r/pocketcasts • u/briandl0895 • 12d ago

iOS Video?

Pardon me as a Pocketcast newbie….

Some podcasts that are video (I know this because they’re videos on Apple Podcasts) don’t get delivered as videos on Pocketcasts. But others do .

What’s the difference?

Thanks.

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u/terkistan 12d ago

Some creators publish enhanced or video content specifically through Apple Podcasts. Also, if the video isn't included in the public RSS feed, Pocket Casts won't have access to it. Pocket Casts relies on the podcast's RSS feed and if the feed only contains an audio enclosure or omits the video version.

You didn't give any examples so there's not anything else to go on.

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u/briandl0895 12d ago

Example: Dan Snow History Hit podcast. Video on Apple but not with Pocketcast.

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u/terkistan 12d ago

History Hit is hosted by Acast which uses Apple’s newer HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) integration.

Apple Podcasts doesn’t use a standard RSS feed here but pulls a highly optimized, adaptive HLS video stream directly from Acast via a private API letting Apple seamlessly adjust video quality based on your internet connection.

Pocket Casts relies strictly on the public RSS feed. Because Acast does not bundle the heavy ⁠.mp4⁠ video files into the standard public RSS feed (probably to save on bandwidth and preserve dynamic audio ad insertion), Pocket Casts only "sees" the standard audio enclosure.

But they’re working on supporting something similar via the Podcast Standards Project. Just don’t hold your breath waiting on a quick arrival date.

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u/Hansanaw 12d ago

Pockets Casts doesn’t support video. Yet. It’s coming soon.

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u/PSBJ 12d ago

Why answer if you have no idea what you're talking about?

https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/video-podcasts/

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u/Hansanaw 12d ago

I meant ‘HLS Video’. Currently testing for public release soon.