Sync podcasts - One iPod w/ Two Computers

[DomitianX]

I need to know if this is possible.

I want to set iTunes to automatically sync podcast to my iPod on two different computers. I am using iTunes 7 on both machines. Both machines are WinXP.

I have sort of gotten it to work by subscribing to the same podcasts on both machines, and that seems to work, but I have issues if I subscribe to a new podcast on my work computer and then go home to sync again on my home computers and it doesn't have that new subscription. It erases the podcasts from that subscription.

I dont want to manually manage the podcasts, I would rather have it jsut download the new ones and automatically synch.

My music is manually managed though and I want to keep it that way.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
--Mike

[booyah]

I think you'll just need to make sure that when you add a new subscription to one computer, you do the same to the other.

I've had mixed success using one iPod with two computers, but this should work fine for podcasts, I think.

[alexindia]

Hi....

you write about "mixed success using one iPod with two Computers". What success do you have?
I am trying it, too, and fail with that synch issue. (one iPod only synchs to one library)
any ideas, tricks etc?

[studogvetmed]

That's the way the iPod is. There really isn't much way around it. The iPod, while on automatic, can only be "set" to one computer. It will always mirror iTunes. If you can keep both iTunes "the same" then there won't be any issues, but you can't "directly" automatically sync between two computer. The iPod just isn't made that way.

The way around it of course, is to make sure if you subscribe to a new podcast at work, before you sync your iPod at home, you subscribe to the podcast at home.

[Sparkee]

Your best bet would be to use an online service that will combine multiple feeds and track the history into a single RSS feed. You could then subscribe to the individual combined feed on both computers and have up to date info.

I have not found the prefect service yet that doesn't require you to go to their web site. PodShow (http://www.podshow.com/)will combine everything into a single feed but it seems like you need to logon to their website before the RSS feed is updated. It works well but it should update automatically.

Podcast Ready is kind of unique in that it will work with myPodder, a program you can install on your iPod and get your Podcasts. The problem here is myPodder writes a playlist of your podcasts but the time is messed up and it doesn't play nice with iTunes. Podcast Ready does also give you "The Private Channel" that does create a feed for you that you can subscribe to in iTunes but you can only send individual episodes to it. Again you should be able to add all your feeds to create 1 or more "channels".

Something I have yet to try is FeedShake (http://feedshake.com/), they claim to be able to "merge, sort and filter multiple RSS, Atom feeds and Podcasts". All you need to do is enter the URL for multiple podcast feeds and it will combine them for you. I will try it out when I get time.

Edit: I notice the PodShow (http://www.podshow.com/) feed does update on it's own now. There may have been a glitch in my first tests. So for now this would be my choice of services. I should also add all these services provide free accounts.