Option to display FILE NAMES instead of META TAGS

[Ocsid]

Hi.

I wish to request a feature for upcomming versions of vlc.

I wish to be able to turn off the metadata being displayed in the playlist. Resulting in the filename being shown instead.

(yes, I have seen similar requests been made, but since the topics have been hijacked and lots of aggression has locked down the subject I decided to start a clean and concrete request)
(and yes, I do know there are ways to remove the metadata from files getting the desired result, but NO, I wish to have the metadata in the file, I just dont want it in the playlist)

Please keep the tone nice and constructive now. Thank You! <3

[mederi]

Folders and filenames are the simplest and the fastest way of organizing of media files. There are many users who really do not care about metadata title information stored in media files. It can be wrong and they do not want to spend any time editing/clearing metadata tags in media files and searching for tools they need for this. They would like to see always their preferred filename instead of metadata title tag in the Title column in playlist. Then VLC also displays the Title in a playing video and in the title bar of the window.

Perhaps there is only one place in the source code of VLC where some metatitle variable gets metadata title value if it is available, otherwise it gets filename there. The new option in VLC preferences could simply always put/keep the filename in the metatitle variable and thus ignore metadata title tag. The new option could be also implemented right above the playlist table in the playlist GUI: "[ ] use filenames in Title" or "[ ] Ignore metadata titles".

It is also possible to implement filename column in playlist. I have just found the related ticket:
https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/5455
Patches have been provided but not implemented in VLC yet.

[Soom]

I really like VLC, I use it for playing almost all my media, but there is one extremely annoying behavior, which, for reasons unknown, is not being solved for years - There is no option to force VLC to show just File Names. VLC uses only Meta Title Tags to display the track names.
While in some cases, if the Tags are correct and relevant, it's fine, but in m any cases the tags are just wrong, or encoded in other languages, or irrelevant, or whatever other problem there might be. Most older generation people rely on file names to sort their files. I listen a lot to audio-Books, but most of them are Russian, and in 99% the text uses some encoding, which is just not being read correctly by the system. So there is NO way whatsoever to know what I am listening to. Look at this playlist:


And even if all the meta tags display correct, I know, that many people would just prefer to have an option of seeing a file name instead of the metatag. for example, when you compare your playlist with your folder - you absolutely must know the file name of the track!

Please please please add an option of displaying File Names instead of Tags.

[bridgetfisher]

Hi, my plalist is showing these other names and not the filenames I use for files. how can I make it display the filenames instead of what it says?
This is for a tv series and the problem is that its jumbling the episodes by displaying the title name of the episode name and not episode number so their all out of order.
I would like to display the filename so it sorts properly by order of the files according to the ep number instead of by title name.

Metadata feature is useful in most situations in this one though it makes watching the series very difficult.
(please a category be added for filename? seems the easiest solution.)

[Soom]

The only way to show File names, is to remove all Tags from your files. I use Adobe Bridge to do it. You can use any tag tool to remove tags.
There is no option to do it in VLC - that's exactly what we are asking for.

[Ocsid]

The only way to show File names, is to remove all Tags from your files. I use Adobe Bridge to do it. You can use any tag tool to remove tags.
There is no option to do it in VLC - that's exactly what we are asking for.

In your last remark you say: "There is no option to do it"
If you by "it" are referring to your first statement about removing tags, and thereby wish to use vlc to remove tags.. you have been posting in the wrong thread.
I was very specific in my request, that I wish to display file names in playlist whether meta tags are present or not. Removing meta tags is thereby off topic and NOT "exactly what we are asking for."
Thanx for voicing your opinion tho.. but I just want to steer the request back to topic and clarify my original post to avoid arguments about removing tags.

[Soom]

Hi - actually, my post was merged by the admins into your thread, so I didn't even notice I am replying in a thread, that wasn't mine anymore (you can see my original post - it's the third one)
As for your remark - no, I wasn't asking to remove tags in VLC - I just replied to the above question in two parts - first explaining how to work-around, and then just saying, that VLC cannot show file names otherwise. Sorry for being not very clear.

[Ocsid]

@ Soom
oh, dont be sorry, that clears up some questions in my head about the name of the thread. Out of context i was confused by it all, but now with your clarification of the admins doings it makes sense.

Your first post with the image was spot on. Really shows a scenario where a flip in settings would be preferred over messing around with meta removers.

Anyone else noticed the filenames are there for a short time before the meta data is loaded? Could it be that this option can be acheived by NOT running a piece of code? I havent looked at the source myself but wouldnt this be awesome:

If $MetadataExists == true && $ILoveMetaData == true then
call DoStuffThatLoadsIt
End if

(yeah.. I mixed up a bunch of languages, several syntaxes must be better than just one right?)

[Rincewind]

Been searching for a way to display file names (instead of metadata) in the playlist and there are requests for this option going back many years. Disappointing that nothing has been done. As pointed out above, it really cant be that hard and it would make life so much easier for those of us who use file names as our main reference.

TO be clear, this thread is NOT advocating any sort of facility to delete/edit metadata. There are other programs that do that (and metadata editing would be a different and more complicated feature to add). I (and lots of others by the look of it) simply want an option to display the file name (and sort/select by it) in the playlist as opposed to displaying the corresponding metadata.

Seems obvious to me. I (mostly) select items by file name; move them to the playlist by file name so why would I want to see something different in the playlist?

Please

Just to add my 10c.

[mederi]

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=122027

Preferring of titles from your custom playlist is another good reason for an option to "disable" metadata tag titles parsed from files/streams in VLC playlist.

