It amazes me how long we have stuck with the term "PodCast". It is just as amazing, but also somewhat disheartening, to see how many still have no clue what one is referring to when one uses the word. Maybe the name is a failure?
Exactly what is a "PodCast"? In short, I think it is just a really bad name for a really kewl thing. It is, quoting Wikipedia it is "A podcast is a series of digital media files, usually either digital audio or video, that is made available for download via web syndication.Quot;
I also wish to point out immediately, a PodCast, is not a stream. You listen to streams in real time. Podcasts are "on demand". The best you could do to listen to a stream on demand would be to record it.
I don’t know, that definition is still rather lacking. I think most people understand what one means by "on demand" media is. It means, I can get media and view or listen to it when I want to. We call it "Time Shifting". PodCasts, likely not the best name and a remnant of the iPod, are that but they are also much more.
While you certainly could visit this site and simply download each episode manually, the phrase "via web syndication" makes all the difference. It means that there is client software, often referred to by the similar slang of "PodCatcher" that will automatically capture the "feeds" you desire. In this sense, Podcasts are only pre-recorded. You get the latest automatically via a client or online feed reader.
Many sites, such as this one, also offer online players for you to just listen if you wish. The bottom line is that a "PodCast", maybe, should be dropped as a name. It still means that is it a way for you to automatically get your media and enjoy it at you leisure and convenience. Maybe simply referring to them as "Media Feeds" or "NetCast" may be better. I will leave that debate for another time or maybe just leave it alone entirely.
Regardless of what you call it, it is a very kewl way to get the media you enjoy. That really is the most simple and plain way I can describe it.