Rockbox Technical Forums

Rockbox Development => Feature Ideas => Topic started by: mycroft on September 11, 2010, 08:33:54 PM

Title: Rewind across tracks
Post by: mycroft on September 11, 2010, 08:33:54 PM
Can we have a feature (optional?) that allows rewinding across tracks? I use Rockbox almost exclusively for listening to audiobooks when driving, walking, etc. When the inevitable distraction occurs, or when restarting after a break, it is often necessary to rewind 10, 20, or more seconds to catch the thread of the narrative. In the current version of Rockbox, if the break happens to be in the first 10-20 seconds of a track, one cannot rewind through the desired time span. So then it is necessary to skip to the beginning of the previous track and then either listen or fast forward through the whole track (which may be several minutes long) to catch the last 10 seconds. Perhaps there could be an option to let the rewind function simply ignore track boundaries?
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: Chronon on September 11, 2010, 09:24:56 PM
I think that the behavior of the "Skip length" feature could/should be modified so that skipping past track boundary in reverse does not skip to the beginning of the previous track.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: mycroft on September 11, 2010, 11:00:09 PM
That could work, but better would be to allow a simple rewind across the track boundary so that the "skip length" could be left set to "skip track" for when one needs to search quickly through a long series of tracks for a particular chapter or section of a narrative.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: Chronon on September 12, 2010, 04:08:06 AM
True. 
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: pabouk on September 13, 2010, 02:58:29 PM
Yes, rewind across a track boundary is one of few features which Rockbox miss in comparison to "the ideal Rockbox"  :)
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: Left4Cake on September 23, 2010, 03:42:52 PM
Thought to be fair it is really only a minor annoyance.  :-\
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: oayz on September 28, 2010, 03:23:03 PM
If this feature is getting implemented can we have a short "beep" and pause between the tracks?
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: foe on October 07, 2010, 09:43:56 PM
I concur.
...can we have a short "beep" and pause between the tracks?
No that would suck
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: Grahack on October 08, 2010, 12:32:15 AM
The beep feature should be configurable then. If ever this is implemented.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: KiwiCam on October 10, 2010, 03:59:04 AM
Woah! Mycroft has read my mind. Scary!

What a fantastic suggestion. I too am an audiobook (and podcast) addict. The Clip does this, which I why I chose it. I'd be a very happy man, if the Rockbox'd version did this too.

Pah-LEASE!
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: Chronon on October 10, 2010, 04:03:52 AM
Just to remind everyone: This isn't a request forum, it's simply a place to discuss ideas.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: KiwiCam on October 10, 2010, 04:25:39 AM
Just to remind everyone: This isn't a request forum, it's simply a place to discuss ideas.

Erk! Heh, heh. My very first post here. It's a good idea though.   ;D It has a lot of merit.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: stranger48 on July 12, 2012, 08:55:51 AM
Absolutely support this idea. When listening audio books it's VERY useful to have a setting allowing user to rewind back.

The idea is to be able to listen to a phrase or sentence that was missed. Especially useful when audiobook consists of many smaller chunks.

In my opinion the algorithm should be as follows

1. User presses and holds <<. Normal rewinding starts
2. Rewinds back until start of the current track
3. Rewinding stops at the 0:00 position
4. If user is still holding << button for at least 2 seconds, player jumps to *the end* of previous track
5. If user is still holding << button for another 2 seconds, player continues rewinding back

I suggest calling this 'Rewind in Audiobook mode' and place in settings.

Any better and cleaner suggestions??

I hope rockbox developers start listening audiobooks soon :)
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: halonachos117 on July 21, 2012, 04:45:14 PM
Stranger48: Although I think this feature would benefit audiobook listeners most, I would love to have this feature present in music, too. Perhaps it could be called "Smart Rewind", instead.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: amayer on August 21, 2012, 08:48:23 AM
this is a great idea.
i like the smart rewind better then audio book rewind.
if a beep was also a setting i could see that being implemented... but not on by default. that would get annoying.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: Cloffy on September 17, 2012, 04:46:49 PM
I was actually a bit surprised when I noticed that RockBox won't rewind across tracks. A must-have feature!
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: Llorean on September 21, 2012, 11:54:44 PM
I'd call it something like "Seamless rewind" rather than "Smart Rewind" as that name doesn't really provide any clue what the feature does.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: whiskers75 on December 28, 2012, 06:57:36 AM
Alright, what bit of the source do I need to edit?  :)
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: saratoga on December 28, 2012, 09:44:25 PM
Alright, what bit of the source do I need to edit?  :)

Probably parts of playback.c.  I'd start by looking at how the current rewind code works. 
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: KiwiCam on January 12, 2013, 04:08:57 AM
I'd call it something like "Seamless rewind" rather than "Smart Rewind" as that name doesn't really provide any clue what the feature does.

That's a good name for it.
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: kofaz on January 11, 2016, 02:08:34 PM
When I hit reply, The forum software warned me this is an old thread...please consider starting a new topic.  I know people don't like to have old threads resurrected, but it didn't seem right to start a new one.

There seemed to be so much support for this idea when first brought up, did anything ever come of it? Any patches?  Rewinding across tracks is the one thing I prefer about my player's OF.

Original post-
  Can we have a feature (optional?) that allows rewinding across tracks? I use Rockbox almost exclusively for listening to audiobooks when driving, walking, etc. When the inevitable distraction occurs, or when restarting after a break, it is often necessary to rewind 10, 20, or more seconds to catch the thread of the narrative. In the current version of Rockbox, if the break happens to be in the first 10-20 seconds of a track, one cannot rewind through the desired time span. So then it is necessary to skip to the beginning of the previous track and then either listen or fast forward through the whole track (which may be several minutes long) to catch the last 10 seconds. Perhaps there could be an option to let the rewind function simply ignore track boundaries?
Title: Re: Rewind across tracks
Post by: redblade8 on April 07, 2016, 04:29:54 PM
This is a good idea, has anyone made any progress? Seamless rewinding is a good name, but fluid rewinding is as well. Or maybe fluid audiobook rewinding, or just 'fluid rewind'. Though seamless audiobook rewinding is good too.Then you can choose the options of having it 'enabled' or 'disabled'.