Podcast Galactica

What Is Podcasting?

Podcast Galactica & Podcasting

"Podcasting" is making audio files (most commonly in MP3 format) available online in a way that allows software to automatically download the files for listening at the user's convenience.

Battlestar Galactica has taken this concept into the science fiction television arena with expected results. Battlestar Galactica fans have taken to Podcast Galactica with the fervor that most SF fans brings to new technology.

Where did podcasting come from?

Adam Curry, popular MTV DJ is credited with having started the Podcast revolution. While it’s been around before August 2004, he launched a website "Podcasts" and made podcasts available as MP3 downloads. The whole concept of on-demand commentary delivery simply took off and hasn’t stopped since.

The word "podcasting" is a portmanteau of the words iPod and broadcasting. A podcast is like an audio magazine subscription: a subscriber receives regular audio programs delivered via the internet, and they can listen to them at their leisure.

Podcasts differ from traditional Internet audio

Podcasts differ from traditional Internet audio in two important ways. In the past, listeners have had to either tune in to web radio on a schedule, or they have had to search for and download individual files from webpages. Podcasts are much easier to get. They can be listened to at any time because a copy is on the listener's computer or portable music player (hence the "pod" in "podcasting"), and they are automatically delivered to subscribers, so no active downloading is required.

The Podcast Galactica version follows this convention, making it easy to keep up with the background information as you watch each episode.

Similar to using TiVo!

Podcasting is functionally similar to the use of timeshift-capable digital video recorders (DVRs), such as, TiVo, which let users record and store telvision shows for later viewing. I know that I have my collection of stored Battlestar Galactica and Stargate (whaever) series stored. My daughter, Vashti, even bought me a DVD recorder for Christmas, so that I could record on DVD (for personal use) and free up some space on my DVR to record more stuff. This is the same principal. You can record your podcast onto your iPod, a CD or other MP3 device for later enjoyment.

“PODcasting will shift much of our time away from an old medium where we wait for what we might want to hear to a new medium where we choose what we want to hear, when we want to hear it, and how we want to give everybody else the option to listen to it as well.” – Don Searls

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How do I get Podcast Galactica?

Here's what you'll need: a computer, an Internet connection, a portable MP3 player or MP3-playback application on your computer, and some free podcasting software. 1. Install the software on your computer (PC or Mac). 2. Subscribe to a Podcast Feed by pasting its URL into your Podcast application. 3. The next time you synch your MP3 device, any new audio files added since your last synch will automatically be downloaded.

Here’s the URL for Podcast Galactica: Copy-and-paste the following URL into your Podcast application: http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/downloads/podcast/podcast.xml
When you synch your MP3 device, you'll automatically receive any new commentary that's been posted. Start playing each episode's file when the words "The Cylons Were Created By Man" appear on your TV screen. Beeps will indicate when to pause for commercial breaks.

What Software Do I Use?

Depending on your preference, you can use

FeedDemon which is the one I’m using with iTunes which handles the Podcasts and RSS feeds at the same. It runs like Outlook.
Another Podcast application like Blogmatrix Sparks which ties into iTunes. >BlogMatrix Sparks
For Windows Podcast Galactica Software including iPodder, jPodder (Windows)click here: WINDOWS Podcast Software
iPodderX (MacOS X), click here: MacOS X Podcast Software
FeedDemon which is the one I’m using with iTunes which handles the Podcasts and RSS feeds at the same. FeedDemon enables you to quickly explore the world of RSS/Atom news feeds from your desktop without having to visit hundreds of sites. Written by Nick Bradbury, creator of TopStyle and HomeSite, FeedDemon makes news feeds as easy to access as your email. More Info on Feed Demon Here

No iPod or MP3 device? Do you want to play it on your computer or burn a CD for your CD player?

You can also manually download the MP3 files from SCIFI.COM and burn them to a CD and use your CD like you would your MP3 player.

Each episode's Podcast Galactica commentary is divided into five files, one for each segment of the show: the Teaser (the part before the opening credits); and Acts One, Two, Three and Four. Begin playing segment one when the words "The Cylons Were Created By Man" appear on your TV screen accompanied by that vaguely disturbing, relentless "You are being pursued and if we catch you, we will tear you limb from limb." music plays behind it.

Start each new segment after each commercial break ends.

If you download the "Full Episode" MP3, start at the same point, and pause for commercial breaks when you hear a beep. I found it easier to do it in the segmented version with five individual files for my iPod and CD player, but that's just me.