug in your earplugs or connect your Windows Phone to your Car Stereo. There are many PodCasts and there is a lot to learn.
For European Listeners there are some hickups: the Zune is officially not available in Europe, so PodCasts exclusively for Zune are restricted for use outside the USA. You can experience that by using the Zune links that are on the official homepages of the PodCasts. I’ve had a likewise experience when I subscribe from within the PodCast player in Windows Phone, showing a “cannot play this PodCast” message instead of playing it.
To avoid this problem enter the RSS feed URL of a PodCast in the Subscribe dialog that appears when you click the Add a PodCast button at the bottom left of the Zune PodCast screen. When the PodCast episodes list has loaded, drag interesting episodes to you Windows Phone.
When you hit the Series Settings button on the right of the screen next to the episodes list, you can determine how podcasts are downloaded and synched to your phone:
The Windows Phone standard PodCast player is actually very nice and complete, but if you want more or other features you can search the MarketPlace for other PodCast Players. Screenshots below illustrate the path to playing a episode from .NET Rocks!:
When a PodCast is playing, you can always adjust volume or stop the show by using the volume button of you phone. It will place the player controls over any screen that is currently showing, even the startup screen:
It is hard, if not impossible to find the URLs back for the feeds once you are subscribed. Feeds I’m listening to are:
Dot NET Rocks!: http://www.pwop.com/feed.aspx?show=dotnetrocks
The Tablet Show: http://www.pwop.com/feed.aspx?show=thetabletshow
Deep Fried Bytes: http://feeds.feedburner.com/deepfriedbytes
DotNed PotCasts: http://www.dotned.nl/podcasts/podcasts.xml
HanselMinutes: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HanselminutesCompleteMP3
Yet Another Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/JesseLibertyYapcast
MacWorld: http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mwpodcast.rss
Windows Phone Dev PodCast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/WindowsPhoneDevPodcast Windows Weekly: http://leoville.tv/podcasts/ww.xml
Njoy!