iPod and random play

ctviggen · « **on:** 7 Jan 2005, 08:06 pm »

Anyone know how the random play function on the iPod works? I have a "chant" CD that has about 12 songs. I have 1411 songs on my iPod. There should be less than a one percent chance (over time) that I'd hear a chant song, yet the iPod selects these songs much more often than that. I'm wondering if the iPod uses Genre in addition to just random selection of songs?

jackman · « **Reply #1 on:** 7 Jan 2005, 08:14 pm »

It's a commonly known fact that iPods love, and I mean LOVE, chant music. They like techno and trance, do not like classical (except by Mozart and some Beetoven), and absolutely HATE disco (except for some BeeGees stuff from the 70's). Just delete that ahant crap and you won't have to deal with it. Isn't that stuff only good for coming down from a 48 hour x-fueled rave party anyway?

Just kidding, I really don't have any answers.

J

ctviggen · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Jan 2005, 08:24 pm »

My girlfriend said that there was an article saying that people have actually deleted entire CDs off the iPod because the iPod seemed to love to play them. Another one is Van Halen. I have one Van Halen CD, and I think I hear a song from this several times a day.

jackman · « **Reply #3 on:** 7 Jan 2005, 08:28 pm »

Bob,
All kidding aside, I have the same problem. Mine wants to play this CD "Nuevo Latino" it's kind've a cool club music CD that I like but I'm getting sick of hearing at least one or two songs every time I play random. No ideas as to why!

J

ctviggen · « **Reply #4 on:** 7 Jan 2005, 08:51 pm »

It seems as if we're not the only ones to notice this oddity:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/26/technology/circuits/26ipod.html?ex=1251259200&en=83c45c3e535c156a&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

nathanm · « **Reply #5 on:** 7 Jan 2005, 11:35 pm »

This same problem exists in some CD players I've noticed. My car stereo is the worst. It has no concern for what track it has already played and will go back and play the same number about 3 times during a sequence. My Shanling player's idea of random is something like: 15, 3, 5,6,7,8,9,10,11, and then it freezes up and needs "rebooting". It's rather silly.

I'd be interested to know how exactly a random number generator is created in an electronic circuit. Perhaps this is something which is hard to create? Something must be amiss if the iPod can't properly shuffle 1400 numbers!

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #6 on:** 8 Jan 2005, 02:37 am »

Many (most?) computers seem to have some trouble with generating truly random numbers. And the shuffle play of most players isn't that random either.