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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PODCASTS

GENERAL INFORMATION
What is podcasting?
The term podcasting comes from the word "iPod" and "broadcasting." Podcasting is an online media format that allows you to listen to what is effectively an online radio station. Podcasts can be strictly audio, video or even text-based. There are thousands of podcasts available on the Internet on a variety of topics. Listeners can choose when, where and how to listen to podcasts.

The Anoka-Hennepin Podcast Network (AHPN) reports on the latest news and events from around the Anoka-Hennepin School District. AHPN episodes are a combination of audio, video and photos.

 Why all the excitement about podcasting?
There are many reasons, but the main one is that now anyone can have an online radio show and easily share their thoughts, insights and opinions about virtually any topic. The Communications and Public Relations Department of the Anoka-Hennepin School District is using the podcast medium to bring the public more news in different formats.  


AHPN in iTunesHOW TO VIEW AHPN EPISODES AND OTHER INFORMATION
 Where do I find AHPN episodes?
AHPN podcast episodes are available to view on the main AHPN site and through iTunes.

How do I listen to/view AHPN episodes?
You can listen to/view AHPN podcast episodes on your computer simply by going to the AHPN site and clicking on the folder labeled "AHPN Episodes 2010-11."

From there, click on the title of the episode you want to listen to/view. The episode will then begin playing for smaller files. If nothing plays right away, click on the "Download Now" link and it should start playing.

You can also listen to/view AHPN podcast episodes in iTunes and sync them to your iPod, iPod Touch or iPhone (if you have one) and listen to/view them on the go.

Does it cost anything to listen to/view or subscribe to a podcast?
No, all podcasts (including through iTunes) are free.

What types of AHPN episodes are there?
Current podcast episode features include: Action of the School Board (School Board meeting recaps), Around Our Schools (in-depth features about Anoka-Hennepin schools) and Backpack Sound Bites (quick summaries of news culled from the district's Backpack Online e-newsletter).

Web-only episodes
Web-only episodes are specially edited and formatted Around Our Schools and certain Backpack Sound Bites feature episodes designed to provide a shorter viewing experience for website users. These episodes are available to view in the sub-folders of the 2009-10 (Vol. 03) and 2010-11 (Vol. 04) school year episode folders.

   
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO AHPN
How do I subscribe to AHPN via RSS Feed?
Listeners can receive AHPN RSS Feeds in their news readers by clicking on the  podcast subscribe icon  button (which appears when you click on the folder labeled "AHPN Episodes 2010-11" on the main AHPN page) or the SchoolCenter Picture link (at the bottom of the main AHPN page).

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It's an XML-based format for distribution and aggregating Web content, such as news headlines. Podcasting is synonymous with RSS or XML. It is a "feed" of information.

A number of free and commercial news aggregators are available for download. Popular news readers include Attensa, FeedDemon, AmphetaDesk, NetNewsWire, Radio Userland and NewsGator. Many aggregators are separate, "stand-alone" programs such as those listed above; other services will let you add RSS feeds to a Web page. For example, Yahoo! lets you add RSS feeds to your My Yahoo! page. Add to My Yahoo!

How do I subscribe to AHPN via iTunes?
Listeners can subscribe to AHPN via iTunes. Go to the main AHPN page, click on the "AHPN Episodes: Vol. 04 2010-11" folder and then click on the  itunes subscribe icon button at the bottom of the page, or, search for "Anoka-Hennepin Podcast Network" in the iTunes store. 

How will I know when a new AHPN podcast episode is available?
If you subscribe to AHPN using the  podcast subscribe icon icon, new episodes will appear in your news aggregator when they are added by the Communications and Public Relations Department to the main AHPN site.

iTunes users can set their preferences in iTunes to automatically download new episodes. iTunes users can also periodically check for new episodes by clicking on "Podcasts" in their Library section and then clicking on the "Refresh" button (in the lower right-hand corner) of their iTunes player.

Listeners can also subscribe to the AHPN site and receive email notices when new episodes are added. Click on theSchoolCenter Picturelink at the bottom of the main AHPN page.

GENERAL AHPN INFORMATION FOR ITUNES SUBSCRIBERS
How are AHPN episodes formatted?
 AHPN podcast episodes are posted in the main AHPN site and are then pulled by iTunes. Episodes are typically formatted at 480 by 320 pixels (dimension) with these codecs: H.264 (video), ACC (audio) and text (chapter markers) for playback in iTunes.

Enhanced chapters list Do episodes use enhanced chapter markers?
Yes. Episodes (June 2009 through present) are enhanced with chapter markers for iTunes subscribers, so listeners can move between episode chapters with ease while viewing in iTunes. You can view the chapter list under the "Chapters" heading when viewing in iTunes for all episodes.

The chapter list can also be viewed in the form of an open book or bulleted list icon next to the playback controls (for video podcast episodes) when viewing the video in the iTunes window, a separate window or at full screen.

iTunes playback
iTunes users can set their preferences in iTunes to automatically play podcast episodes in the artwork viewer, in the iTunes window, in a separate window or full screen (chapter markers do not appear when playing in the artwork viewer).

File extensions
All audio podcast episodes are .m4a files. All video podcast episodes are .mov (for iTunes subscriber feed) or .mp4 (for edited Web-only episodes). These files can be streamed through the district website and can be downloaded and viewed on a video iPod, etc. (for iTunes subscribers).

Do I need an iPod or iPhone to listen to/view a podcast?
You don't need an iPod, iPod Touch or iPhone to listen to podcasts. If you do have one of these, you can subscribe to AHPN using iTunes and then sync episodes to your iPod, etc. and listen to/view them on the go. See below for more information on how to convert episodes across Apple platforms, if needed.

Converting podcasts in iTunesWhy won't some video podcasts play on my iPod or iPhone?
Some video podcasts, while playable in iTunes, are encoded in formats that are not compatible with iPods, iPod Touch, iPhone, iPads or Apple TV.

To convert those videos so that they are compatible across different Apple platforms, highlight the downloaded video in your iTunes client, click on Advanced and select "Create iPod/iPhone/iPad/Apple TV Version."

iTunes will automatically re-encode the video for playback on your selected device. Go to the Movies section of your Library to find and play the converted episodes.
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Where do I go for more information on AHPN and podcasting?
If you have additional questions about AHPN or podcasting, click here to send an email to the Communications and Public Relations Department.