Kenneth writes in how he solved the current unbookmarkable problem with MP3 podcasts….First tried using a digital player and then a MP3 CD player. I found neither device podcast friendly. What they lack is a way to book mark a podcast. My solution is to use the ordinary (non MP3) CD player installed in my car. Most CD writing software will make a standard (CDA audio) CD directly from MP3 file input. Now when I turn off my car or switch to the radio the CD podcast stays just where I left it. Anyone else have solutions?
10 thoughts on “The best Podcast player- a CD?”
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Pocket Tunes for Palm allows you to set an option that enables auto-bookmarking. If you leave a podcast a bookmark is saved in a list. You can listen to other tracks and then return to where you left of by picking the bookmark out of the list.
I use an iPod. MP3s can’t be bookmarked per se, but you can use the “Quick Convert” script from Doug’s Applescripts for iTunes to convert the MP3 to a bookmarkable AAC.
iPod shuffle. Even if you turn it off it will pick up from where it left off (presumably writes the location to disk on shutdown and reads it on start up). I use it for audiobooks all the time.
Sony minidisc players all keep your place when you stop. The first generation Hi-MD and all MDLP players allow you to d/l MP3s to them via USB, although they are transcoded to ATRAC in the process. The loss in quality is nearly nil.
The new generation Hi-MD all play back MP3 natively, and to the best of my knowledge, will also hold your place when stopped.
I have a Rio 600 MP3 player and a SF100 SoundFeeder (manufactured by Arkon Resources, Inc.) to broadcast through the speakers in my truck. Like Philip, I find that CDs are much more convenient, however. Although CD-Rs are relatively cheap, I can burn through a stack of 50 in just a couple months (the ‘burn’ pun was intentional). I had tried CD-RWs, but the player in my truck wouldn’t recognize them. About a month ago I discovered that I could use Audio CD-RWs or Music CD-RWs and they will play in my truck CD player. I found a 3-pack of Music CD-RWs at my local Circuit City for around $6, which quickly comes out cheaper than CD-Rs.
I have taken to converting the mp3s with faac, name the file .m4b and sync to the iPod with gtkPod. Although even without doing all this, I can pause the ipod, and as long as I don
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I have taken to converting the mp3s with faac, name the file .m4b and sync to the iPod with gtkPod. Although even without doing all this, I can pause the ipod, and as long as I don’t go listen to something else, when I start it back up it will start up where it left off.
The iPod’s bookmarks are not perfect either. I have not figured out what causes it, but once in a while it will forget where it is in a file and start over when I press play.
The Rio 500 allows for bookmarking of MP3 files. I believe you can set 16 bookmarks. The bookmarks seem to work until you add/delete files from the Rio. It’s been working for my podcasting needs for more than a year now.
My little MP3 player can remember what file it was playing when it shuts off, but not how far into it. It also has a very short 1 minute timeout when paused, not even enough time to order a mocha. I split podcasts with mp3splt into directories full of 5-minute pieces (oh, and the number has to be a the beginning of the filename, not the end, or the player won’t play them in order, either….) It’s a long way from an ideal solution, which would be to get an MP3 player that can remember where it was in a file when shut down (which, oddly, is not something the manufactures advertise even though it is my #1 criterion for my next player), but it does make the situation manageable.