How do I use this?
Browsing Directories to Find Channels
By browsing the directory websites listed in the side panel, you can find many different channels to watch.
Most directories are organised by category, popularity, some combination of these.
Steps
- Expand the Channel Directories item in the side panel. To do this, just click the + button, or double-click the item.
- Choose a channel directory by double-clicking on it. The browser pane (where you're probably reading this help) will load the website.
- In the directory, find a channel you like the look of, and then find its feed link. Usually, this is an orange
XML link, or a little orange square with radiating curves, like this:
or
. However, in the directories and even on some individual
sites, you may have to look for a "feed" link. Basically, you have to use your imagination sometimes, since
this is all quite new, and not well standardised yet. - When you find the feed link, just click on it. After a moment, it should appear under "Subscribed Channels" in the side panel.
- If you can't find a direct link for a feed that works by clicking on it, you may be able to find out the URI (or URL) and copy it. Then, click the "Add" button below the side panel, and paste the URI in there instead.
Choosing Episodes to Download
Unlike TV, which is more like a continual stream of video, each podcatcher channel has many episodes, which you can individually choose to download and watch. This gives you much more freedom in watching what you like, and ignoring what you don't like. To choose episodes to watch, just follow these steps.
Steps
- Expand the "Subscribed Channels" item on the side bar so that you can see each channel. To do this, just double-click it, or click the + button beside it.
- Double-click on the channel you want to view. This will make the channel's episodes appear in the main browser area (where you are probably reading this manual).
- Browse the page for episodes you like the sound of. With most channels, you will get a description for each episode. However, some channels aren't very diligent about providing summaries for you. If it's missing, you'll just have to guess from the enclosure name. Which brings us to...
- In each episode, you'll see a list of enclosures. These are the actual downloadable movies or audio files (actually, they could be almost anything!). If there is more than one enclosure, it may be the same as the first, but in a different format that might play better on your computer. Another possibility is that the other enclosures might be different parts, like the first half of a movie, and the second. Normally, the episode or the enclosure name will give you a hint about what you're being offered.
- Enclosures you haven't yet downloaded are shown with the text "Click to Download". To download the enclosure of your choice, just click on its link.
Viewing Current Downloads
To view the media that is downloading, just double-click on "Downloads in Progress", on the side bar. Anything currently downloading will be shown there, along with the size, percentage downloaded, etc.
Note that as downloads finish, they will automatically disappear from this list, and be moved to the "Ready to Watch" page (see the next section for an explanation of that).
Also note that currently, only one item will download at a time. We plan to improve on this.
Choosing Something to Watch
To view items that have downloaded and are ready to watch, double-click on the "Ready to Watch" item on the side bar. Each downloaded movie, audio file, or other media item can be seen here. You can choose to watch the item by clicking on it, or you can delete the item (to free up hard disk space).