Making an architectural choice does not make it necessary. Somehow every other iOS podcast app I’ve used is able to function just fine without becoming an intermediary between me and the content producer.
I’d argue that the desired features necessitated the architectural choice, not the other way around. (Who would choose to run server infrastructure, which has ongoing costs, unless it is to deliver features?)
Before Overcast I used Pocket Casts – which works pretty much the same way, and that is the only other podcast app that has worked reliably & with decent speed when refreshing podcasts for me. (Difference is it d oesn’t require an account, but it still uses their servers, and you can set up an account to then sync across devices.)
“Unnecessary”? https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq covers exactly why it’s necessary.
Making an architectural choice does not make it necessary. Somehow every other iOS podcast app I’ve used is able to function just fine without becoming an intermediary between me and the content producer.
I’d argue that the desired features necessitated the architectural choice, not the other way around. (Who would choose to run server infrastructure, which has ongoing costs, unless it is to deliver features?)
Before Overcast I used Pocket Casts – which works pretty much the same way, and that is the only other podcast app that has worked reliably & with decent speed when refreshing podcasts for me. (Difference is it d oesn’t require an account, but it still uses their servers, and you can set up an account to then sync across devices.)