Playlist loop

[cottage]

Can I embed a command within an m3u playlist so that the videos in the playlist endlessly loop?

i.e. I have a playlist like the following:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:101,video1
video1.mp4
#EXTINF:240,video2
video2.mp4
#EXTINF:72,video3
video3.mp4
#EXTINF:139,video4
video4.mp4
#EXTINF:192,video5
video5.mp4

After video5 is finished, I'd like to automatically restart video1, then video2 etc.

The play list is on a HDD and is played on both a media player (WDTV) as well as a PC. I believe that I can set the WDTV to loop the video, but I'd prefer to include that command within the playlist so that it will work on both the WDTV and the computer.

Is this possible?

[Cornucopia]

No, m3u is too crude a format to directly support such features.

However, you could try the last line calling the m3u file itself as a cheat. Maybe it will work, maybe not.

Scott

[cottage]

No, m3u is too crude a format to directly support such features.

However, you could try the last line calling the m3u file itself as a cheat. Maybe it will work, maybe not.

Scott

Is there any other playlist format that would allow looping the video?

[racer-x]

Perhaps an Avisynth script.....

a=FFvideoSource("video1.mp4")
b=FFvideoSource("video2.mp4")
c=FFvideoSource("video3.mp4")
d=FFvideoSource("video4.mp4")
e=FFvideoSource("video5.mp4")
Return(a+b+c+d+e).Loop(times=3, start=0)

[Cornucopia]

An ASX/WVX metafile (but they're usually only supported on Windows machines). Probably a SMIL metafile, but with similar (Mac-centric) support restrictions.

Scott

[cottage]

Perhaps an Avisynth script.....

a=FFvideoSource("video1.mp4")
b=FFvideoSource("video2.mp4")
c=FFvideoSource("video3.mp4")
d=FFvideoSource("video4.mp4")
e=FFvideoSource("video5.mp4")
Return(a+b+c+d+e).Loop(times=3, start=0)

I just tried this and it didn't work. My media player (WDTV) only supports PLS, M3U & WPL playlist formats. I've Googled these types of playlists and "loop" or "repeat" and haven't found anything.

I'm assuming that none of these three playlist formats will allow a series of videos to loop.

Correct?

[racer-x]

I was assuming you were doing this on a computer. On a set top box media player like your (WDTV) I would look in the settings for looping. You may get lucky and have an option to loop videos in a folder.

Otherwise, you'll need to encode a long looping video.

[Cornucopia]

Well, you could just as easily use an M3U format and list it explicitly like this:

Source1.mp4
Source2.mp4
Source3.mp4
Source4.mp4
Source1.mp4
Source2.mp4
Source3.mp4
Source4.mp4
Source1.mp4
Source2.mp4
Source3.mp4
Source4.mp4
...

for as long as you think it will need to loop. Doesn't use up any more space (unlike the re-encoding suggestion), easy to create, and is the equivalent of looping in most cases: how long do you really think it will need to loop anyway?

Scott

[cottage]

I was assuming you were doing this on a computer. On a set top box media player like your (WDTV) I would look in the settings for looping. You may get lucky and have an option to loop videos in a folder.

Otherwise, you'll need to encode a long looping video.

Yes. The WDTV has a setting that will allow me to loop the videos. However once set, it will loop (repeat) everything. I have playlists of videos, individual videos, photos and MP3s on the media player. I would like to loop some playlists but not others and none of the individual videos or MP3s. I'd prefer not to go into the settings menu and set it to repeat each time I want a playlist to loop. (I know that this is picky but it's a nuisance).

My default solution was to create a longer playlist like Cornucopia suggests but I was looking for a more elegant solution. However, it looks like that solution doesn't exist.

Anyway, thank-you everyone who has taken the time and effort to provide suggestions. Your help is very much appreciated.