What is the difference between Downloaded and Streamed Episodes?

When you subscribe to a new feed it comes with (sometimes long) list of available episodes. Based on your preference you can either download an episode, or play it directly without downloading (also known as "streaming"). Once episode is downloaded (by using the "Download" button ), episode media is stored locally on your storage and you can play it offline.

You can also play (or add to the playlist) an episode without downloading it first. In this case BeyondPod creates "streamable" episode. Streamable episodes are similar to file shortcuts - they behave the same as any other episodes, except that they don't take any space on your device. When played, episode content is downloaded "on demand" so you will need an Internet connection to play them.

Streaming episodes can quickly use large portion of your data allowance - make sure to use streaming only if you have unlimited data plan (or a Wi-Fi connection). You can always disable streaming (either completely, or allow only over Wi-Fi) by going to: Settings > Player Settings > Streaming Preferences.

Both Downloaded and Streamed episodes are referred to as "My Episodes" because they are episodes that you have expressed (some) interest.

Some publishers (like BBC for example) have a very strict policy for how long they keep the media files on their servers. If you rely on streaming, it is possible that the media file can be removed from the publisher's server before you had a chance to play it. In this case downloading the content is a better option - the file is stored locally and you can play it at any time.