How to play a saved playlist in the newest Rockbox build?

[XavierB]

I searched the forum and I read the manual
http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-sansaclipplus/rockbox-buildch4.html#x7-640004.4
but I couldn't find an answer.

First a link to my now closed bug report:
http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/task/12297

At first I thought that it was obvious that a missing "View Catalog" submenu equals missing playlist functionality. Now I'm not so sure anymore, and before I post another bug report I'll just ask here in the forum:

So, how do I play a saved playlist in the latest Rockbox build (r30712+) with a Sansa Clip+?
When I call the "Context Menu" with the select button it offers me i.a. the "Playlist catalogue". Selecting this submenu it offers me then two options:

1. Add to Playlist --> No, thanks. I want to substitute my loaded playlist with a saved one. Don't want to add playlists to my already loaded one.

2. Add to New Playlist --> Now I have to chose a name for my NEW Playlist. No, thanks, again. I want to play my saved playlists, not create new ones.

The only work-around I have found so far is to press the home button, enter the file browser, looking for the folder playlists, open this folder, chose the saved playlist I want to play, open this playlist and, finally, chose the first song to play. If that sounds cumbersome, that's because it really is in comparison to the 3.9.1 version.

So, is there any shortcut or did I missed something in the latest build of Rockbox on how to play in a convenient way my saved playlists? Or might it be indeed a bug?

[AlexP]

Where are you saving your playlists?  Unless you save them to the catalogue then they won't be there.  If you saved them somewhere else, then just navigate to them and click on them.

[XavierB]

Thanks for replying!

I save my playlists to the the folder "<disk>\Playlists". This folder is on the same disk as "<disk>\.rockbox".

Unless you save them to the catalogue then they won't be there.

I don't understand this. Is there another standard folder where I should save my playlists? Or do I have to do extra steps do register my playlists with Rockbox? I rarely ever update and use the database of Rockbox since I use almost exclusively my own playlists. I just updated the database with the latest firmware and it didn't help

I'm quite surprised that I'm seemingly the only one with this problem. I'll try to explain again, and this time VERY extensively what my problem is.

With Rockbox v.3.9.1 loading a saved playlist goes like this:

1. Long press on the select button ---> Calling the Context Menu
2. Press down ---> highlighting the "Playlist Catalogue"
3. short click on the select button ---> enter the "Playlist Catalogue" submenu
4. short click on the select button ---> enter the already highlighted "View Catalogue" submenu
5. highlight the playlist I want to load
6. short click on the select button ---> Current playlist gets substituted with loaded one and the first song of the list is played; returns automatically to the Playing Screen.

With the latest Rockbox build it goes like this:

1. Long press on the select button ---> Calling the Context Menu
2. Press down ---> highlighting the "Playlist Catalogue"
3. short click on the select button ---> enter the "Playlist Catalogue" submenu
4. Dead end ---> See my first post on this thread and my bug report.

Workaround 1
01. short press on the home button ---> Calling "Main Menu"
02. Press 4x down ---> highlights "Palylists Catalogue" menu
06. short click on the select button ---> enter the "Playlist Catalogue" submenu
07. highlight the playlist I want to load
08. short click on the select button ---> playlist doesn't get loaded and played; instead the content of the playlist is shown.
09. short click on the select button ---> Finally! (Well, not really...) Plays the highlighted song, which is the first and replaces the current loaded playlist with the new one. Returns one screen back to the "Playlists Catlogue"  submenu
10. Press up 4x ---> highlight "Now Playing"
14. short click on the select button ---> Finally returning to the Playing Screen, regaining playback controls

Workaround 2
01. short press on the home button ---> Calling "Main Menu"
02. Press up 2x up ---> highlights "Files" menu
04. short click on the select button ---> Enter file browser
05. In my case press 7x down ---> highlight "Playlists" folder
13. short click on the select button ---> Enter "Playlists" folder
14. highlight the playlist I want to load
15. short click on the select button ---> playlist doesn't get loaded and played; instead the content of the playlist is shown.
16. short click on the select button ---> Finally! (Well, not really...) Plays the highlighted song, which is the first and replaces the current loaded playlist with the new one. Returns one screen back to the "Playlists" folder
17. press left 2x ---> getting back to Main Menu
19. press down 2x ---> highlight "Now Playing"
20. short click on the select button ---> Finally returning to the Playing Screen, regaining playback controls

And THAT's my problem! 6 steps against 14 or 20 to change such a simple thing like a playlist. So where is the "View Catalogue" submenu? Got it renamed/replaced? And how do I change a playlist in convenient and fast way?

