Best MP3 players for podcasts
Obviously, an MP3 player's foremost purpose is music playback, but these days people are using their devices for much more than just that. You can view photos, watch videos, even play games in some cases. But perhaps one of the most popular side dishes people like to enjoy is podcasts--heck, it's the main dish for some. Podcasts are great for many reasons, not the least of which is that they're free. Plus, you can count on finding someone talking about just about any topic known to man, so there's something for everyone.
Of course, not every MP3 player handles podcasts equally, which is why I've rounded up some of the best options for you here. The criteria? At the very least have a separate menu sort dedicated to podcasts. Other desirable features include user-friendly podcast-management software, bookmarking capability (whether active or passive), accelerated fast-forwarding, variable playback speeds, and the ability to delete podcasts on the fly once you're done listening. All of the players here offer at least two of the extra features mentioned.
For a side-by-side comparison of the products with specs, please click here.
For more than five years, Jasmine France has covered a variety of tech products for CNET--from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices--but she's happiest where she is now: sitting atop a pile of MP3 players, "testing" every music service known to man, and jamming a variety of earbuds in every shape and color into her absurdly small ears. E-mail Jasmine.
Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
How is the iPhone in terms of handling Podcasts?
Does it offer automatic wireless (either on the cell data network or through wi-fi) updates of podcast episodes?
Yes you can download individual episodes of any podcast from the phone without itunes.
Itunes is truely absymal for podcasts though as you can set it to download the last XX number of individual podcasts and you can set it to sync a certain number of one podcast and a different number of a different podcast.
I have been using my PSP for listening to podcasts on my daily 2 1/2 hour roundtrip commute for the last 3 years. My only complaints are that Sony hasn't added bookmarking and 640x480 mp4 video support. However the PSP does remember where you stopped in the last audio and video file you played even when it is turned off.
so if its #1.
a zune button!!! or at least a url box to copy.
it's a creative zen in red!
Thanks for doing this roundup; I believe that podcast specific mp3 players will be a strong market in the coming years, but this is the first review addressing this market I have found.
I am still using an old iriver (ifp-890) because the other players I have looked at didn't meet my needs any better, I am looking for: multiple bookmarks, erase on the fly, replaceable batteries, non-linear fast forward/reverse, small size, adequate volume and most of all a reasonable user interface. I am willing to drop one or more of these criteria for a good player, most likely the replaceable battery aspect. For my needs-BBC,CBC,NPR , CNET and other spoken word podcasts- 4 GB of memory probably represents well over 100 hours of storage, so the size of the memory is hardly an issue these days.
I look forward to trying out the Fuze or Clip. If the Zune wasn't a Microsoft product and smaller it would be great. Itunes software is so slow and such a hog of CPU cycles I would love to avoid the ipod. The Creative Zen is just too much money for something I wear around my neck 3-4 hours a day. The price and size of the Cowan D2 surprised me so I might try that.
So being made by Microsoft already makes it a fail for you? Wow. Microsoft made Zune, so I don't see how it can't be a MS product. You can't undo that.
And the 4GB and 8GB are already pretty small in my opinion. Don't forget that they have bigger screens than most players of that size and storage.
Have you even used a Zune?
My favorite phrase on the Zune comes from "Chuck" (laden with extra sarcasm):
Morgan: "Let me go get my Zune"
Chuck: "You have a Zune?"
Morgan: "No, just kidding...I'll go get my iPod"
I've been amazed at the efforts that Sandisk has gone to to update and improve even their budget player.
My Archos 605 WiFi is the only player that I've seen handle this situation well (though I guess other Archos players would be ok as well) - and that's because it just looks under the Music folder for music Video for videos, etc. Podcasts go under the Podcasts folder, and I can access them with the Archos' file browser, and the player even gives me back/next buttons that work properly.
It's not perfect as a podcast player (no show notes viewer, no read / unread tracking of items, etc) but it's the best I've seen so far.
I have to agree that the Creative Zen family represents, with the ZENCast service, a very good value for this, and quite ahead of the Apple and Samsung proposals for it [specially the Samsung software is a bit of a nightmare to use, but much smaller and swifter than i-tunes].
The Zencast software is fast, and keeps tracks of each subscription [but it does not have separate propperties for each subscrition, as the Zune does], It allows you to select WHEN to clean the podcast reference, and when not. So, it does, contrary to iTunes, allow you to keep an archive of the shows you see.
Another good stuff is that the video conversion is done natively and works quite all right.
So I think they should be up there, or at least on the least.
Still, I have to say that you should avoid the Zen X-fi. It does add almost nothing, costs more, and looks -just the looks- rather cheap. It is wider [fatter] than the original Zen, and the controls are not well laid out [no referring to the nine botton array, but the placement of the main switch and the light acces, as well as the reset nipple.
Not a good upgrade for a former very good product.
Also, give me ZunePhone anyday over iPhone! And Windows is just wonderful. LOL
What puzzled me is the problem with HD videos. whenever I download a funny video,I have to convert the invalid video formats. It is very complicated. But since my friend recommends me a Pavtube video to ipod converter, I can download various HD videos with ease.
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by Chester_Lampwick
September 3, 2009 1:20 PM PDT
- So, please help me understand. Which of these players can I leave in my car and have new podcasts download automatically while unattended from my house's wi-fi while my car is sitting in my driveway? Do any of these integrate with OEM car radios, other than iPod?
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