Turn off Cloud for Podcasts

And there it is in a nutshell. Automatic downloads doesn't automatically download anymore. The "Refresh" key just loads in the podcasts with the cloud, doesn't download them, doesn't sync to iPhone. You have to take the second step of clicking on the cloud to get the download actually to occur. Which sort of reduces the functionality of "automatic download."

MacInWin said:

And there it is in a nutshell. Automatic downloads doesn't automatically download anymore. The "Refresh" key just loads in the podcasts with the cloud, doesn't download them, doesn't sync to iPhone. You have to take the second step of clicking on the cloud to get the download actually to occur. Which sort of reduces the functionality of "automatic download."

Click to expand...

That's a bug you have. Automatic downloads work, day in day out. The OP has turned auto downloads off because they don't like anything automatic but don't have time to manage podcasts on an iPod but want to manage, and have time, to manage to them on iTunes.

newcoyote said:

You are missing something(though I appreciate your trying). I now have to hit refresh and it will indicate it is checking.

I then have to expand and check EACH individual podcast to see if there is a cloud to click on.

Before, I just hit refresh, a "downloading" symbol would appear if applicable, I could click on that and open a small window that would show what new downloads where happening. That was it. Really all I had to do was one click. Refresh. I just clicked on the "downloading" to see what was new. I did not have to expand and check each individual podcast then click the cloud icon to make it available for syncing. It may be of note I can play the podcast on my desktop before clicking the cloud. They just won't sync until the cloud symbol has been clicked.

Click to expand...

They can't sync until you click the cloud because THAT triggers the download because you've turned auto downloads off. If you change your view you don't have to expand anything. In fact if you're short of time and don't want to spend your time micro managing on the iPod turn on auto download (it's there to do the work for you). Then all you have to do is sync and walk away.

You can set how they are deleted too. No fuss. Sorry, I've tried to give you a solution but the issue here is that the mechanic of how this happens has changed. Either regress a version of iTunes, or just let go and change your way of doing things. Let the machine do the work.

mrplow said:

That's a bug you have. Automatic downloads work, day in day out. The OP has turned auto downloads off because they don't like anything automatic but don't have time to manage podcasts on an iPod but want to manage, and have time, to manage to them on iTunes.

Click to expand...

No, they don't work, ever, for me on that podcast. I've turned on so-called automatic downloads and all I get for it are the clouds. It may be a bug, but whatever it is, Automatic downloads don't work. Period.

mrplow said:

They can't sync until you click the cloud because THAT triggers the download because you've turned auto downloads off. If you change your view you don't have to expand anything. In fact if you're short of time and don't want to spend your time micro managing on the iPod turn on auto download (it's there to do the work for you). Then all you have to do is sync and walk away.

You can set how they are deleted too. No fuss. Sorry, I've tried to give you a solution but the issue here is that the mechanic of how this happens has changed. Either regress a version of iTunes, or just let go and change your way of doing things. Let the machine do the work.

Click to expand...

You're obviously not getting the point at all. I tried to explain but you're just insisting I am defective by wanting things how they worked before or there is problem with how I manage my priorities.My request was VERY simple. Help me get things back the way they were. Thats it. If you want to help, fine. If you cannot provide what I asked for, then just stay out of it.Things changed. I got that part. I didn't need you telling me. Others seem to understand.

mrplow, I think what you are missing is that previously when one clicked on the "Refresh" button on the List view of podcasts, iTunes looked for new podcasts AND DOWNLOADED THEM. Now, regardless of the Automatic Download settings, clicking "Refresh" only brings into view the new podcasts and does NOT download them. You have to click on the cloud icon, whether or not Automatic Downloads is chosen or not. And that is a change from what was before and is what newcoyote and I are complaining about. Nothing you've suggested to date makes any difference in that failure of iTunes to download as it used to.

For newcoyote, I think we're simply out of luck. Something has changed in iTunes to change the behavior and although I've changed every parameter I can think of, I cannot get it back to the way it was, either. For me, it's not terrible because I only subscribe to two podcasts daily, so clicking a cloud symbol twice each day is no big deal. Maybe somebody who knows Applescript better than me can suggest a way to add a service to iTunes to automate clicking on all the little clouds.

Seems to me there are two issues here.

One, newcoyote is having podcasts basically "never" download vs MacInWin's issue of, from what I can tell - one Podcast subscription randomly does or does not download.

