I'm thinking of upgrading from fenix 5x. Being able to play podcasts is one of the draws for me. I'm wondering, does the 5 plus series allow you to resume playback of podcasts where you left off? Can you skip podcasts and otherwise navigate on the watch? Have others found podcast playing to be satisfactory?
But I guess the deletion of the podcasts you have listened to is still something you need to do or do you somehow manage that through iTunes as well?
There is no way for the Fenix to communicated which ones have been played back to iTunes, is there?
Not that I've discovered. I use Apple podcasts to manage my podcasts. I mark the ones I listen do on the Garmin as played in the podcasts app or in iTunes. Then the Smart Playlist updates. I used Garmin Express to periodically remove the Smart Playlist from the watch and then to add the new updated one.
Update: I'm not finding that my approach to managing podcasts is no longer working reliably. As I described earlier, I created a "smart playlist" in iTunes to hold unplayed podcasts. Initially, I could transfer this playlist to the 5+ and play the individual episodes in sequence. Now I find that the smart playlist is no longer transferring correctly--only some of podcasts in the list are transferred. I can transfer the episodes individually but then I have to start each one after the previous one. In addition, I will transfer some this way and others previously listened to and removed show back up. Very buggy.
Update: I'm not finding that my approach to managing podcasts is no longer working reliably. As I described earlier, I created a "smart playlist" in iTunes to hold unplayed podcasts. Initially, I could transfer this playlist to the 5+ and play the individual episodes in sequence. Now I find that the smart playlist is no longer transferring correctly--only some of podcasts in the list are transferred. I can transfer the episodes individually but then I have to start each one after the previous one. In addition, I will transfer some this way and others previously listened to and removed show back up. Very buggy.
Using a smart playlist of podcasts continues to work consistently for me with 4.20. If there is a podcast in the smart playlist in iTunes that I do not want transferred, I uncheck it. I routinely remove the smart playlist before adding it back once it has accumulated new podcasts.
Using a smart playlist of podcasts continues to work consistently for me with 4.20. If there is a podcast in the smart playlist in iTunes that I do not want transferred, I uncheck it. I routinely remove the smart playlist before adding it back once it has accumulated new podcasts.
I'm assuming that you're transferring as a playlist rather than as podcasts? I'm not sure what broke mine but it's definitely broken. As I said I can transfer the podcasts but transfer to the playlist with the podcasts is broken.
I think it would be fantastic if some developer wrote a CIQ app specifically for podcast management and playback! It would be great if we could configure the podcasts we want over a web interface and then have the Fenix 5+ automatically sync over wifi and fetch the new episodes and delete the played ones. I would easily pay $5-$10 for that CIQ app and would be reason enough to by the Fenix 5+
The way it stands though, the manual sync of podcasts, deletion etc over a USB connection is so 2000s, I cannot even begin thinking of going back to that process.
I don't want to run afoul of any rules on app promotion, but since I just released an app that does exactly this, I figured I'd chime in.
The app is called Runcasts and it lets you setup your podcast subscriptions using a phone-friendly web-app after which you can sync new podcast episodes down to your watch with a click. No iTunes or computer is necessary.
This looks really promising and I've signed up. So far, most of the podcasts I listen to (medical journals) are not available through Runcasts. For me this will be a game changer when a wide variety of content including this kind of niche content is available. My fingers are crossed.
I'm assuming that you're transferring as a playlist rather than as podcasts? I'm not sure what broke mine but it's definitely broken. As I said I can transfer the podcasts but transfer to the playlist with the podcasts is broken.
I am transferring my podcasts as a smart playlist. You should be able to see what podcasts are in the smart playlist by looking at it in iTunes. If you uncheck a podcast, it will disappear. If a podcast has a cloud icon next to it, it will not transfer since it has not been downloaded. As I mentioned previously, if there are new podcasts in the smart playlist, I remove the smart playlist from the watch before I upload the updated smart playlist. Any changes to which podcasts show up in the smart playlist have to happen in iTunes.
I don't want to run afoul of any rules on app promotion, but since I just released an app that does exactly this, I figured I'd chime in.
The app is called Runcasts and it lets you setup your podcast subscriptions using a phone-friendly web-app after which you can sync new podcast episodes down to your watch with a click. No iTunes or computer is necessary.
Wow that is fantastic and thank you for making my dream come true! :) Out of curiosity how long did it take you develop this?
