Do you have something interesting to share with people online? Are you an expert in some field interested in disseminating that knowledge regularly? Do you wish to have more information about something but find the prospect of wading through hundreds of web pages unappealing? Are you interested in information with a human touch? If your answer to even one of the questions is yes, then Podcasting may be the answer.
Podcasting stands for Personal On Demand Broadcasting and was first used for iPods. There are several devices available in the market that can track podcasts.
Podcasting is essentially dissemination and downloading of audio and video data through the Internet. Podcasts started off with people broadcasting their own audio and soon grew to accommodate other media and purposes including rebroadcast of regular television and radio shows, classroom lecture sessions, public safety announcements, and election campaigning.
What makes Podcasting different from directly downloading audio and video files or streaming media files? The difference lies in the method by which the user learns about the availability of the files.
In case of regular downloads of media files, you may come across these files by following the links provided by a search engine or a website hosting contents that interest you. A user can receive podcasts in three ways- by subscription, by syndication or by automatic download. Podcatching client software collects feeds distributed through RSS or Atom protocols whenever a new podcast is posted. For syndication of podcasts, use of the client and protocols is essential.
Podcasts need not be accessed through these methods alone - frequently, podcasters make the podcasts available on their website for direct download. The podcast can then be downloaded to a computer or an mp3 player. On a computer, a regular media player can be used to play the podcast. Alternatively, a VoIP service can be used for the podcasts.
An enhanced form of Podcasting is available in which images and time are synchronized. This can have educational uses to deliver slideshows coupled with audio from a lecture or for delivering presentations from a remote location.
Podcasting can help sick students or homeschoolers to get the benefit of a regular classroom atmosphere through podcasts. Podcasting has immense potential in reaching students enrolled in distance education programs too.
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