I Built a Chrome Extension to Fix UCSD Podcasts

Hey everyone! 👋

If you're a UCSD student, you've probably spent way too many hours on podcast.ucsd.edu catching up on lectures. And if you're anything like me, you've probably thought: "Why does this player look like it was built in 2005?" Well, I finally did something about it.

The Problem

Let's be real — the default UCSD podcast viewer is rough. Tiny video, no dark mode, no transcripts you can actually search through, and good luck finding the exact lecture you need from a wall of weekly links. Here's what we've all been dealing with:

It gets the job done, sure. But we deserve better, right?

Meet UCSD Podcast Enhanced

I built a Chrome extension that completely transforms the podcast experience. Same lectures, same content — just a way better way to watch them. Here's the enhanced player in light mode:

And for those late-night study sessions, dark mode has your back:

Night and day difference, literally. 😄

What You Get

Here's a quick rundown of what the extension brings to the table:

• Modern video player — Responsive design, playback speed from 0.25x to 3.5x, screenshot capture, and picture-in-picture mode
• Live transcripts — Synchronized captions that scroll with the video. Click any line to jump right to that moment
• Full transcript search — Looking for when the professor mentioned "dynamic programming"? Just search for it
• Course info at a glance — Course name, units, professor, quarter, lecture time, and location — all pulled automatically
• Dark mode — Because your eyes deserve a break during those midnight cram sessions
• AI-powered summaries — Get a quick summary of the entire lecture powered by Google Gemini (premium feature)
• Watch progress tracking — Never lose your place across lectures
• Course filtering & search — A modern homepage that actually lets you find your courses

It's Free to Get Started

The core features — enhanced player, transcripts, dark mode, course info, and search — are completely free. Premium features like video downloads, AI summaries, and advanced playback controls are available with a license for those who want the full experience.

Try It Out

Head over to ucsdev.top to learn more and install the extension. It works on Chrome and Firefox, and takes about 10 seconds to set up. If you find it useful, I'd love to hear your feedback!

This has been a super fun project to build, and I'm constantly adding new features based on what fellow students are asking for. If you have ideas or run into any issues, don't hesitate to reach out. 🚀

Happy studying,

Anh