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[ubernode54]

I want to create SmartLists that my iPod understands. I used to be able to create a playlist that would be automatically populated on the iPod that I can use without MC. i.e. All the unlistened tracks would appear in one. Another would gather all the 5-star songs and would add new ones on-the-fly as I rated my tracks.

Can I still do this in MC?  ?

[e-head]

I didn't think smart playlists got updated on the iPod (without syncing), whether they were created in iTunes or MC. I seem to remember reading an entire thread about this on an iTunes forum somewhere.

Are you sure your not just thinking about the on-the-go playlist? Or perhaps you mean it gets updated when you sync it?

[ubernode54]

OK, so I went and re-installed iTunes  just to check this out.

If you create a Smart Playlist in iTunes, there's a checkbox option at the bottom for 'Live Updating'. That's what I'd like to see in MC so that I can Live Update smartlists on the iPod.

Now I will uninstall iTunes once again. 

[e-head]

"Live Updating" doesn't have anything to do with the iPod.

iTunes smart playlists are essentially "static" unless this is checked. By static I mean iTunes applies the rules once, creates a playlist, and that's that (it never changes). By checking off "live updating" iTunes will update the playlist as songs get played. The playlist won't get changed dynamically on the iPod itself though. The playlist will get changed the next time you sync.

To see this, create a smart playlist in iTunes for all songs rated 3 stars. Now, on your iPod rate some songs. You'll notice they don't get added to the playlist until the next time you sync.

MC's smart playlists are always "live updating" basically, though the way it does it's updating is different than iTunes. If your playlist isn't changing then you must not have any conditions that change.

[m1abrams]

Just to let everyone know.  Smartlists created by iTunes stored on the ipod do in fact update on the ipod, they are not static.  If you have a smartlist of unrated songs and it contains 10 songs when you sync, then you rate 3 of the songs on the ipod.  When you go to that playlist on the ipod it will now only have 7 songs and this is without resyncing to the PC.

I too wish MC supported this feature, however in order for them to do that those "special ipod" smartlists would have to be dumbed down a lot.  One way maybe they could do it is create a new smartlist just for ipod use and that list would only have very basic query options.  However if I could base that list off of the output of a more complex standard MC list and the only dynmanic parts are from the dumbdown part such as "rating" or "play stat".

[e-head]

I stand corrected.


Pretty fancy.

[m1abrams]

I stand corrected.


Pretty fancy.

Forgot to mention that this feature of ipods has had some issues.  The 4gen ipods for instance had this feature to begin with, had issues, apple released a firmware update to fix those issues.  The fix was to disable the feature!  Well after a very very long time apple released another firmware to re-enable the feature which worked with one part not working.  I think the part that did not work had to do with a podcast flag.  So all that said it does not surprise me that anyone would be confused on the subject.

[BartMan01]

As a road warrior (frequent traveler), this is one feature that I have asked for from time to time.  The last response that I saw from JRiver was that the feature would be 'too complicated' (not sure if they mean for them or for the users) given that only a small subset of MC's smartlist functionality would work/port over to the iPods.

As it stands right now, you are correct:
MC12 Smartlists are static on the iPod.
iTunes Smartlists are dynamic on the iPod.

In addition (unless something has changed recently) - any Smarlists put on to the iPod by iTunes will be rendered static when syncing with MC12 even if that playlist is not part of the MC12 sync.

The only way I have found to get dynamic playlists on the iPod when MC12 is in the mix is to first sync with MC12 and then resync those playlists with iTunes.

[m1abrams]

I thought I remember someone saying the issue is that the api to create smartlists is unknown.  Course I could be wrong on that, I thought I remember reading that.

Would not surprise me because I have not see an 3rd party product that can do this.

[BartMan01]

I thought I remember someone saying the issue is that the api to create smartlists is unknown.  Course I could be wrong on that, I thought I remember reading that.

Would not surprise me because I have not see an 3rd party product that can do this.

That wouldn't' surprise me either - I just specifically remember that the gap in feature set (with MC12 being much more feature rich in the smartlist area) was a big concern.