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Forums -> VideoSaver -> Random select not really random if using hundreds of clips
H. Danner   2002-04-18 04:10
I have hundreds of movie clips. Some are wide-screen (letterbox), some are with normal aspect-ratio. I first set up the normal clips in original size, then I set up the wide ones in double size - so all clips are about equal height. So, in the setup I have a big block of normal proportion clips followed by a big block of wide-screen clips. But, even though I set VideoSaver to "random play", it plays an awful lot of normal clips before it plays the wide ones. When it eventually gets to the wide ones, it plays nothing but the wides for a long time. It should jump from normal to wide more - the randomization algorithm isn't too good if you're using a lot of clips. Is there some way I could edit the playlist and randomize it (maybe with Excel) after I've set up the sizes? And I don't mean by moving them around indvidually, the way the set-up allows you to do it - with hundreds of clips it takes way too much time to do.
Christian Studer   2002-04-18 08:59
I have uploaded a command-line Plst-Csv converter, PlstConv10.zip. See the included Readme file for usage instructions.

The converter can convert VideoSaver playlists (.plst files) to .csv files (comma-separated values), a text format compatible with Excel and most other applications. After editing the .csv file you can use PlstConv to convert it back to a VideoSaver playlist.

Regarding random order playback: I have tested with 16 videos, half at original size and the other half set to maximized. Distribution was quite even, 50-50 chance of playing a video of either size. Did you notice the problem with smaller playlists as well?

Christian Studer - www.realtimesoft.com
Christian Studer   2002-04-18 09:26
After a bit more thought, I think the random order algorithm is probably okay. What you would want is an algorithm that evenly distributes between the first and second half of the data set and only uses a random algorithm to pick an item from one half of the data set.

With a smaller data set the chances are higher that you get even distribution following this pattern, so that would explain my test results.

Christian Studer - www.realtimesoft.com
JThundley.com   2002-07-08 07:46
Right now I have 165 Videos in a playlist, and I can tell that it is not going in random order. It is in alphabetical order. When you push the left arrow or just let the video run to it's end, it just goes to the next video on the list in alphabetical order. I just double checked that I have "Random Order Playback" checked.
Christian Studer   2002-07-08 12:07
Next/Previous will always go to the next or previous entry in the playlist, independent of the random order playback setting. This is by design, but could of course be changed.

I haven't been able to reproduce the problem when letting the video play to the end, the next clip was chosen randomly (which could also mean playing the next clip or the same clip again). The clips were also ordered differently each time I started VideoSaver.

Please check if you have the same problem with a small playlist (up to 10 clips).

Christian Studer - www.realtimesoft.com
Forums -> VideoSaver -> Random select not really random if using hundreds of clips

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