iTunes 6.0.1 Special Report: Podcast downloads stopping before their end

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 8:39 a.m. PT

3 min read

Several users have reported an issue where videos from the music store, audio podcasts or (in more cases) video podcasts fail to complete playing with the download process being suddenly interrupted.

In most cases the video podcast will simply freeze. Users can fast forward and rewind -- viewing frames in the otherwise unplayable region of the video -- but any attempts to press the play button again results in a few seconds of video playing, then a repeat of the stall. Also, for some users, the podcast download starts normally, then network throughput gradually declines toward a transfer speed of O KBps, with the podcast download never completing.

In some cases, the issue can be resolved by simply unsubscribing from a problematic podcast then re-subscribing. In other cases, users have success with an alternative podcast download tool like Juice.

Another factor can be ISP-specific. Some providers use a technique sometimes called traffic shaping where ISPs -- in an effort to limit excessive bandwidth usage -- intentionally block the throughput of designated network traffic patterns, such as those generally evident when subscribers make use of peer-to-peer file transfer applications like BitTorrent clients, Acquisition and LimeWire. One of the key triggers appears to be the transfer of data from several services simultaneously, as employed by the aforementioned peer-to-peer applications.

In many cases, these measures can be avoided by using TCP port 80. According to Apple (see Knowledge Base article #106439) the iTunes music store -- generally reserved for HTTP. However, this port only serves in the retrieval of music/podcast information -- not the data files themselves.

iTunes makes use of three other TCP port sets: 443 (the Secure Sockets [HTTPS]), 8000-8999 and 42000-42999 (the local music sharing feature also innocuously makes use of port 3689 -- the Digital Audio Access Protocol). Apparently, data transfer for podcasts occurring on one of these susceptible ports.

MacFixIt reader Tom is one of the latest readers to report this issue:

"The podcasts downloads are definitely ISP specific - caused by Rogers. I went to the Apple Store today and had absolutely no problem downloading all the podcasts I was unable to download at home using Rogers.

"We need to let Rogers know that if they don't stop this unfair sabotage of Apple's iTunes, we'll vote with our feet and will switch to DSL service by the thousands. The are really ripping us off by charging full price and not delivering service we signed up for."

One MacFixIt reader who spoke to Rogers technical support writes:

"I've been working on this for about a week now because podcasts were dying on me too. I called Rogers to ask if there is any reason for this, they say no. However, the first person I spoke too didn't know what I meant when I said 'podcast.'"

Using an alternative podcast download tool Using an alternative podcast utility will provide a successful download in some cases where iTunes fails.

One MacFixIt reader writes:

"I have been having problems with downloading podcats into iTunes 6.01 under 10.4.3 and I have also seen it with 10.4.2, 10.4.1, 10.3.9 and iTunes 4.9.

"The download stalls before it's finished (often it stalls in different amounts downloaded ) and this happens with different podcasts in different subscriptions, on different computers (Powerbook G4, iBook G4, iBook G3) and in different physical locations - ie it is not my cable modem or router. It also happens using airport or ethernet cable. My cable ISP and friend's ISP, where I also tested this) is Rogers.

"All other downloads even large ones using Safari work really well. Downloading the same podcasts with Juice 2.2 (formerly ipodder) works 100%, so it seems to be iTunes problem."

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