Auto-Delete podcasts from iPod

[nwndarkness]

Hey guys. I am a brand new iPod user, and I bought an iPod nano 8 gig a couple days ago.

A major draw for me was to be able to watch my video podcasts whenever I was away from my macbook. The thing is, those videos take up some space, and I like to keep my iPod clean. Is there anyway that I can have iTunes auto-delete the podcasts I have already watched when I sync it? Thanks for any advice.

[Ntombi]

Yes. When you have the iPod connected, go to the podcasts tab, and set itunes to only sync unplayed podcasts. You can then set iTunes to keep or delete the podcasts, but they won't be in your iPod once you've played them.

[nwndarkness]

oh thank you. I already knew that and that's the setup I have now. I'm sorry I should have been clearer.

I want the podcasts to auto delete if I have watched them on my ipod when I sync. Is that possible?

[mpshay]

If you tell itunes to only keep unplayed podcasts you will be all set. When you sync the ones you have watched/listened to will be marked as played (not new). The next time itunes checks for new podcasts the ones that have been played will be deleted from itunes and you therfore from you ipod

[majordude]

Originally Posted by mpshay

If you tell itunes to only keep unplayed podcasts you will be all set. When you sync the ones you have watched/listened to will be marked as played (not new). The next time itunes checks for new podcasts the ones that have been played will be deleted from itunes and you therfore from you ipod

Hmmm. Mine don't seem to be deleting.

I've noticed that there may be a difference in the definition of played and unplayed.

If I start listening to a podcast but get bored of it and stop it, I consider that played (but not completed). iTunes think it is unplayed because it wasn't completed.

So I have a bunch of half listened to podcasts everywhere.

So I try to fast forward to the end so that iTunes knows it is listened to (and completed)... but some podcasts won't let me do that! It's like skipping through the titles of some movies -- YOU CAN'T!

It's very frustrating.

[skybolt]

Set your preferences to sync only "new" podcasts and then when you partially listen/watch an episode, iTunes will realize that and will not re-sync it to your iPod next sync.

[randork]

Assuming you have done everything above, you still have to do the following in iTunes 8:

1. Highlight the podcast you want to auto delete, and click on the Settings button at the bottom of the screen.
2. Uncheck Use Default Settings.
3. Under Episodes to Keep, choose All Unplayed Episodes.
4. Update your podcast and your played episodes will auto delete.

I think these settings used to live in Preferences/Podcasts in earlier versions of iTunes.

[redqueentheory]

I have the same problem as the OP, and cannot follow your instructions because there is no such thing as "settings at the bottom of the screen" or preferences for my ipod. I have the lates version of iTunes, and my visuals do not correspond. Please help?

[daTroll]

Originally Posted by randork

[*]Under Episodes to Keep, choose All Unplayed Episodes.

Hi!

Is there a way to keep an archive of old podcasts in iTunes and only have the last, say, 50 episodes in the iPod?

I'm a fan of freefall radio since a few years, but each podcast is 2 hours long and it is filling up my 32GB Touch...

[daTroll]

It would be nice if the 'auto-delete' option was configurable per podcast and not globally for all of them...