Cant Browse Podcasts

SanDisk MP3 players All other MP3 players
#1

Why can you not browse Podcasts & Audiobooks by folder?

My old Clip + was quite happy to do this. I’m used to dropping all my podcasts into a folder. As the podcast software puts the date in the filename, this allowed me to play all the podcasts in chronological order.

I had just assumed that the clip zip would do the same. But the folder appears empty.

The only way I can get these files to appear is by manually removing the podcast genre tag.

This seems ridiculous. Why limit what  files are viewable in the folder view in this way?

Short of manually removing the podcast tag from every file downloaded can anyone suggest a better workaround? I’m seriously considering returning my zip.

#2

It’s a matter of the hierarchy chosen for the Folder view on this version Clip.

Currently, Folder view is under the Music node, allowing navigation by filename for everything in the Music Folder only.  Podcasts and Audiobooks are separated from folder navigation on the Zip.

Do what I do with podcasts, run them through Windows Media Player, and let the application build a handy chronological playlist for you.  I have Windows Media Player monitor my Received Podcasts folder automatically, plucking them from the daily RSS feeds.  Works beautifully.

Podcasters are notorious for messing up the ID3 tag data in individual episodes.  Previously, using Juice, the orphaned files would get lost in the shuffle.  With WiMP, one click brings up the tag editor, and I can correct it.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

#3

Not that simple I’m afraid.

Firstly the folder view doesn’t allow navigation by filename for everything in the Music Folder Only.

The folder view allows navigation by filename for everything in the Music Folder only…that doesn’t have a Genre=podcast tag.

As you say, podcasters are notorious for messing about with tags. So why on earth does the clip zip rely on these tags to decide if the file is visible or not?

You say anything in the Podcasts or Audiobooks folder is “separated” from folder navigation on the Zip. Why on earth? Someone has added this filtering, and I can’t think of any reason why this is considered a good idea.

And if I wanted rely on some controlling, invasive, mother knows best media software like WMP to manage my podcasts, I might as well go the whole hog and get iTunes to destroy my music collection…

More seriously I’ve gotten used to managing mp3 files myself, because no media management software I’ve tried does it in a way I like.

So far, by removing all the podcasts podcast tag, and storing them under the music folder I can at least play them in the order I want…but lose the clip’s  podcast/audiobook bookmarking facility, which has always been it’s USP to me.

Still not convinced that I wont be returning the Zip.

#4

Have tried to create playlist instead, based on your suggestion.

This doesn’t work, Reading the forums on here, it seems that SanDisk have screwed this players ability to process m3u playlists as well.

I will be sending it back. Not fit for purpose…

#5

one feature the ZIp has that the Clip+ does not have if alphabet browsing if you double click the center button. How this works is when you double click the letter comes up and as you go down the list it will skip to the next podcast with a dfferent letter. SO if you save it with the author as part of the title and let us say save 5 podcasts once you bring up the letter it will skip to the next letter and skip 4 podcasts. I find it to work fine and also the list is in the order I saved it. I have one 70 part podcast colletion that all start with the same letter so it skips 69 of them when I go to letter browsing.  

#6

Did M3U playlisting work properly with a previous firmware build?  Sorry, but for my own playlist needs, MTP mode has been the mode of choice, since I use the players with Rhapsody and Audible services, so I’ve remained primarily in this mode, using PLA format lists.

If there was a firmware build prior to the 18 version currently available, in a few minutes’ time,the previous firmware can easily be reinstalled, if it will help your issue.

Here isversion 01.01.15 for example.  Click on the link, and follow the manual installation instructions.

I am certain that playlist compatibility will be corrected in a future release, but you can revert to any prior version at will if desired.  One of the coolect things with the Sansa is that it allows this.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

#7

"You say anything in the Podcasts or Audiobooks folder is “separated” from folder navigation on the Zip. Why on earth? Someone has added this filtering, and I can’t think of any reason why this is considered a good idea. "

It is a very good idea. When I shuffle all my songs, I don’t want podcasts to be mixed in. I also don’t want podcasts in the song list. I put my classical music in the audiobooks folder, as I don’t want the classical music movements in my song list, and I don’t want classical music movements to play when I shuffle my songs.

