ZENCast - Free Video and Auido Podcasts
Creative has fashioned a portal for their two video player, the Zen Vision and the newly released Zen Vision:M. The site indexes a lot of the popular video and audio podcasts. Additionally they have released a beta version of a software program they are calling ZENCast Organizer. This program will automatically fill up your MP3 player with new content as you subscribe.
I believe that is only compatible with the Vision and Vision:M. It is unclear weather or not the Organizer will be compatible with other players as well. Hopefully it will work with any windows media based digital audio player.
[ZENCast]
Comments
Ben on February 12, 2006 2:01 PM
Well, I tried it and it is working with My Zen Micro and Zen Nano... However, many site does not give the URL to use in such software. To often it is an Itunes only direct link..
Inekinokine on March 19, 2006 10:58 AM
I have Vision:M, somebody please tell me what's this ZENcast organizer, what does it do, what's the use of it? Anyway there's a firmware update for ZVM, version 1.30.02. Has anybody update the new firmware to their ZVM device? Care to share the experience?
Brendan on April 29, 2006 8:33 AM
I downloaded the firmware upgrade, and it works fine, though i havent found a download for the ZENcast software, although it supposedly comes with the first download.
riley on July 21, 2006 3:48 AM
is all of the stuff on the zencast free. do i have to pay anything to subscribe.
Nick on July 24, 2006 8:43 PM
Is there a better way to get zencast video to the vision:M? This Organizer is Beta (and has been since Feb) and is pig slow compared to Window's Media Player.
Philip on September 5, 2006 8:44 PM
I have a Creativen Zen Vision:M 30GB and can anyone answer my question? I want to know if I can use Windows Media Player to sync songs into my ZVM. Can I? Please email me at shadow_guardian666@hotmail.com
roxy on December 30, 2006 9:49 PM
i have a creative zen vision 4GB. i cant download songs from the internet onto my player. can anyone help me? please email me at emo015@gmail.com
Turkey Sunrise Omen on January 30, 2007 9:39 PM
Yes the Zen Vision M syncs to windows media player, make sure you have the album art and titles sorted, connect the player, drag and drop into the sync-list on the right-hand-side, or set up the player to auto-sync to windows media.
On that subject, why does the album art go missing somewhere between Windows Media and the player?
Check out the change view function in the albums menu, you should come up with a display filled with album art, I like this, alot.
jbelgrav on February 2, 2007 8:48 PM
I have a zen vision m and I would like to know how do I organize my video folder. For whatever reason I can create new video folders in the zen but I cannot drag the videos into the folders I created. Is there something I'm missing?
heyhey on February 28, 2007 7:37 PM
zencast is awesome, but he instruction manuel to make it work sucks. You have to download the new zencast organizer.
THe video folder can only be fixed when you're in zencast organizer.
And for this to work you must have the new version.
After I bought the Zen micro it took me a couple of hours, but now I can download whatever I want.
August Smith on April 5, 2007 10:33 PM
This podcast organizer is user-friendly with an easy interface which makes for quick browsing of a wide range of podcasts. Adding podcasts not listed within the ZENcast directory is easy and quick. Although, using ZENcast, you can only copy your podcasts to supported Creative players, I've found a way to circumvent this and copy my ZENcasts to my iAudio U2 directly (id est, copying and pasting between folders). This is currently the best alternate I've found to iTunes's podcast organizer.
Craig Hosking on May 22, 2007 2:00 AM
over 5,000 titles for immediate download to Ipod,MP3 player, or CD.
Max "yeh,yeh" Powers on August 18, 2007 6:11 PM
zencast is pretty simple. download from zencast.com. put onto your DESKTOP, go through channels u like, click SUBSCRIBE, then u can download. when finished down loading to ORGANIZER (internet has to be on to download), hook-up player, press TRANSFER, START and ur done!
Paradigm on October 14, 2007 8:18 PM
I have a Zen Vision M 30 GB.
I use the zencast organizer to send sync audio and video to my player.
You can use Zencast to subscribe to Zencast xml files as well as ipod xml file. I think it just find the audio/video links within the xml file and allows you to download them.
What I hate about the way it works is that the audio files you sync using the zencast organizer are filed in the video section.
Which means you will not be able to make it part of a playlist of things to play.
Audio files get filed as video and displayed as video. Which means your screen will not turn off when you lock they keys - a waste of battery.
That's my gripe with the zencast organizer.
woohoo on November 27, 2007 6:08 AM
so, is Creative Zen mp3 player(the one that that comes with 4/8/16 GB) able to work with zencast? it seem pretty cool to watch free video channels or listen to free audio podcasts...
br3azx on October 29, 2008 5:50 AM
Unfortunately there's no adoption of the ZENcast media files. The web sites usually give iTunes subscription links. So what's the point to install this software - Unfortunately, I have to use iTunes as my podcast directory software.
Michael on March 30, 2009 9:15 AM
Websites typically have an iTunes link but I've never seen one without a rss link also. Copy the rss link into your Zencast and it'll download your podcasts.
I hate iTunes and I have had my Zen for a year. This software is actually good. Normally I was using MediaMonkey & copying the files over manually but this is fine. It's not heavy on the system and it's quick. Found a couple of good podcasts through it too.