02-02-2010, 04:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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The Frustration of Broken Podcasts
That's the kind of thing I've been seeing for about a month now from the Zune desktop software when I try to sync the College Humor video podcast. A couple of months back, it would only happen every few videos, but in December it turned into a problem with every single entry. When I click on the yellow exclamation mark, here's the error I get: 
The Web Help link doesn't provide much in the way of useful information. The problem is that the files are MP4 in format, and I kind of doubt that the College Humor people decided to change their format recently (though I suppose anything is possible). So what's going on? I have no idea. I'm not the only one complaining about this issue, but so far there seems to be no fix. I tried un-subscribing to the podcast, and re-subscribing, but that didn't help. A podcast directory is only as good as the content in it, and if Microsoft doesn't have some way of tracking podcasts that are tossing errors into user's faces, it's going to be hard for them to grow the service as a reliable method of subscribing to podcasts. Any ideas?
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02-02-2010, 04:18 AM
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Oracle
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 984
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I downloaded one of the ones with the yellow info icon in iTunes and the video is 1280 x 720, with a bitrate of 5169 kbps. The "Learning to Play Guitar..." one is 640 x 360, 1576 kbps.
Is the first too much for the Zune too handle? I know that iTunes will download these but if I try to sync to my Nano it will not copy over if it's 1280 x 720.
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02-02-2010, 04:33 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2
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Same issues...
I had the same problem. And the trouble was that the software kept trying to download the latest videos even when I unsubscribed from it. And it would always fail. When 4.2 came out the software finally realized that I was no longer subscribed and has stopped downloading since then. Still, the problem is not fixed.
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02-02-2010, 04:17 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 3
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Just one issue
I've had the same issue. So I've moved to iTunes for most of my podcasts. This is just one of several issues I've had with Zune & Zune marketplace lately. I never was much for iTunes and Apple but I find myself using them more and more not becuase they've gotten better but Zune seems to be worse.
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02-02-2010, 05:55 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doogald
I downloaded one of the ones with the yellow info icon in iTunes and the video is 1280 x 720, with a bitrate of 5169 kbps.
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Oh wow...really? Hmm. The Zune HD should be able to play that (it can do 720p up to 10mbps or so), but that is pretty crazy high-quality for a podcast - I wonder if there's some filter on the Zune Marketplace side of things that's saying "Whoa, too huge!".
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02-02-2010, 07:50 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Oh wow...really? Hmm. The Zune HD should be able to play that (it can do 720p up to 10mbps or so), but that is pretty crazy high-quality for a podcast - I wonder if there's some filter on the Zune Marketplace side of things that's saying "Whoa, too huge!".
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Jason- Windows Media Player and Zune software share most if not all codecs. What happens if you try it in WMP? Maybe you need to reinstall the codec?
__________________
Zune MVP
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02-02-2010, 08:57 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Some further sleuthing....if you right-click on a podcast in the Zune software, you can get a bunch of info:
Here's the RSS feed for this podcast:
http://www.collegehumor.com/itunes/podcast/chtv/rss
Here's the URL to the podcast that the Zune software is trying to download:
http://6.media.collegehumor.com/coll...85e6400dca.m4v
I downloaded the M4V file, and it played without any problems on my Windows 7 system. What's curious though is that when I take that M4V file and add it to my video folder (which is monitored by the Zune software), the Zune software can't "see" it. It never shows up in the
So there's something about the file that the Zune software really doesn't like... 
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02-02-2010, 09:13 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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I subscribed using the RSS feed you posted. The most recent episode errors out, as do a couple of the earlier ones that show an error on your post. I tried one that appears to work for you, and it worked for me as well. I'm on WinXP Pro, with up to date Zune software, and up to date WMP (11, not 12...) I think it's the podcast files.
__________________
Zune MVP
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02-03-2010, 09:09 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 14
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I found this problem too, and as doogald said, I'm almost certain it's related to some limit the Zune software has on bitrate/resolution. I downloaded all these latest podcasts that won't work, and they're all this resolution. The Zune software also refuses to play them if you try to open them with it.
So yeah, it seems collegehumour have decided to upgrade the quality of their podcast, meaning we can no longer get it.
Oh, and a little irony for you all, the collegehumour podcast is on the front page of the podcast section of the marketplace.
Last edited by FtheK; 02-03-2010 at 09:19 PM..
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02-03-2010, 09:52 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FtheK
So yeah, it seems collegehumour have decided to upgrade the quality of their podcast, meaning we can no longer get it.
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Yes, that's exactly the problem - the College Humor podcasts are in an h.264 profile that the Zune software can't support.
I've sent an email to College Humor:
http://www.collegehumor.com/contact
I suggest everyone else do the same, and maybe they'll fix it.
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