For the last two weeks I have been trying to get my students' videos to upload to the school's podcast in iTunes (Frank Roberts Junior High Podcast Kingdom) and then download into my iPod Touch.  I had to create the RSS feed myself and used a program called FeedForAll (http://www.feedforall.com/).  It worked for the students' audio podcasts last year but I have not been so lucky with their videos.  As far as I can tell, I have done everything right. I have been on the phone to Apple support several times and still no dice.

There are two problems.  First, when I covert the students' videos over to the iPhone format (.m4v) it will play fine in iTunes on the computer but when upload to the server, add it to the RSS feed, and try to download it as part of the podcast feed in iTunes it tells me it cannot find the file. The reference to the source file in the RSS feed is correct but it just won't find it. 

The second problem has to do with downloading it to the iPod Touch.  I converted the files to the QuickTime format (.mov) and followed the same procedure. iTunes found the video files and downloaded them in iTunes from our podcast feed in iTunes, but they will not downmload into the iPod Touch.  I get an error message telling me it is not in the correct format for this player.  I know it is because I was careful to follow the video specs for the iPod Touch.

It baffles me.  The video files (.mp4 and .mov) play fine on the computer. I mentioned it to Amber MacArthur (http://www.ambermac.com/) at the Technology Education Special Interest Council (TESIC) conference in Gander, Newfoundland last week and she told me that iTunes feeds can be a hassle. At least now I don't feel like such an idiot.  I was beginning to think that they were going to revoke my geek status on this one.  Looks like another call to Apple tomorrow.