Research in Motion (RIM) released a free podcasting application called BlackBerry Podcast on August 11. The most common question when you say podcast is, “What is a Podcast?” Take a moment to review our article about what a podcast is if you need a quick overview. For me, the majority of podcasts I subscribe to are not found via browsing a catalog of podcasts, but rather via word of mouth or when listening to an existing podcast I subscribe to.
How to Subscribe with BlackBerry Podcast
There are two ways to subscribe using BlackBerry Podcast: first, explore the podcast catalog from the device; or second, Add a Podcast Channel. Lets start with adding a podcast channel as this will likely be the fastest and most reliable method of subscribing. RIM is still growing their podcast catalog so many shows currently do not appear in their catalog.
Add Podcast Channel
This is a fancy term for adding a podcast URL or address. Most sites that offer a podcast have a link to subscribe to the podcast. You only need to copy the URL to subscribe. For example to subscribe to the Simple Mobile Review Podcast the URL is http://feeds.feedburner.com/simplemobilereviewpodcast. Copy this URL and paste it into the window provided.
Initially will see the podcast you want to subscribe to with a logo and name. Just click the button labeled subscribe. Once you click the button, you will get a dialog about subscribing, which you can ignore in the future by checking, Don’t ask this again. The next dialog is more serious.
Warning: Subscriptions can cause large files to be downloaded frequently and without warning. You can change your download preferences in the options screen.
If you have read the ‘What is a Podcast’, then you should understand that each episode downloads audio or video files depending on the type of podcast. Most audio podcasts have files from 10 MB to 50 MB in size for a show of about 10 min to 2 hrs. Video podcasts can range from 9MB – 400 MB for a show of 3 min to 45 min. By default, the app will only download over Wi-Fi but this is an option you can change. Also, downloading podcasts can quickly drain your battery, so there is an option to only download podcasts when charging. That said, I download over both Wi-Fi and mobile network and I allow downloads when not charging. Despite the unexpected drain to my battery these options ensure I always have the latest shows on my device and when I want to listen to them.
Add Podcast by Browsing
BlackBerry Podcast has featured channels (aka featured podcasts), categories, and a search dialog to find podcasts. If you have no clue what you want to listen to, then consider browsing the categories to get an understanding of the options. I would also suggest looking at the iTunes or Zune podcast catalogs as they are far more extensive then what RIM is offering. This is one of the downsides of this app, as discovering new and different podcasts is somewhat difficult given its limited catalog. Hopefully, this will change over time.
What is BlackBerry Podcast Missing
If you are just starting to listen to podcasts, then this is actually a good app to use but as you get more advanced, you will find yourself wanting more control. Some areas where I feel it is lacking are in sorting podcasts and episodes; scheduling checks for new episodes; managing downloaded episodes; backing up; shortcuts; and a host of other minor but critical settings offered by paid apps like PodTrapper. Despite the shortcomings, you should try the free app until you know you will spend the time to listen to podcasts. Once you have 20+ podcast subscriptions and download multiple shows daily you will start to desire the functionality of PodTrapper.
Bottom Line
If I have not said this before, understand that BlackBerry Podcast is free and that alone says you are not out anything but your time to try the app. It is better than many paid podcasting apps on the BlackBerry but PodTrapper is the standard against which all other Podcasting apps are judged. This would be my daily podcasting app if I was new to podcasts and did not already own a copy of PodTrapper. The only thing you need to consider is having a large microsSD Card as podcasts can quickly eat up space. BlackBerry Podcast is worth every penny you spend on it. 
