What
is a podcast?
Although podcasting is new, it is well on its way to becoming a mainstream
communication medium. Podcasting, simply put, is media files audio, video,
documents, etc.) that are delivered via RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
feed. It works the same as a standard news aggregator, the only difference
is that the feed you subscribe to contains an audio or video file in it.
Instead of reading content, you can listen to, or watch, the contents of
your feed using a reader or aggregator that supports podcasting, or you
can listen to them on an iPod or similar device. While podcasting was named
for the iPod, you do not have to have an iPod to enjoy a podcast.
Subscribers to podcast feeds benefit from podcasting because, like RSS,
podcasting is a means to publish content that ultimately gives the recipient
the control over the information they want to see or hear.
Another benefit to podcasting is the fact that users can sync content with
their media player and listen or watch at a time and a place of their choosing.
More than just radio or television on demand, podcasting offers visitors
the opportunity to determine their own program, time and place, meaning
they decide what programming they want to receive and when they want to
watch or listen to it.
How do I receive podcasts?
In three simple steps web surfers can listen to or watch podcasts:
1. Download a news aggregator or RSS reader (iTunes, Odeo, Podcast Alley,
for example) that supports podcasting or sync a wireless device like an
iPod with your computer. Most computers now come with this software pre-installed.
2. Enter the URL of the podcast feed into the news aggregator or podcast
management software. (This can be found when you select the Avatar podcast
you want to watch)
3. When a new item is added to the Avatar Podcast page, you will automatically
be notified of the new addition.
Podcasts are usually published with associated meta information that includes
descriptive data about each specific audio file. This allows listeners to
make a determination of which audio items are of interest. If listeners
are using a news aggregator that supports podcasting, they will automatically
receive updates in their feed reader or news aggregation software when a
new podcast exists for a feed that they have subscribed to.
Using iTunes
With the advent of podcasting as a way to widely distribute
audio or video content, Star's Edge has made available talks by Harry Palmer
and promotional videos of courses. These video podcasts are offered
free of charge and can be viewed on your computer or downloaded to your
computer to place on your media player (such as a video iPod).
These videos can be accessed from the Avatar
Podcast website or from iTunes.
Be aware that if you download the file from the Avatar Podcast website,
you will need a podcast reader program (such as iTunes) to play the video.
There are literally thousands of free podcast (RSS) readers available online,
iTunes is just the most widely used.
If you already have iTunes installed on your computer,
just visit the music store, click on the podcast store and browse for either
"Avatar" or "Professional Course".
If you do not already have iTunes, it is available as
a free download here.
When you get the videos from iTunes you can select and
watch the videos or you can subscribe to the podcast. This means that anytime
a new episode is added to the Avatar podcast feed, you will be notified
of the new addition.
Why is podcasting beneficial to the subscriber?
Unlike traditional radio, with podcasting the subscriber decides what
content he/she receives. Podcasting is extremely useful to the subscriber
because the user can easily receive information he/she would like, and listen
to it when they want. The material, once downloaded, can be listened to
and viewed on wireless handhelds, allowing subscribers to utilize time on
the road.
The fate of podcasting is in the hands of the subscribers. The subscriber
can easily delete podcast feeds that do not satisfy their needs with the
single tap of a button.
Download Concerns
In order to place a podcast onto your media player (iPod, MP3 player)
your will need to download the file to your computer first. The Avatar podcasts
will be available as free downloads from various podcast directories, including
iTunes, Yahoo!Podcasts, Podcast Alley, and Odeo. The files will also be
available here on the Avatar Podcast page.
Download times will vary depending upon the size of the media file. The
length of a program (audio or video) will determine the size of the file.
Videos of substantial length may take as much as 20 minutes to download,
depending upon the speed of your Internet connection. Please be patient.
You can start the download then return to the Avatar Podcast page and view
the program as the file downloads to your computer.
To download a video podcast from the Avatar
Podcast list, select the "see all episodes" option for the
podcast you wish to download. You will see two buttons near the bottom of
the next page: one to view the video, the other to begin downloading the
file to your computer.
Once the file is downloaded, you can place it into your RSS Reader program
(iTunes, Odeo, Podcast Alley, etc.). Now that the file is ready, you should
be able to upload it directly to your video media player (iPod, for example)
just as you would an audio file. You will need to make sure that you have
a media player that supports video playback.
You can also subscribe directly to Avatar Podcasts by copying and pasting
the feed URL (found on the Avatar Podcast page) into your RSS feed reader
program (in iTunes, this would be under the "Advanced" heading,
"Subscribe to podcast" option). When you subscribe to a podcast,
you are automatically notified when a new episode is added to the feed.
All content copyright 2008, Star’s Edge, Inc.
EPC is a service mark of Star's Edge, Inc. Avatar®, ReSurfacing®,
Thoughtstorm®, Love Precious Humanity®, Enlightened Planetary Civilization®
and Star’s Edge International® are registered trademarks of Star’s
Edge, Inc. All rights reserved.
