My Alternative to TV and Radio

For the past year, my intake of video and audio podcasts has completely superseded my need for TV and whatever radio I listened to. Obviously, podcasts are not new by today’s standards, but I find it interesting that there is more content to be consumed than I have the capacity for. To get around this issue, I’ve created two smart playlists of audio and video content in iTunes that let me access all of my media like a TV or radio channel; it’s a constant flow of awesomeness.

The Audio Channel

Use the rules bellow to get the latest podcasts you haven’t finished listening to yet; I put a limit so that I can sync with my iPod easily. As you listen to podcasts from this list, episodes will be swapped out with as much as is available.

You should also enable the Release Date column for your playlist so that you can sort by newest or oldest: when you’re in the playlist, go to View > View Options and check the box for Release Date.

The Video Channel

This one needs a little more spice, because I don’t just include podcasts, but random long videos from the internet like screencasts, lectures, or stand-up comedy performances from my P2P days. Also, I’m excluding the Tutorials genre because I don’t want to watch photoshop tutorials while I’m commuting or eating.

Don’t forget to enable the Release Date column for this too.

Both these lists are continuously updating with the latest podcasts and movies in your iTunes library, so even if you watch these from an iPod, it all syncs nicely. I waited a week to make these screenshots, so I’m going to go catch up now!