[[Saint]]

Move your saved playlists into /.rockbox/Playlists/ and you should be able to launch them from the playlist catalogue.


[Saint]

[XavierB]

Move your saved playlists into /.rockbox/Playlists/ and you should be able to launch them from the playlist catalogue.

Moved the folder there and it didn't work. Context Menu still misses the "View Catalogue" entry, still making it a dead end. Furthermore going to "Main Menu" ---> "Playlist Catalogue" (Workaround 1) shows me the error message "No Files".

As I understand it the /.rockbox folder is a place were one should keep his own files out. That's why it is hidden in the file browser, except when Rockbox is told to show all files.

[JdGordon]

[st.] stuffed up (again :/ ). /Playlists is where the playlist catalouge looks. You can however choose any folder you want (should be a "set as playlist cataloge" context menu item on folder in the file browser)

[XavierB]

Already reverted it back. But doesn't help me with my problem.

Is there a quick way to load a saved playlist (like in Rockbox v3.9.1) or not?

Thanks!

stuffed up (again :/ )

Get well soon! 

[JdGordon]

yes, use the "playlist catalogue" menu item, if that isnt working then you are doing something wrong. past your config.cfg here

[XavierB]

Here it is. (It's  Sansa Clip+, btw.)

[JdGordon]

and you're saving .m3u and .m3u8 files into /Playlists ?

[XavierB]

and you're saving .m3u and .m3u8 files into /Playlists ?

Aaah, the ambiguity when communicating over message boards. I don't know how to answer this question... 
I'll just do it in a Lieutenant Commander Data-Style 

Yes, I save my playlist as .m3u8 in the folder <disk>/Playlists. As far as I know Rockbox doesn't support other playlist (unicode) formats. [http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-sansaclipplus/rockbox-buildap1.html#x16-333000A]

I attached one of such files as an example. I had to camouflage it as a .txt file to be able to upload it. (Real file name:"Example.m3u8")  It contains Hangul; Linux user shouldn't have a problem visualising it corrrectly, Windows user might see blocks.

Although I might start sound like a broken record  Rockbox v3.9.1 does not have this problem, in my case.

[JdGordon]

I don't know what you're doing, but you're doing something wrong. the playlist cataloge main menu item should put you in the /Playlists folder which will show your .m3u/8 files

[XavierB]

When I go Home Button ---> Main Menu ---> Playlist Catalogue it does indeed show me my playlists. I have no problem with that.

My problem is that loading a saved playlist took me with Rockbox v.3.9.1 about 6 individual steps (an about 2 seconds in time) while now with the latest build it takes 14 to 20 steps at best (taking considerable more time for navigation and concentration.) I have it described extensively here in this post:
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,28974.msg185092.html#msg185092

One reason for that is that the "View Catalogue" entry is missing in the "Context menu ---> Playlist Catalogue" submenu.

The second reason is that Rockbox latest build does not play the playlist at once but shows the content of the playlist first.

And the third reason is that after loading a playlist I have to click my way maze-like back to Playing Screen in order to regain playback control instead of being prompted there right away.

All very detailed explained in this post:
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,28974.msg185092.html#msg185092

But thanks for your time.

[JdGordon]

OH! ok, yeah, forget it. the playlist changes made them more understandable and more useful for just about everyone else. you can always use the .m3u context menu to play now instead of opening it first

[XavierB]

I guess there is some major miscommunication going on this board. I could do a Youtube-video (if I had a proper camera) but I don't think it wouldn't add anything new to what I've sad on this post before:

http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,28974.msg185092.html#msg185092

I know it's a long post. But I hope someone takes his time to read it. I'm not a native English speaker, so should there be anything unclear, ambiguous or not detailed enough (in the post I mentioned and linked, here, in this one) please inform me. Thanks.