This is your VLC. This is your VLC on shuffle...

[Iogk]

So far as I know this isn't a windows-only issue, but I don't have lots of spare computers/OS's to try stuff on -- I'm using Win VLC 2.1.3 which, upon finding the problem, got me to upgrade to Win VLC 2.1.5 (current major release). Shuffling -- seems broken, odd, or even outright insane. My test:

VLC settings? There's so many. But in particular I note I have it set to close after playback (my default), and for purposes of this we'd want shuffle on/repeat off. Mimic that.

Load 3 movie files into VLC (I'll refer to mine as "A" "B" and "C"), save them out to a playlist. Use that for this test. I used couple-minute "Epic Rap Battle of History" recordings, they're where I noticed the issue/kept testing it with them. Note ERB's not a "linear show" -- it's cute lil' skit type stuff -- type of thing you might *want* to play 3 of, with shuffle turned on...

Using only 2.1.5 now, and a file I've called "BASIC VLC PLAYLIST.m3u" -- VLC set to shuffle (and repeat set to off) -- I load VLC and then drag the playlist into it. I don't watch the videos, I'm testing after all, but I drag the progress slider the the last few moments before the vid ends/watch it end (NOTE: DO NOT USE TRACK ADVANCE, I'll cover that issue (a second one) a bit later).


Test 1:
A, C, player exits after C. B is not played. Only 2 vids played off a 3 vid list.

Test 2:
B, player exits after B. A and C are not played. Only 1 vid played off a 3 vid list.

Test 3:
C, B, player exits after B, A is not played. Only 2 vids played off a 3 vid list.

Test 4:
B, player exits after B. A and C are not played. Only 1 vid played off a 3 vid list.

Test 5:
A, player exits after A. B and C are not played. Only 1 vid played off a 3 vid list.


And I don't wanna slight VLC unnecessarily, those were 5 tests done *while writing this post*. I did lots more *prior* to upgrading the version, and even a few more still before joining up to comment. It's every bit possible to have VLC randomly luck out and play all 3 and then close. Just, as a matter of luck, it didn't happen here.

VLC puts the files in a random order, but as to whatever decides when it's done playing -- no clue how that's working. It's not always stopping over the last file on the list. It can be ANY file on the list Shuffling a playlist of 3 items plays the 3 in whichever order, and stops after whichever file at random. Could be the first, could be the last, could be one in the middle. Was "shuffle" *ever* (anywhere) about "play a random AMOUNT of stuff?" -- I missed the memo. I think when I have it set to shuffle a playlist of three it should always play all 3, just in a random order.

And really? This playlist of 3 was a result of testing another problem -- I have *all* the ERB's saved out, after all. I even like most of them. But what I kept finding, playing the big list, I'd end up seeing stuff I'd already seen. I have NOT thoroughly tested this, the subset of 3 was where I went to test, but I did observe/further test with the 3 -- if you use the direction arrows for previous/next track -- goofy stuff. I think if the list is A, B, C that shuffle should play each, but in some random order. Say it picks C, A, B. But once I'm on A I reflect about something on C, wanna see it again, I hit the previous track button -- I can end up on *ANY* file of the set. Including the exact same one that's already currently playing. Same with next-track presses. What I was doing with the big list as it played? I was hitting vids here 'n there that were stuff I wasn't in the mood for, track advancing, and seemingly restarting the whole list. So re-seeing stuff as it played "anew". Track advancing shouldn't restart the list. Shuffling 3, track advancing 3 times, I have no problem with the player stopping -- Other than that it doesn't happen. Seems like with 3 tracks shuffled you can next-track forever. And still have 2 more tracks after, although thanks to random endings they might randomly not play.

Shuffle does shuffle the play order, credit given. But it also seems to randomize how many of the files will be played -- that's insane. Shuffle's new order? Next and previous track buttons ought to respect that order, and allow you to go to what you've just seen/would see next. Even shufflers should be able to review or skip what they're watching. And shuffling 3 things? Really should try to play all 3 things, even if the user might skip one or review something such that it has to play something again. It shouldn't restart the list, loose track of what the previous track is, or any other such notion.

Please, fix VLC. Compared to all the other stuff it does, basic player functionality just seems kindergarden-y. I'd like something to play random ERB's, random music videos, reviewing this problem found me folk complaining about shuffling mp3's (I don't use it for this, but as it plays audio it seems a valid use), etc -- I *know* VLC's awesome software, powerhouse player, etc -- but what good is having a Ferrari when you take a beat-up old jeep on a road trip because it can actually shuffle the CD's you'll be playing? Think of the user, some of us might wanna shuffle. And yeah, mostly I do watch TV shows, etc, in linear orders. I really don't shuffle much. But now that I'm wanting to -- I'm just totally amazed, *with VLC* (!), that I can't.

[mederi]

Try VLC-2.2.0 nightly release: http://nightlies.videolan.org/

[Iogk]

Try VLC-2.2.0 nightly release: http://nightlies.videolan.org/

Only saw 3.0.0 -- tried the nightly for 11/21. Only tested it a few times really, but it seems the previous/next track buttons, under shuffle, now know which is previous/next, they "work right" or so I noticed with minor fiddling. Then I launched the 3 track playlist, it played all 3. I did it again, it exited after 2... So that one's maybe not fixed. Using the previous/next buttons? I do think maybe reset the list. I note if I play a list of 3 I can still "next" 4, 5, 6 or really however many number of times...

Left out the program seeming to close to reopen itself, playing things garbled, crashing out, etc -- I get it's a nightly build. And apparently a bad night. But there's been some shuffle-progress. I'd still like shuffle repeat-all to play a random order of all, the another probably-different random order of the next all, etc, I'd even like shuffle to play all the tracks in a random order and actually play all the tracks. But at least I can go back and forth now. Or, once there's a stable version with that feature. Thanks for that.

[mederi]

You can shuffle your playlist using VLC Lua Extension script Sampler (PG): http://addons.videolan.org/content/show ... ent=149688