m3u playlist import help

[omendelovitz]

Ok, so it doesn't seem to matter which way I try to locate/load my existing playlists into rockbox - the playlists are recognized, but rockbox won't play the songs!  It keeps telling me "no file!".  Well, the files are there (checked them and played them) - apple OS can read and play them no problem, and the m3u lists work on my computer!  I'm really stumped by this one.  somebody help!

I've already read the manual, wiki, etc.  it hasn't helped.

[fatherfork]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the m3u file not only tells the player which music files to play, but also their location. So if on your computer the music file is in the folder /user/my music/artist, and in Rockbox it's under /root/music/artist, the m3u file is pointing to the wrong location, and won't work. You'll need to make new playlists using Rockbox, or edit the m3u file for use with Rockbox specific music locations.

FF

[Llorean]

Yes, you have to make the playlist pointing to the files on your iPod, or copy the files over in a way where they're in the _exact_ same directory structure, for it to work.

[omendelovitz]

ouch! I think you're right... If that is the case, uh, that really sucks!  I have craploads of playlists from elsewhere and previously...

[Llorean]

Well, just move the music over in a way preserving the directory structure. That's not too hard to do, is it?

I mean it's somewhat unreasonable to expect Rockbox to be able to arbitrarily find music that you've moved in relation to the playlist. I dont' even know of PC players that'll do that.

[omendelovitz]

Well, just move the music over in a way preserving the directory structure. That's not too hard to do, is it?

I mean it's somewhat unreasonable to expect Rockbox to be able to arbitrarily find music that you've moved in relation to the playlist. I dont' even know of PC players that'll do that.

Look, I meant no disrespect to anyone over this particular issue.  I just find it odd that when looking under the id3 tags, that rockbox can't also pick up the playlist structure via the metadata... the problem with moving music over and retaining its structure as on my PC is that Apple OS doesn't recognize the format and won't play it - this becomes a problem if I ever want to use apple os for whatever reason.

[bascule]

...I just find it odd that when looking under the id3 tags, that rockbox can't also pick up the playlist structure via the metadata...

But playlists (of the .m3u variety at least) use filename and path information, not metadata in their structure. Open one up and have a look...

[omendelovitz]

you're absolutely right.  I've been using PC jukeboxes and I've forgotten that as part of DAP sync's,  they alter the playlists to match the DAP directory.  Once I commit to Rockbox completely, I'll look at synching to Rockbox's setup instead of Apple OS'.