#8

Absolutely.  Without filtering those genres out, shuffle mode is essentially useless for anyone having music and podcasts on the same device.  You would never think of shuffling podcast episodes or chapters either, come to think of it.

The only time that the “swap” is connfusing on the Zip is if you try to navigate the podcast by playlist, since the playlist shows, on the device, as 'empty", you have to go to books > podcasts.  The Fuze+ is the only current machine that has a dual navigation for them under playlists.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

#9

I thought the Zip would be an upgrade from the Clip+, but I am sadly disappointed. All I want to do is navigate through my podcasts using the folder structure, as before on the Clip+. The list of podcasts are a complete mess with the Zip. And all the work-arounds that have been suggested seems to be an unnecessary pain in the neck for something that should be so straight forward. I think the only solution is to return the Zip to the store and replace it with the Clip+.

#10

I feel your pain. I have been hoping that a retrofit to this logic would work its way into the Clip Zip, as works brilliantly on the Clip+.

The Zip has podcasts pulled away from  the Music tree, instead placing them under the Books node.  I use both the Clip+ and Zip daily, and have to switch my thinking depending upon which device is in use.  You’ve seen that the folder nav pulls solely from the music folder.

For podcasts, i gravitate toward loading them on the Clip+. This has the advantage of saving space for Audible books on the Zip.

Bob  :wink:

#11

Unfortunately my Clip+ appears to be fried. I re-installed the firmware when the text in the display became scrambled and mostly unreadable. I was also unable to delete some MP3 files from the drive. Re-installation and drive formatting appeared to have improved matters, but only until I tried to copy all my MP3 files back again. It then crashed and wouldn’t start at all. Long story short: I no longer have a Clip+. I really like these little gadgets, but they’re not perfect and their lifetimes are quite limited: I’m on my third device in a little over 2.5 years.

#12

Are you still within the warranty period, for replacement?

#13

@stuwat wrote:
I really like these little gadgets, but they’re not perfect and their lifetimes are quite limited: I’m on my third device in a little over 2.5 years.

And yet, mine that is 3 years old has never given me a lick of a problem. And I know several others whose similarly-aged units are still working flawlessly.

Not being judgemental or accusational, but like any small electronic device, they do require a certain amount of common-sense care and they are not bullet-proof. :wink:

#14

Has anyone found a solution for using the Zip with podcasts under MSC mode?

  1. If I put the files under podcasts there are always some podcasts with messy tags so the views get messed up. I understand that this is not the Zip’s problem but it is a problem nonetheless that worked perfectly under the Clip Plus using folder view.

  2. If I use folder view I can not see any podcasts that are marked with genre=podcast.

The result is that I can not see use gpodder to update my podcasts (which is my only use of the Zip) in a simple way and have it work on the Zip. I would have to edit the Tags every single time.

#15

Just as an update for anyone else reading this thread:

I found a preference in gPodder to edit all podcasts downloaded so that genre=podcast and the title is intellegently set so that I can now browse podcasts with the correct title in the Podcast folder.

So, no folder view, but a workaround that works fine.

#16

Thanks for the tip. I’m sure others will find it helpful. :smiley:

#17

And if I have hundreds of downloaded podcasts – I’m supposed to go mess about with them one at a time to get them to show up and/or play?!  I listen to most of them once and delete at the end of each podcast.  Others I keep and occasionally listen to again…  Does SanDisk REALLY expect me to go mess about with several hundred tags to get them to play!?

#18

SnowTao, please start your own thread as to your own issues and only ask once–you have posted similar issues in at least 4 different dormant threads started by others.  Please see my response to one of your threads here:

http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/Sansa-Clip-Zip/Still-having-numerous-Clip-Zip-problems/td-p/287394/highlight/false/page/3

Legal | Terms of Use | Privacy Statement | Forum Terms of Service Sandisk logo
© Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Western Digital Technologies, Inc. is the seller of record and licensee in the Americas of SanDisk® products.