Podcast Frequently Asked Questions

It is a web-based broadcast of audio or video recordings that can be played on almost any computer using iTunes directly or on iPods or similar devices after synchronizing them with iTunes. Podcasts can be automated to download recordings to your computer in the background when you are connected to the Internet by subscribing to them. They can also be controlled manually.
We have an audio podcast and a video podcast that can be subscribed to. They each have various advantages and disadvantages and you can subscribe to either or both depending on your disk space, Internet connection speed, and preferences. The audio podcast is generally available between Sunday and Tuesday following each sermon. The video podcasts are delayed one to several weeks from the actual sermon about the time they are aired on our TV program. They are also much bigger than the audio-only version, take longer to download (probably too long for dial-up Internet connections), are edited down to less than 30 minutes, and include some of the PowerPoint screen presentations and video clips that may be part of some sermons, along with video of the speaker.

iTunes is a free program made by Apple (the maker of Macintosh computers, iPods, iPhones, iPad, etc). It can be downloaded from Apple’s website and installed on your computer. It allows you to watch/hear podcasts directly on your computer and/or iPod or other compatible device (after synchronizing the content with iTunes collection of recordings). It can also import audio from CDs or import audio/video files stored on your computer. There is also an iTunes store on the Apple website where there are audio and video podcasts and other content available. Some of that content is free and other can be downloaded at a cost.

Q. Will iTunes and podcasts work with Macintosh computers or Windows computers?

Go to the http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ page in your web browser and follow the directions (click the above link or type it into the address bar once you open the Internet).

Once you have iTunes installed on your computer, click on the “Subscribe” link for the appropriate podcast(s) on the Pastor’s Sermons page. It is probably best to start with the audio podcast. Then a browser window will open up to our page on the iTunes store. Click the “View in iTunes” oval button under our church’s logo. This will open iTunes accessing our podcast on the iTunes store. After loading, there will be a button to “Subscribe Free” – click it and you will be subscribed and the most recent recording will automatically be loaded. After that you can click the “Podcasts” button on the left navigation panel of iTunes, then double-click the First Baptist Church of Honolulu podcast that appears. You can select and play that podcast episode or click one of the “Get” buttons near one of the other episodes and then select and play it.
Each podcast can be configured in iTunes once the podcast is showing by clicking the “Settings…” button at the bottom of the iTunes window to suit your needs (including manual or automatic updates, how often to check for updates, and whether you want to keep all episodes on your computer or just the unwatched or most recent ones, etc.)
Repeat for the other podcast if desired.