What are Blogs, Podcasts & Vodcasts?

What is a podcast?
Subscribing to podcasts allows a user to collect programs from a variety of sources for listening or viewing offline at whatever time and place is convenient to the user. The most popular podcasts are currently podcasts published by the BBC – a repeat service of conventionally broadcast radio programmes.

Currently BBC policy does not allow the podcasting of content until it has been broadcast via conventional methods. Other broadcasters such as ABC support and promote independent podcasts related to TV shows such as “Lost”.

What is a vodcast?
A vodcast is a “Video On Demand” Cast, the audience collects media in the same way as they would a podcast; via subscription to an RSS feed. Podcasts and vodcasts may be distributed over the same subcription stream. They are becoming much more popular with the rise of multimedia AV mobile devices.

Most VODcasts are from what I call “Bedroom Broadcasters” such as Daily Planet TV.
Broadcasters are yet to harness the power of the VODcast. PBS NOVA are using VODcasts to deliver content to their audience, currently this is mostly in the form of weather forecasts and trails.

Why Create a Pod/vodcast?
By creating a pod/vodcast you are creating a channel through which you can send media directly to a subscriber’s computer or mobile devices. It also allows you a method by which you can store and access you media quickly on-line. You can update your pod/vodcast daily, weekly, or if you’re like me, whenever you can be bothered!!

What’s a Blog?
Traditionally a weblog – or online diary, but I see them as really simple methods of publishing content to the web. You can leave audio messages by phoning your blog. You can e-mail your blog to leave messages, or can use a desktop application to post photographs straight to it.