[feature-request] only auto-download subscriptions which are actively listened

[revuwa]

AFAIK, (because I don't using it myself), iTunes will stop updating a podcast if you haven't listened to at least one of its episodes in five days.

I thought it could be a useful optional feature, if your great app would stop auto-downloading podcasts, which last episode(s) aren't listened for a period of time X.

I don't know if anybody else could be interested in such a feature? It's just meant as a suggestion.

[Vasily Makarov]

@revuwa I am subscribed to a couple of podcasts that never get into my playlist, because I lost interest in them long time ago. So I agree, such feature may be useful.
Just stopping downloads for such feeds is not so clear behaviour IMO.
What if PodListen will just put "rarely listened" label on such feeds in subscriptions list thus encouraging user to consider unsubscribing?

[revuwa]

@einmalfel Thanks a lot for your response and your enthusiasm!

What if PodListen will just put "rarely listened" label on such feeds in subscriptions list thus encouraging user to consider unsubscribing?

IMHO, this would be really nice.
But if such subscriptions will be tagged already, I would appreciate an additional option like

• disable auto-download for rarely listened subscriptions

What do you mean?
Would the implementation of such a feature be a big effort?

[Vasily Makarov]

@revuwa It wouldn't be very big effort I think. I hesitate because after adding "disable auto-download for rarely listened subscriptions" option I will need to add "hide rarely used options" option :) But will see, maybe there will be more people requesting this feature.
Why do you need to keep not-refreshing-because-of-rare-use subscriptions? Do you expect them to become interesting for you again in future? Or you just don't want to unsubscribe from them by hand?

[revuwa]

Why do you need to keep not-refreshing-because-of-rare-use subscriptions?

I'm listening to some podcasts with high release rates, (<= 1 episode per week) and sometimes don't get the time to hear them before the next (or several next) episode(s) is/are released. But on this mostly news-driven series it doesn't make sense to hear the older episodes afterward. But IMHO this isn't a reason to unsubscribe that podcasts completely.
The second thing is, that I personally can't use Wi-Fi on my device for some reasons and have to keep an eye on my mobile data volume restriction.
That's the reason why I would appreciate such a feature.

Hope some other people would like to share their stories, why they could need it;
so please feel free everybody...

[Vasily Makarov]

@revuwa Thanks for explanation, now I understand your case better.

What I would do in your shoes:

• enable auto-download for playlist only
• just don't add news podcast episodes from "new episodes" tab to playlist while you don't need them
• when you are ready to download news podcast episode, go to feed history dialog and add latest episode(s) to playlist from there

BTW I have a request from another user who suggests a cool way of handling news podcasts by adding per-feed "auto-download" and "auto-delete" preferences. This allows to tell PodListen explicitly something like "download automatically two latest episodes of NPR news and delete automatically older ones".

[revuwa]

Thanks for your three-point-hint, think this will be the way I go.

But of course, there is nothing to be said from my side against the possible future implementation of the described- and/or the other useful and app-enhancing features, (for example from here: #1).

Thanks a lot for looking into-, and helping me in my explicit situation.