Podcast loading slow / Chapter images not always shown or with high delay times

Bug report
1

App version: 3.3.2 (701b1ce33) for Android from Google Play Store

Android version: 9 & 13

Device model: Huawei Mediapad M5 & Xiaomi Poco F3

Expected behaviour: Podcast stream excpected to start nearly instantly. Chapter images expected to be shown nearly instantly and consistently.
Current behaviour: Podcast streams take several seconds, up to half a minute to start. Chapters and chapter images are either shown after 30s up to 2 min after podcast already has started to play, or most of the time not at all. Especially when changing chapters by the chapter left/right buttons, the chapter images are no longer shown. Instead the main podcast image (not the episode image) is shown.

First occurred: Ever since started using

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Add podcast “Come Fly With Us”
  2. Play the latest episode and waiiiiiit if you ever see chapter images or not.
  3. If you see some change chapters with chapter select left/right buttons. See if chapter images are still shown

Environment: Standard settings, nothing changed

Remarks:

  • Tested on three different WLANs and on mobile data. All show very long loading times and do not show chapter images most of the time. Other podcast players like Podcast Republic show the chapter images instantly and also start playing the Podcast instantly.

Many thanks for any help,
Chris

2

Could be the server hosting that particular podcast. Have your tried other podcatchers with that podcast and does it happen on AP with all podcast?

3

In PodcastRepublic everything is fine, no problem at all. Starts playing instantly and displays the chapter images instantly. Only on AntennaPod I have these problems.

Can it be that AntennaPod and PodcastRepublic are using different servers for a podcast?

In AntennaPod the chapter images are not even shown instantly when I first download the podcast episode. Shouldn’t also the chapter images been downloaded?

4

I’ve heard of PR but don’t know much about it in detail.

Is it a centralized app or a distributed app (something I learned more about yesterday when I had a question regarding another item)?

5

I haven’t noticed about chapter images, but I have noticed that AntennaPod won’t allow you to press play for a downloaded episode until the download has completed. Since some episodes take some time to download, that’s an annoyance.

This was not an issue with my prior podcast player (Google Podcasts). It would allow you to click play right after you initiated the download, though of course it might not begin to actually play for a few seconds. I would like to see that behavior changed in AntennaPod.