Loop function not working (VLC iOS 3.0.2)

[Freddy.H]

Hi everyone,
For several years, I've been using VLC on iOS (for our yearly theatre production) to play a video (mp4 or wmv) in continuous loop (iPad mini connected to beamer).
However, with the current versions (VLC 3.0.2 (303) & iOS 11.2.6), the loop function (both single loop & continuous loop) no more seems to work: when playing the mp4 it stops at then end of the video at the first 'run'.
Video source : powerpoint, saved as wmv, then converted (using VLC on windows) to mp4. Both wmv & mp4 versions of the video play & loop correct on windows & linux versions of VLC, so I think it's not related to the video source file ...
VLC for iOS removed from iPad and fresh install done from appstore ...
Video file is put on iPad using VLC WiFi sharing.
When the file is playing, I can tap the 3 dots and then change the loop icon (none, single, contiuous) by tapping on it,
- in no loop mode, at the end of the video, full-screen playback mode is closed and 'All files' are shown ('normal' behaviour)
- both in single loop and continuous loop, at the end of the video, full-screen playback keeps showing the last 'frame' & controls like 'play' are no longer responsive ... all I can do is terminate the VLC app and start all over again ...

Anyone can confirm this behaviour ?
I've searched this forum and the VLC documentation but found no solution ... so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[bubu?]

Hello,

Are you playing the files from a folder? If not, please try it out in a folder.

[Freddy.H]

Hello,

Thanks for your swift reply.

Video file was in the VLC "home" folder, I managed to put the video file in a (sub)folder (WiFi sharing does not allow target folder navigation, so I had to put the file in VLC "home" folder using sharing and then, on the iPad, create the folder and move the file - maybe a possible enhancement for WiFi sharing here ???).

Anyhow, when playing the video from within a folder, I got different behaviour (only 1 file in the folder) :
- no loop mode : same correct behaviour as before (at end of the video, go back to folder).
- single loop mode : repeats the video file, not only once, but continuously ... ?!?!
- continuous loop mode : playback freezes at last frame of first run (same like when file is in VLC "home" folder) ... closing the full-screen (video) image, returns to VLC "home" folder with pop-up window asking if I want to report a bug ...

So for now, I have a workaround for my problem (getting a video to loop continuously), but it looks like (single/continuous) looping functionality got messed up, with even the location (folder) of the video file being played leading to different behaviour ...

[Freddy.H]

Hi,

I ran some tests with VLC on Windows (VLC 2.2.6 / W10 Home Build 16299.rs3_release.170928-1534) and Linux (VLC 2.2.2 / Mint 18.3), and it seems that I have been misinterpreting the loop functionality. This is how it works (identical on both platforms):
- no loop : the selected file is played once
- loop one (what I called 'single loop' before) : the selected file is played continuously (whether or not there are multiple files in the playlist).
- loop all (what I called 'continuous loop' before) : depends on the playlist, if only one file in the playlist, then it is played continuously, if there are multiple files in the playlist, they are played one after the other, in list sequence or in random sequence (depending on the random order button pressed or not).
=> with only 1 file in the playlist, loop one and loop all give the same result.

And now back to VLC iOS 3.0.2 ...
Is my understanding that 'playlist' (as behind the button on Win/Linux) does not exist in VLC iOS, but it's functionality is covered by the 'folder' feature (correct me if I'm wrong).
After doing some testing, here is my experience on how loop functionality works in VLC iOS:
- no loop : the selected file is played once, whether the file is in 'All files' (VLC 'home') or in a folder.
- loop one : the selected file is continuously played, ONLY when it is located in a folder (does not work in 'All files'), and it is the only file in that folder (I am under the impression that when the folder contains more than one file, the behaviour of loop one is erratic, need more testing though).
- loop all :
. - does not work in 'All files'.
. - does not work in a folder when it contains only 1 file.
. - seems to work in a folder when it contains multiple files (although I've seen screen go black at second pass), more testing required.

My conclusion:
My requirement (looping a single file continuously) is met by putting the file in a folder and using loop one.
Other looping functionalities in iOS version of VLC are not consistent with Windows/Linux and may need some rework and further testing.

[cumuseumtech]

we were also having same problem of 'no-looping' v3.0.3 VLX on mac iPad iOS11.3.

I tested Freddy.H options above:

- loop one : the selected file is continuously played, ONLY when it is located in a folder (does not work in 'All files'), and it is the only file in that folder (I am under the impression that when the folder contains more than one file, the behaviour of loop one is erratic, need more testing though).

This appears to be working now. Thanks Freddy.

cheers - JR
'You are only one finger flub away from success'

[vlc1300]

As a reminder (probably not applicable in this case), make sure that, Preferences (Show All),
Playlist | Play and pause is NOT checked. Otherwise, Repeat-One and Repeat-All will not work.