An odd podcast issue

[Pierre LaStank]

For a while now, I have had an odd issue with podcasts. It will take me a minute to try and describe what happens, but I will try to be clear...

Occasionally while playing a podcast on my ZHD, the audio will suddenly change to the audio from something else (usually another podcast, but it is not unusual for it to become the audio of a song that is loaded on my HD). The majority of the time it will never switch back to the original audio, but occasionally it will. The screen art never changes and displays the correct art for the podcast I selected, it simply switches to the audio to something else on the device as if it were "spliced in" like an old cassette. This problem comes up now and again and has since I bought it last April. The only way to correct it is to re-sync with my computer. Even then a simple re-sync is not always effective. Sometimes I need to delete the podcast from the device (change my transfer settings) and then transfer it back. The most frustrating part is that the only way to guarantee myself several weeks to a couple of months without this occurring is to reinstall the firmware (even go as far as to delete all content, forget the player, reinstall firmware, then reload). I am a heavy podcast listener and it is what I spend about 1/2 my time using the HD for.

Anyone have any ideas? I love this device and it is better overall than any of the other MP3 players I have used over the years (several iPods, 3 Creative players, Archos, Sansa, iRiver and even going back to a Neuros I). This issue is just a very frustrating and ultimately time consuming problem. Particularly if I go the complete wipe and reload route (can take a full weekend before all is said and done including bio's, pics, etc).

Thanks in advance.

[Matthew317]

I have the exact same problem. It's so annoying. Nothing I've tried has cured it either. I wish I knew what the cause was.

[Moonrakerone]

I have never had this issue (frequent podcast use) it sounds very very strange. I don't even know where to begin helping...The fact that the firmware restore didn't help is disheartening.

[Pierre LaStank]

Matthew: I'm glad to see that I am not the only one with this problem.

Moonrakerone: A firmware restore does usually end up solving the issue. At least temporarily. In the course of the year (approximately) that I have owned the device, it has occurred around 4-5 times. Usually when I resolve it, I go several weeks without it occurring again.

I had mentioned this issue on the official Zune boards a while back, but nothing was ever really resolved. And now that those boards have changed to something less usable, I don't believe that I will make the attempt again.

I sync my device quite frequently and my best guess is that eventually it corrupts during this process in some way. Syncing is hard. I get that. Doesn't make it OK or less frustrating however. I just wish that I could get some sort of answer as to what the issue was/is or at least an official "we're working on it"...

[Pierre LaStank]

Bump in the hopes that someone will see this and offer some insight (like Dave or anyone else with more tech knowledge than I). It is extremely frustrating that the only thing that I have been able to do to help when this occurs is a full restore of the device and content which can literally take a couple of days start to finish.

Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope...

[LittleDaveJ]

I am NOT a techie person at all, but I've had similar problems. I download a ton of Podcasts and every morning I download the ESPN Around the Horn and PTI podcasts. I've had them both have clicks like every 3-4 seconds and times where when they go to the commercial break and come back, while listening to PTI I'll hear Around the Horn in the background. Very faint, but can hear it if I pay close enough attention.

Every time, it's been when downloading and synching both podcasts at the same time and I think that has something to do with it. I subscribed to both and had them automatically sync to my player each morning when I plug it in. When I turned off this option and manually download each episode and then sync the "podcasts I choose" the problem seemed to disappear. This was discovered in error because I hook up my Zune to several PCs and kept having it sync old podcasts I already listened to, but the particular PC would think I never downloaded it or something.

If you do the subscribe and auto-sync options, try switching it to manual and maybe it will work for you.

[jbgrzy]

This is interesting. I have the same problem, except not with podcasts. My problem occurs with music. Occasionally, when I am listening to an album, the next track starts playing something else, but the album information stays the same.

One time I had it where I deleted an album, then later in the day, I went to listen to a completely unrelated album, and halfway through listening, it started playing a song from the album I had deleted, but still had the correct album art for the song that was supposed to be playing.

Totaly weird.

[LittleDaveJ]

Was that on the Zune itself, or in the software on your PC? If I've deleted a bunch of stuff going from folder to folder and deleting them, I've had happen where it deletes them, but keeps up the picture and info, but associates another album with it. Closing the application and re-opening always fixed it for me. I think it was too much multitasking since I was staggering the deletion of the albums and it was trying to re-order the structure while I was deleting other stuff here and there.

NEVER had it happen on my player, but have had it happen regularly in the software when using my 30GB Zune...have only had the HD a few days so I really haven't been deleting from my collection yet since then.

[jbgrzy]

LittleDaveJ,

It happens on my Zune HD. Just connecting it to the Zune software and allowing it to fix itself solves the problem.

Thanks,
jbgrzy

[Vyp3R]

@jbgrzy

I believe this is because the Zune HD doesn't actually delete songs or podcast when you delete them from the player itself, it just hides them and marks them for removal on next sync. So they are really still there. And knowing how flash memory (and even how hard drives) store things, the above problems with podcasts and songs is totally possible.

jdgrzy has found the correct solution to his problem, which is to let the software remove the song (which is only just hidden from the player interface) on next sync.

But for Pierre LaStank, I recommend removing both podcasts that are the problem and syncing them one at a time. And LittleDaveJ hit on the right method by doing it manually.

This problem has everything to do with how information is written on the flash/hard drive memory and has been around since day dot of MP3 players.

[Pierre LaStank]

I's not sure about this...

Most times when this has happened to me, a simple re-sync has corrected the problem. I never delete items from the player itself, only through the software, so don't think this has anything to do with it. The shows that mix together (podcast mashup!) are new and not previously listened to and are not always the same shows. I have used various players over the years going all the way back to a Neuros I through several Creative players, a few iPods, sansa, Archos, Zune etc. I've been an avid podcast listener for the vast majority of that time since they started to take off. That being said, I have never, not once, had this occur on any device other than my Zune HD. My guess is that it is periodically corrupting during sync. but have no explanation or idea as to why? It has happened on various PCs that I have tried as my "home base" for the Zune. It has occurred with all of them at some point. I guess I was hoping for some input/opinions from Dave or someone with some actual experience in the nitty gritty and not just a user.

Perhaps it's my Zune... Lately I have noticed that I have a bit of the orange shown at the end of my sync bar on the summary page (what usually appears when there are items selected to sync, but have not been put on the device yet). Yet everything has transferred over... Hmmm... I have tried several things to figure this out, including wiping the zune, reinstalling the firmware and resyncing from scratch. Still end up with this being shown.

I do love this device, but there really are some odd things that I need to put up with that kind of ruin the user experience a bit. I've had it just under a year at this point so these issues really do temper my feelings when using it. A bit gun shy about problems.

Thanks to everyone for the comments.

[unionjack37]

I have some video podacasts that they say they are like 13 min long when in reality they are like 8 min long. And it makes it so when you try to fast forward or rewind it just skips around in either direction and the bar on the bottom that you drag doesnt work.

[Pierre LaStank]

Bump in the hopes that this post is seen by someone in the know. It happened to me yesterday. I was listening to Friday's Chris Moyles podcast and suddenly it began playing Minor Threat. The screen never changed and still showed the Chris Moyles podcast art and title, etc. Just the audio suddenly changed to Minor Threat.

Please please please, for the love of god please someone have a clue as I am out of ideas.

Thanks