Could be wrong - In newcoyote's case, sounds to me like Automatic Downloads is set to 'Never' in the Defaults menu, If so, they are not going to download - period - without clicking on the cloud icon.

It can be set to 'Manually' check for new episodes - which means new downloads would not happen until they are manually checked. But, 'Automatic Downloads' has to be turned on in order for them to have any chance of downloading automatically after that manual check vs them still being "in the cloud".

edit:
nevermind - think both of you just responded to this post while I was typing it...

Have to say though, my subscribed podcasts all download automatically and I do not have to click on any cloud icon.

Bob, that's close to what I'm seeing, but not exactly. For the one podcast, it NEVER downloads until I click the cloud. For my other one, it's random. Lately it's been better, but it missed yesterday, worked today. But in any case, it's not working like it used to before the last major update to iTunes, which was, as I recall, associated with Mavericks release. In addition, syncing to the IOS application Podcasts is less reliable for me. In fact, more than 50% of the time after syncing the new podcasts are NOT there and are downloaded by the iPhone directly to the Podcasts app. I take this behavior as Apple's way to weaning away from any Podcast support in iTunes, forcing all podcasts to go to the Podcast app. I wonder if they plan on a Podcast application for OSX? I sometimes listen to podcasts on my iPhone, sometimes on my MBP. I like the flexibility to be able to do that, or I'd quit the iTunes podcast downloads altogether as a "not ready for prime time" un-feature. ;D

I went ahead and subscribed to the one you had in the link above so I can see what my experience is over a week or so and then play around with settings. Does FBC have a new podcast daily?

No, it's weekly. I contacted our tech support guy and he is looking into it to see if it is something they are doing. One thing I noted is that the files are coming down as "name.mp3.mp3" which may or may not be part of the problem.

MacInWin said:

mrplow, I think what you are missing is that previously when one clicked on the "Refresh" button on the List view of podcasts, iTunes looked for new podcasts AND DOWNLOADED THEM. Now, regardless of the Automatic Download settings, clicking "Refresh" only brings into view the new podcasts and does NOT download them. You have to click on the cloud icon, whether or not Automatic Downloads is chosen or not. And that is a change from what was before and is what newcoyote and I are complaining about. Nothing you've suggested to date makes any difference in that failure of iTunes to download as it used to.

For newcoyote, I think we're simply out of luck. Something has changed in iTunes to change the behavior and although I've changed every parameter I can think of, I cannot get it back to the way it was, either. For me, it's not terrible because I only subscribe to two podcasts daily, so clicking a cloud symbol twice each day is no big deal. Maybe somebody who knows Applescript better than me can suggest a way to add a service to iTunes to automate clicking on all the little clouds.

Click to expand...

Yes. This is what I mean. No it is not a major life hassle, rather an annoyance among many other daily annoyances. I have a very busy schedule and it adds up.Nothing to whine about and I'm sure I sound a lot worse than I mean to. I was hoping someone could point out something simple I overlooked but I guess not. Sorry mrplow for getting snappy, I know you mean well.

Finally a Fix

31 MAY 2014
FINALLY A SOLUTION
Since ios7 online formus have had many people complaining that the functionality of the Podcast app.
For some months I have had no success in getting podcasts to sync over USB with my iMac.
Sync from iTunes says it is copying files to my iPod. Indeed the "On This iPod" tab shows that the files have indeed been synced, but they resolutely refuse to appear in the Podcast app.
The problem appears to be that while the files will sync happily the podcast app insists on getting its episode list synced from the cloud.
So briefly establishing a WiFi connection from my iPod would suddenly make all the podcasts that had been synced over USB from my iMac appear.
This is such an annoyingly lame solution I had hoped that Apple would fix this but as at iTunes 11.2.2 (3) and Podcasts 2.1.1 (580) the problem remains.
I have now found a more satisfying and permanent solution. I think the problem stemmed from my original use of the Podcast App.
I actually subscribed to a number of my favorite podcasts from within the App itself. It is these in-app subscriptions which are obscuring/interfering with the ability to automatically sync with iTunes over USB.
To fix the problem simply delete the podcast locally on your iPod.
Press "Edit" top left of the "My Podcasts" tab. Then press the X next to each subscription.
Don't worry the podcast and all selected episodes will automatically reappear the next time you sync with iTunes. And the great thing is that from then on the display of synced episodes in the Podcasts app won't require you to establish a connection to the internet directly from your iPod after every sync in order to see your latest episodes.