0019577: M3U/M3U8 Extended format improvement Read/Write - MantisBT

ID	Project	Category	View Status	Date Submitted	Last Update

0019577	MMW 5	Playlists	public	2022-11-21 00:49	2024-02-18 18:35

Reporter	peke	Assigned To
Priority	urgent	Severity	minor	Reproducibility	always
Status	closed	Resolution	fixed
Target Version	5.1	Fixed in Version	5.1

Summary	0019577: M3U/M3U8 Extended format improvement Read/Write
Description	This is a parent bug that summarizes several issues with MM's current M3U implementation including several child issues previously raised: 1. Some M3U devices that support UTF-8 encoded m3u files will only read the file correctly if it has a flag as described below. This is based on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M3U#Extended_M3U Second line of M3U can contain "#EXTENC:UTF-8" to tell Apps format is in UTF-8. No regressions found when loading such M3U file in other apps/devices and playlists are added normally 2. Some devices (e.g. QNAP and other linux devices) don't correctly translate <PlaylistName>.m3u to the Playlist Name in the associated Media Application (e.g. 8.3/UTF-8 limits or spaces removed). Apps designed for IPTV and HLS address this limitation with M3U/M3U8 containing a line with "#PLAYLIST:<Playlist name>" so that the associated app can use the Playlist name instead of actual filename. I've tested this and all tested apps either ignore or support it--no errors were reported by adding this. 3. As previously reported at 0019258, 0019124, 0016540 and 0015571 , MM should add support for hierarchichal playlists within m3u files as per existing standards--see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M3U#Examples (eg. example 5). Expected behavior would be: i) During import referenced playlist would be imported as sub playlist ii) on Playback referenced playlist would be loaded at playlist reference position iii) There should be Additional setting in Playlist format to allow disabling referencing playlists for better compatibility based on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M3U#Examples Reference playlist should be added as: "#EXTINF:-1 c:\reference.m3u"
Tags	No tags attached.

Fixed in build	2800

michal 2022-11-21 16:09 developer ~0070412	1) I do not understand the purpose, we can for sure add support for reading this line, but for saving in UTF8 format the M3U8 file is intended, "#EXTENC:UTF-8" is not part of standard (as stated in the Wiki table). You say there are devices, which do not support M3U8, but only support M3U with this flag?

peke 2022-12-01 10:33 developer ~0070471 Last edited: 2022-12-01 10:37	yes, I even tested on Android devices by saving M3U (without BOM) and Cyrillic filenames and same M3U with that line and one with line read normally on device and one without that line read on some (Android 9 based), but fail on other MP3 player (Android 6, 8 based).

michal 2022-12-13 09:55 developer ~0070530 Last edited: 2022-12-13 10:00	1) and 2) fixed in build 2800. Assigning to Luděk for implementing 3), as it is related to his other related issues concerning hierarchical playlist and probably more complex.

michal 2022-12-13 09:56 developer ~0070531 Last edited: 2022-12-13 09:57	Ludek, consider moving 3) to another issue and resolving this one to test what is done, as hierarchical playlists issues have target 5.2.

Ludek 2023-03-07 22:37 developer ~0071316 Last edited: 2023-03-07 22:38	3) From what I have read references to other M3U playlists are generally not well-supported. Acatually I did not find an app that is creating such a M3U. Feel free to re-open should there be an app using M3U with references to other M3Us. Plus AFAIR Zvezdan already has an addon to import/export hierarchical M3U ( 0019258:0069390 ) Resolving as fixed in 2800 in order to test 1/2

peke 2023-05-18 23:15 developer ~0071980 Last edited: 2023-05-18 23:17	Verified 1, 2 in 2804 NOTE: Still not closed in TBD what to do about 3) and related bugs.

peke 2024-02-18 18:35 developer ~0074290	re Verified 2834 Raised 0019258 for quicker evaluation.