Perhaps there can be an option to set priorities:
1. playlist titles
2. filenames or stream addresses
3. metadata tag titles from files/streams

[Ambroisie]

So, I have been searching for almost one hour, I have found many threads about this exact issue and they are, as you said, all locked down/hijacked/trolled. I would also prefer to have an option to change this paricular way to handle our video file titles.

I can understand how the use of meta-data is an easy to use method for VLC, but I wish I could just simply don't use it, as I don't want to re-tag all of my video-files which I don't even keep a cont of anymore.

I would appreciate to have an admin answer to us. I know that you have more important issues, but the fact that THIS particular option is yet not implemented after so many people beggig for it, I just think it isn't worthy of the usual awesome product that it is. VLC has always been my number one player since I've known it, and I could most definetely keep it therre for years to come, but PLEASE just give us this one little option.

No harm attended to anyone and in no way a troll, I just wish some developper wil implement the damn option already. And sorry for th messy text ^^"

[Ocsid]

Any news on this matter? Anything at all? Even a: "I've seen the post and will adress it eventually" -message would be nice.

[Ambroisie]

Unfortunately no, not any answer to this important post (at least important to me)

[Lotesdelere]

Menu Tools -> Preferences (Show Settings=ALL) -> Input/Codecs
Then on the right panel scroll down to "Change title according to current media" and set it to "$F" (without quotes, case sensitive).

Save, exit and restart VLC.

[Ambroisie]

That's not useful for your playlist, it just changes the name of your window to <<Filename>> - VLC Media Player
What we want is an option to do that, use the filename, but in your playlist, not the meta tags...

Otherwise thanks for giving a semi-solution... But it's not what we're looking for, at least not me.

[mederi]

At least here is a following option that could help somebody, but it is not the solution, too.
Tools > Preferences > Show settings = All > Playlist: [ ] Automatically preparse files

[Ambroisie]

Well it's only useful if you want to retrieve the metadata

[Ocsid]

I'm starting to get curious to why this thread havent gotten any attention from any developer..

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Because we are too few. And issues are too many.

[pomidor]

I found an UGLY solution:

- Open the Playlist
- right-click on one of the headings
- Select "URI"
- resize headings (or remove unwanted ones) or move the URI heading up front so that it's visible.

Like I said, UGLY. The URI displays the entire file path, with % signs for spaces: painful to read the file name

----

One a side note, I'd like to point out that there is a better switch for Lotesdelere's solution for the Tile Bar: Use "$p" instead of "$F". At least I prefer the $p.

"$F" gives you the entire path (like the UGLY one I mentioned earlier); "$p" gives you just the file name and the "- VLC Media Player" text appended to it. hmmm.... I wish there was a way to remove the appended text

[Props]

I found, in a thread somewhere, that deleting the folder%Program Files%\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\meta\
Helps with the partial display of the filename, in both the playlist and initial playback. Though, at this point, I've done so many small tweaks, it's hard to keep track of what exact did what.

All in all, it would be so much easier if the developers just created an option that displays the filename instead of the meta data. Or an option that completely ignores the meta data. Come on developers, stop dropping the ball, PLEASE give us this option!! Please!

Here's my thread that doesn't add much at the moment, but for our sake, i will go through all of the available fixes and post them systematically with what each fix does. https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.ph ... 63#p419063

[mederi]

Delete/rename appropriate files or change settings in VLC preferences:

\plugins\meta_engine\libtaglib_plugin.dll
Parses metadata of mp3 files.

\lua\meta\reader\filename.luac
The script parses a filename of a video file and returns a new title with spaces instead of dots and without a text after the SxxExx (it can be an epizode's name): "Show.Name.S01E12-blah.avi" --> "Show Name S01E12"

There is an option in VLC preferences to display a filename in the title bar:
Tools > Preferences > Show settings = All > Input/Codecs: Change title according to current media [$]

[Radikinz]

I do not have an answer to the solution via VLC, however, I have figured out a quick and easy way to change the metadata info to match the title for multiple video files at once.

Forgive me in advance if the way I am explaining is not via protocol of some sort. I am of the older generation and know enough about the computer to fuddle my way through expediting things I want to do.

I use software called Media Monkey Gold (I do not know if this works with the non-Gold version)

In Media Monkey Gold
- File > Add/Rescan Files to the Library (a new window pops up... check the directory your videos are stored)
- On the left side of MMG click on Video to view your video files... default is in Art View
- View > Show details
- Highlight Titles you want to reflect file name instead of medadata
- Right click > Auto- tag from Filename
- Filename format: Box should say <Title>
- If correctly done, you will see the filename highlighted under Title
- If it doesn't look correct, you may have to manipulate it some until it is correct
- When I first tried this, the box said <Artist> <Title> and it kept putting the filename under Director instead of Title (I don't remember exactly how I got this right and now I cannot duplicate it)
- When correct... just hit OK

When I reopen my playlist I see my filenames under Title.

I know this isn't the solution to your question, but hoping it will help someone looking to change the metadata on multiple videos time efficiently.

[Ocsid]

* Bump *

I wish to remind the good folks on this forum about my request, and I hope to get some response from people who knows how advanced a featue such as this would be to implement in further releases.

I posted my request quite a while ago (Wed Jun 11, 2014 5:04 pm) and consider myself a patient person, how hard would it be to include an opt out checkbox that tells the program not to run the code fetching the meta data?

I can sometimes at loading see the filenames flicker before the meta is being read, could some elite person please look into this matter?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

It's not hard to do.