Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

question re VLC

wfriedwald

wfriedwald

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 1, 2017
530
48
(I also posted this in the specific VLC forum - but maybe someone here will have a suggestion - I hope so!)

Here's my problem:

when you put a video file into VLC, it displays the "title" - and the title is NOT the file name.

this causes a lot of problems for me. I need to view the "file name" and NOT the "title."

is there any way to get VLC to display the file name, rather than the title? or even in addition to the title.

(yes, I could edit the meta-data, but that creates its own problems and I have thousands of video files to rename.)

thanks for any suggestions!

Will Friedwald
 
Try the vlc forums. They support a bunch of flags that you can pass in as arguments. Perhaps there's one to alter this behavior.

The OSX version of mac doesn't expose all the settings in the UI but the Windows version does so you could try poking around with the Windows version to see if there's a setting in the UI there.
 
You should consider Elmedia player which displays the file name and I consider it a more polished and advanced player to VLC.
 
thanks! If ELMEDIA can work from a playlist (and save a playlist) then that's something I should consider!
 
okay, am trying it.

the playlists do seem to work.

Rats! it does NOT seem to be able to handle JPEGs. Oh well. often in the middle of a video show, I will stick in a JPEG as a buffer between clips. Argh. Not sure if I can use it if it can not display non-moving images ... will keep experimenting. thank YOU for this very helpful suggestion!
 
ah! the program I usually use (XILI soft video converter) does do this - which is good! thanks!
 
Where does it display the "title" ?!
when I launch a file I see the file name at first then it fades out and on top I see the file name too.

For testing purposes I changed the file name and launched it in VLC. I saw the change. I clicked cmd+I to see the info, and the adjusted file name is in the title field.
 
thanks -

I wouldn't say it's inconsistent, but I haven't quite figured it out.

sometimes VLC displays the title (rather than the file name)

and sometimes VLC does display the file name.

the meta-data in video files is kind of unpredictable. for some reason, in certain files, the title is automatically the same as the file name. sometimes it isn't.

and in some cases, VLC does display the file name.

and in some cases, VLC does display the file name, until it starts to play, at which point the display changes from the file name to the title.

I have seen all of this happen!

I do not claim to know what's going on - or how to change it.

thanks for feedback,

w
 
my only guess at this point is that it has to do with 1 out of 2 things:
1-File container. Maybe if its .avi or .mp4 the title is handled differently
2-If file creator has assigned a title in the meta data, VLC will use that. If not, it will just use the file name. I am only guessing. If this is the case, there are ways to strips file meta data in batches automatically.
 
thank you!

this is quite possible news that I can use!

what do you recommend to strip meta data " in batches automatically?"

this could be the answer!

thank you!



w
 
There is an app called ExifCleaner, I am not sure if it will clear all the way to the title of the video. What I can tell you that if you ask around the forums some members who understand scripting and programing can write you a little app/script using Automator.

I don't know how to do it but I know its a simple task, like a 5min thing. It might be already possible to do via commands in the terminal.
 
i should also ask about meta data editors --- thanks, i will follow up on all these suggestions!
 
rats - I installed EXIFCLEANER, but when I click on the icon, nothing happens - does not seem to be launchable. Not sure why. am running the latest version of OS Catalina. Help, again!
 
"

Metadatics 4+​

Audio Metadata Editor"​


ha... thanks! the page on the APP store does NOT mention video files - but you are telling us that it DOES work on MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, MPG, VOB --- all those formats? worth a try and worth ten bucks!

thanks again!

w
 
wfriedwald said:
"

Metadatics 4+​

Audio Metadata Editor"​


ha... thanks! the page on the APP store does NOT mention video files - but you are telling us that it DOES work on MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, MPG, VOB --- all those formats? worth a try and worth ten bucks!

thanks again!

w
Click to expand...
You can download the trial from their website
 
thanks!

the first file I tried was an MP4, and it accepted that ...

then I tried an MKV file and it wouldn't open that. Either I'm doing something wrong, or it doesn't work with MKV files??

(and also I couldn't get it to properly edit and then save the newly-edited meta data on the MP4 either ... I think I am striking out with this. maybe I can contact their customer support before I spend $10. it would totally be worth $10 if this worked.)

thanks Dudes!

w
 
here is a more elaborate explanation of the problem I am trying to solve.

1. here are three sample video files - these are the file names, copied from the finder:

Carol Burnett 'ladies who lunch' (Sondheim COMPANY) w Valerie Harper, Vicki Lawrence CAROL 1974-02-17 [ADF3] WFe.mov

Kaye Ballard as Molly Goldberg 'go in the best of health' (MOLLY, Leonard Adelson, Mack David, Jerry Livingston) CAROL 1973-01-27 [ADF3] WFe.mov

Valerie Harper 'the last blues song' CAROL 1974-02-17 [ADF3] WFe.mkv

2. here is what they look like in VLC - I have no idea where the title "films" comes from - it doesn't seem to be anywhere I can find in the meta date (looking in METADATICS)

3. here is what METADATICS shows me ... but even after saving (at least I think I saved properly), VLC still displays only the not-very-helpful info "FILMS."

METADATICS Screen Shot 2020-11-10 at 12.26.35 PM.jpg
VLC Screen Shot 2020-11-10 at 12.29.57 PM.jpg


argh! still no answer to this problem ... and METADATICS apparently does work for MP4 & MOV but not any of the other formats I work with.

thanks again for suggestions!

w
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back