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I have missed out on the last two shows because I can’t seem to download the darn files.

There are two things that stop me from downloading the recent podcasts.

I am on a slow 56k modem at home. Don’t ask me to upgrade, I can’t, for various reasons.

Since I’m stuck with it, I have been using a program called GetRight which is usually great for file downloads. If you are downloading a file and the connection goes out on you (happens to me a lot) or you stop it yourself, you can pick up the download right were you left off without having to start over. I can download files even if it takes a few evenings to complete.

However, the place where Brother D stores the Mail Order Zombie podcast files (http://media.libsyn.com) prevents a resumed download. The file download starts over at the beginning, and after three tries or getting to 80% downloaded I gave up.

As far as I can tell, there’s some kind of cookie attached to it on the server side where the file is stored. When the download source is loaded in to begin the file download. there’s a bunch of text that appears after the file name in the url.

The GetRight forums have no fix that I can find, they just say some files can be resumed and others can’t. Well shit, now what?

So Brother D, I’m wondering if you can just store the file on your website’s storage space for a direct download.

And second, the files are much larger than they used to be. I assume Brother D has much more content to cram in them and I certainly would not suggest he change that. I likes me a long podcast!

The problem of not being able to resume the download didn’t affect me too much when the podcasts were half the size. The odds were with me that the file would download all the way. But the larger they are, the less chance I have of a succesful download. There are several podcasts I don’t listen to just because their files are HUGE.

I do want to point out that podcasters should be aware of both the quality and the size of their sound files. Your sound conversion software will have an area where you can record at a certain bitrate or adjust the quality of the file.

As a general rule, if your podcast is composed of mostly speech, you can go for a lower bitrate without compromising sound quality. If you are doing a podcast about music, you may want to go a higher bitrate to make sure the sound quality is clearer since the subject of your cast is sound. Google around for better advice on mp3 file sizes.

64 kbps, 44.1 kHz is probably enough for most podcasts.

A good example is the Splattercast at DeadLantern.com. These guys provide a couple of sources for download, including just a straight link to the file on their server. Also, the bitrates of their files are low, and I never go more than an hour or two on a download even for a long podcast.

Please help me out, D. I want to keep listening!

Why is the message board now pulling out the spaces between my paragraphs?

Technology is supposed to make things easier, isn’t it!?

While I can’t speak for the disappearance of the double-spaces (which I assume came about with the awesome upgrade to the PopSyndicate site!), I might have a solution for you re: being able to download the show.

If you’re not able to download the show through iTunes, some other Podcast Catcher or from mailorderzombie.com (which goes to the Liberated Syndication site), I am looking into other options, and hope to have a solution by this upcoming weekend.

Cool?  Cool . . .

Cool!

I don’t go to iTunes, so anything else should help.

We don’t have a lot of extra webspace, so right now, it looks like what we’ll be doing is posting the most recent episode to our webspace here.  We’ll be able to keep the show for a week until the next episode is available.

I’ll be looking into other options this upcoming weekend as well . . . We’ll figure something out, man . . . :)

(This is Brother D . . . )

So, here’s what we’ve done.

Head over to:
http://home.comcast.net/~dau.koch/MOZ/Episode030.mp3
http://home.comcast.net/~dau.koch/MOZ/Episode031.mp3
http://home.comcast.net/~dau.koch/MOZ/Episode032.mp3

Here are the last three episodes.  Can you use GetRight to download the shows this way?

Yes, the program is giving me the option to resume a broken download. Thanks D!

Fake Larry - 05 September 2008 01:40 AM

Yes, the program is giving me the option to resume a broken download. Thanks D!

Excellent!

Because of space limitations, what I’ll be doing from now on is this: when the new episode becomes available, I’ll upload it and post a link to it in a special sticky message topic I’ll create next week with Episode 33.  Due to space limitations, I won’t be able to keep all the episodes there, so when a new episode goes up, the oldest episode will have to come down.  Cool?

Yes, just keep the most current one plus the previous week’s just in case, and that should be good to go.

I’m having the same problem with the Obscure 80s podcast. What is up with these file storage thingies?

Gotta find Jay, and tell him what we did.

Well, I’m trying to check out the other podcasts here at popsyndicate, and it seems everyone at has that libsyn whatever URL. None of them will resume download if the link is broken.

I may be able to download Big Red Podcast because their files are about 12 megs, which gives me a good chance of finishing the download without needing to resume from a broken link. Where are you guys storing your files? Is that podamatic or some other online podcast provider?

I’m tempted to pay for my own server space and offer to store all of your shows on it just to make things easier on me. :)

And some of these shows… 85, 90, 100 megs. Really guys? Really? I mean geez, you’re not recording the New York Philharmonic here. Can’t you run the show files through Audacity and lower the quality to somewhere in the medium range at least?

Whatcha got for an internet connection people, 3 inch copper pipe with 40 psi?

Plus I guess everybody but me has an mp3 player that stores 600 gigs, because I could sure store more shows if the files were of a more managable size. My 4 gigs can hold a lot of music files usually.

I’ll stick with MOZ, thanks to you Brother D helping me out, but I’d feel like an asshole asking everyone else to change their ways too just for me.

But with these honkin’ big files and that download URL with the funky cookies, I can’t hang. Gonna keep searching for podcasts stored nay-kid on a plain ol’ server. Sorry man, until things change, I’m out.

Hey Larry, I can repost the files on my personal FTP site if you’d like?  Then just a straight FTP (ftp can retransmit)  to download the file or there is a “large file transfer” website that is really good http:\\yousendit.com .  I have posted Episode33 there for you if you would like it, here is the link:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/605639800/553e3f21a0d591db003b64aa2a8b267b

Brother D, if I am stepping on any toes her posting files and whatnot let me know, just trying to help out a following MOZ lover.

Thanks,

Jay from the Hammer.

You *could* try reposting at http://drop.io if you really need to go down that route…

I’ve got absolutely no problem with people reposting/hosting Mail Order Zombie episodes anywhere.  The only thing that I ask is that the tags aren’t altered.  Cool . . . ?

Nope Hammer, it’s not working. Something is funky with links posted on popsyndicate. The board needs some surgery.

Incidentally, I’m now downloading my first few episodes of Geektress, which are a bit large but have straight links with the option to resume. Bravo girls!

Big Red Podcast passed the test with flying colors. Take notes, those folks are doing it right. Small files, dialed down file quality but clear sound. And several people who don’t all talk over each other. Well done. Still have the non resulable download, but they only took an hour or so.

I’m a little confused - are you saying you still can’t download Episode 33 now that I’ve fixed the link issue that existed before?