MP3, MP4, MOV, M4A and M4V format information

One of the more interesting aspects of educational podcasting is the variety of different formats used. In addition to the ubiquitous MP3 format, there are also audio/enhanced formats such as M4A and M4B as well as the MOV, MP4 and M4V video formats.

We have updated the podcast channel listings to include information about the format of every podcast listed, making it much easier to see "at a glance" the format used for a particular format. This is most useful where some podcast channels incorporate every format in their RSS feeds!

For every item listed in our podcast directory, we are using one of the following symbols:

for podcasts using the original MP3 format

for podcasts using the AAC format for audio/enhanced podcasts

for podcasts using the AAC format for audio/enhanced podcasts

for video podcasts using the new codec

for video podcasts using this general format

for video podcasts using this traditional format

We hope this much requested information is useful for users of our educational podcast directory.

Video Podcasts, iTunes and Apple TV

With the launch of Apple TV, it is likely that there will be increased interest in the creation and publication of video podcasts as the podcasting features within the popular iTunes are fully compatible.

So what is the advice to those of you interested in incorporating more video podcasts in your RSS feeds so they can be used with Apple TV?

Fortunately, Apple have included details in a section devoted to this topic within the latest version of their technical specifications. The video podcast section provides good advice on formatting the video for the specific format needed to optimise the video for both Apple TV and the iPod.

Good news?

Well "yes and no". As video buffs will remind you, as well as video compression formats there are also different screen aspects to take into consideration too - widescreen (16:9) or normal (4:3). Once you have decided on the format for the video source, the rest is relatively easy on a Mac. Choose a method using the built-in iPod converters of Compressor ("H.264 for iPod"), QuickTime Pro ("Movie to iPod") or iTunes ("Convert Selection for iPod"). To achieve the best optimisation, the minimum width for your video source file should be 640 pixels. The result of the conversion process will be an .m4v file using the H.264 codec that is compatible with Apple TV and iPods.

So will Apple TV find a home in the classroom of the future? We will all just have to wait and see!