On Weds, February 18th Live Episode #651 of the New Media Show, Rob Greenlee, Host, 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer and CEO of Trust Factor Lab at https://RobGreenlee.com, and James Cridland, Editor, https://Podnews.net and 2026 Podcast Hall of Famer discuss Apple’s announcement of a new and improved video podcast experience in the Apple Podcasts app and what it changes technically and strategically heading into 2026.  They explain how video was previously active in Apple Podcasts but was hidden and poorly presented in the iOS apps, and how this new updated experience makes video playback front and center, with a “turn video off” option that keeps the audio track playing.  The episode breaks down Apple’s preferred move to HLS-based on-demand video delivery (via a separate, proprietary API HLS video streaming pass-through submission from approved hosting partners) while still supporting legacy MP4 video via RSS.  They cover HLS basics (chunked delivery, adaptive quality, reduced bandwidth, and hosting costs), improved seeking/scrubbing versus progressive MP4 playback, and new measurement implications (better insight into drop-off and ad viewing). A major focus is monetization: Apple plans to enable dynamic ad insertion for HLS video and charge a per-impression fee, positioning Apple to take revenue without operating an ad business.  The conversation notes early launch partners (Acast, Art19, Omny Studio, Simplecast), questions about specs and rollout timing (an app update is likely by the end of March; dynamic ad features later in the year), and the risk of platform fragmentation as distribution shifts from open RSS to proprietary APIs.  James and Rob discuss alternate enclosures (Podcasting 2.0) as an open path to wider app support, reference iHeart’s stated support for video via RSS alternate enclosures, and highlight creator concerns about losing separate audio edits when video replaces the audio feed during playback.  They also touch on device support (not initially on Apple TV; CarPlay doesn’t show video; Vision Pro support) and briefly discuss future RSS innovation ideas like comments, payments, transcripts, and location tags, plus a short note on upcoming podcast events (Podcast Show London, Podcast Movement New York, Podcast Movement at SXSW). Chapter Topics: 00:00 Welcome + Why Apple’s Video Podcast Update Matters 01:31 Apple Brings Video Front-and-Center (and Why Now) 06:00 The New Playback Experience: Full-Scr