Updating feeds and Downloading Podcasts

BeyondPod keeps a local (cached) copy of each subscribed feed, so you can view the feed content even if you are offline. To get the latest feed content, you have to tell BeyondPod to update (synchronize) a particular feed or feeds. Updates can potentially take a very long time and consume large amount of bandwidth and battery. BeyondPod lets you update a single feed or all feeds in a given category.

There are 2 ways to download podcasts for a given feed:

  • To download a single episode, open the feed (tap on it) and then use the Download button that is displayed for every episode in the feed’s content.
  • If you want to regularly download new episodes, you can configure the feed to automatically download new episodes during its update. To configure automatic downloads select the feed, then Menu > Edit Feed. Scroll down, and select Download Newest Episodes in the "Feed Podcast Episodes" box. You can optionally enter a number of episodes to download. Next time you run a feed update using Menu > Update, it will automatically download the new episodes.
Keep in mind that if you invoke a feed update from the refresh button of the Feed Content View, it will do a quick (feed only) update, and will not download any available podcasts. Use Menu > Update Feed or start the update by selecting the button on the Feeds View will do both update the feed and download any new podcasts.
Podcast Download Logic

BeyondPod offers 2 different algorithms for downloading podcast episodes. (You can select the desired algorithm in the "Feed Podcast Episodes" dropdown of the Feed Properties Dialog):
  • "Download Newest Episodes" - This algorithm is designed to always give you the latest available episodes (useful for News feeds where you always want the latest news). When using "Download Newest Episodes", BeyondPod first looks at the list of all available episodes, and then takes the 3 most recent (newest) episodes (this number can be configured for each feed in "Get XX episodes" in the feed properties). Out of the 3 it checks if any has been previously downloaded, ignores it, and downloads the remaining episodes. Before any episode is downloaded, BeyondPod will also check and delete any "old" episodes for that feed. You can set rules for which episodes are considered "old" using the Episode Cleanup settings in the properties of that feed. "Stream Newest Episodes" uses the same logic except instead of downloading the episodes it creates a "stream-able" versions of each episode (e.g. episode is downloaded as it is being played).
  • "Download Episodes In-Order" - This algorithm is optimized for feeds with episodes that are designed to be listened in order (for example audio books or lectures). When a feed is set to "Download Episodes in Order", it will start with the OLDEST available episodes and download the first (oldest) 3 (this number can be configured in "Get XX episodes" in the feed properties). As you listen (and delete) any of the downloaded episodes, you "make room" for the next episodes to be downloaded. (For example if initially Lecture 1, 2 and 3 were downloaded,  you first have to delete Lecture 1 to "make room" for Lecture 4 to be downloaded during the next update). "Stream Newest Episodes" uses the same logic except instead of downloading the episodes it creates a "stream-able" versions of each episode.

As podcasts are downloaded, they are added to the "download history" (marked as "Downloaded") so they are not downloaded again even if they are deleted.

Podcast cleanup settings (which old episodes to delete to make room for new ones) can be set globally for all feeds (in BeyondPod Settings > Feed Defaults ) or specified for each feed individually in the feed properties.