[Offtopic] Playback random selection from multiple videos

[Dr Paul Chandler]

The link that I posted included some information about how to "prod" VLC
via a commandline python script.  Very clever, but not for the unlearned
masses - hence my question to this list, to see if anyone knew of other
solutions.

I have also posted my query to the vlc forums; anyone interested could
follow: http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=81178

> VLC Media player has a commandline option. In theory you should be able to
> script something in Python that peeks at a video file, determines its
> size,
> slices it up into 5 min slots then randomly plays these .. perhaps leaving
> out the header and tail so you avoid the title and credits.
>     http://www.videolan.org/doc/play-howto/en/ch04.html
>
> Don't laugh, I met somebody who almost exclusively watches videos using
> this
> option to load and play shows on her computer / home theatre system,
> Ubuntu
> Linux of course. Watching the flawless and rapid entry of these commands
> on
> a wireless keyboard just made me sink deeper into the beanbag of
> amazement.
> Awesome stuff
>
> Regards Roland
>
> PS: .. (great film too "Be Kind - Rewind" from memory)
>
> On 16 August 2010 16:15, Dr Paul Chandler <paul.chandler at une.edu.au>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'd like to be able to do the following (for demonstration,
>> front-of-house
>> purposes) ... show small samples from a video playlist randomly and
>> continuously; for instance, every five minutes it would choose a random
>> 5-minute sample from a random movie in the playlist and display it, and
>> once that clip is over, it should choose another clip and do some sort
>> of
>> fade/wipe to the chosen clip.
>>
>> I came across an interesting post about how to do this here:
>>
>> http://superuser.com/questions/81044/playback-random-section-from-multiple-videos-changing-every-5-minutes
>>
>> Without resorting to a script (such as described), I wonder if anyone
>> has
>> any clues as to how this might be achieved?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> --
>> Dr Paul Chandler
>> Research Fellow
>> 'Multimedia grammatical design and authoring pedagogy' (Kahootz)
>> project,
>> School of Education, University of New England
>> (Project website: http://www.une.edu.au/kahootzresearch)
>>
>> located at Australian Children's Television Foundation
>> 145 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 3065
>> e-mail: paul.chandler at une.edu.au
>> Ph: 0400 198 187
>> Fax: (03) 9419 0660
>> Skype: paul.d.chandler
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
> http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au
>
> "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
> change
> the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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-- 
Dr Paul Chandler
Research Fellow
'Multimedia grammatical design and authoring pedagogy' (Kahootz) project,
School of Education, University of New England
(Project website: http://www.une.edu.au/kahootzresearch)

located at Australian Children's Television Foundation
145 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 3065
e-mail: paul.chandler at une.edu.au
Ph: 0400 198 187
Fax: (03) 9419 0660
Skype: paul.d.chandler