DVD library software

[madbart]

Anyone using or found an application that allows you to keep records of your DVD collections and also if you have lent one out?

For the fans of Listpro it doesn't cut the mastard! :lol:

[marchaa]

I agree with the list pro comment. All I can say is beware. I have been trying to find a program to do the exact same thing. Well I have found alot that do a few things I want, but none with the abillity to do it all. And if you go looking at handago.com ..... well sorry they are all sub par too. The closest thing I have found that suits my wants is called personal video collection. I found it on handago. But be warned, it is the best I can find. And you, like me will still be displeased.

What we really need is someone with some programming skills to take a poll on the wants of people and design us a program.

[ironguy]

HanDBase is quite good for this type of use. In fact there are several applets already built to do this exact thing. Custom views allow you to set up views like "Who has my DVDs?". I also like the ability to move databases back and forth form Excel.

www.ddhsoftware.com

[WyattEarp]

Well, if your going to go through the hassel of creating your own database with one of the third party programs you may as well just create a list using Excel. It won't be flashy but it will have all the info you want and you can add as many fields as you need even after your done entering all the DVDs. Just another choice to throw at you. I'm pretty much dissappointed with all the DB software that's out myself.

[wiljs]

if you have office you can go to microsoft's template gallery here:

http://search.officeupdate.microsoft.com/TemplateGallery/ct155.asp

and they have sample databases you can use when you go to the link if you have never been there before, you may have to go through a page to accept their agreement and another to pick where in the world you are...

if this happens, once you get to microsoft office, chose template gallery and then Personal Interests and then hobbies and collections...

g'luck

[dspope]

What ideas do you guys have, if there's demand I'm sure someone would come along and build a really nice library / collection application.

I think being able to catalogue different things including DVDs, CDs and games would be good.

And also to have cover images, a borrowed status, and a wish list.

In theory I think it might be really cool if it could do research for you, like dialing into amazon to get product reviews and suggest matching products.

D

[Jason Dunn]

Here's what I'd want to see: a program that would allow you to insert the DVD into your PC, have it scan and identify the DVD, then add it to the database, along with a picture of the cover, info from IMDB about the DVD, etc. I'd also want an easy way to "check it out" when loaning it to a friend.

Now THAT would be sweet. :D

[Deus]

What do fell is missing in ListPro or Excel for keeping track of DVDs. What more would you like to see?

[Jeff Rutledge]

Well, it doesn't have a PPC companion, but I use DVD Profiler (www.dvdprofiler.com).

To enter a DVD, just input its UPC Code and it does the rest. You can view the cover art, cast, even easter eggs. I think it can scan the DVD now too, but I'm not 100% sure.

It also allows you to upload your collection to their site with its own URL so you can send your collection (very colourfully) to all your friends.

It allows you to track loans too.

Oh yeah, and you can also add DVD's to a WishList (which also appears on your web-list).

[rfischer]

I use DVD Profiler too. It's great. If you look on the menu of the current version (2.1.0), there's an option "Export to DVD Profiler Pocket". If you select it, it, you get a message box that states "This option will be enabled with the release of DVD Profiler Pocket". We can only hope it's something clever for the Pocket PC! I checked their site tonight and did not see any info on it. :cry:

Anyhow, if you can get your hands on a CueCat (a free bar-code reader that Radio Shack was giving away), you can add DVDs to the database by scanning the barcode on the back. The trick is to download "Catnip". It's a free driver Rich Goldstein wrote to work with the CueCat. If you install the CueCat drivers from the included CD, it will supposedly report your shopping habits to a website, so I would not use them. The barcode reader is quite useful if you have a large collection. When I set all this up over a year ago, I already owned about 200 DVDs and did not want to type in all the names!

To take the database with me, I export my collection to a CSV, clean it up in Excel and save it to my PocketPC My Documents folder. This has saved me from buying DVDs I already owned. With more than 300 now, it's impossible to remember all that I have. :D

[Jeff Rutledge]

I use DVD Profiler too. It's great. If you look on the menu of the current version (2.1.0), there's an option "Export to DVD Profiler Pocket". If you select it, it, you get a message box that states "This option will be enabled with the release of DVD Profiler Pocket". We can only hope it's something clever for the Pocket PC! I checked their site tonight and did not see any info on it. :cry:

Anyhow, if you can get your hands on a CueCat (a free bar-code reader that Radio Shack was giving away), you can add DVDs to the database by scanning the barcode on the back. The trick is to download "Catnip". It's a free driver Rich Goldstein wrote to work with the CueCat. If you install the CueCat drivers from the included CD, it will supposedly report your shopping habits to a website, so I would not use them. The barcode reader is quite useful if you have a large collection. When I set all this up over a year ago, I already owned about 200 DVDs and did not want to type in all the names!

To take the database with me, I export my collection to a CSV, clean it up in Excel and save it to my PocketPC My Documents folder. This has saved me from buying DVDs I already owned. With more than 300 now, it's impossible to remember all that I have. :D

Good eye. I hadn't even noticed that. Here's hoping it comes out soon!

Good idea with the Export to Excel. I had a ListPro list going before I installed DVD Profiler, so it hasn't been much to keep it updated. Still, I do have to update two lists. How much cleaning up do you have to do on the Desktop CSV file before you copy it down? I might have to give it a try.

Thanks!

[Deus]

http://www.handango.com/PlatformSearch.jsp?siteId=1&jid=E1DE5XC999C5F6662BDFE4B4C28595C8&optionId=1%5F2%5F2&txtSearch=dvd&platformId=2

[madbart]

Here's what I'd want to see: a program that would allow you to insert the DVD into your PC, have it scan and identify the DVD, then add it to the database, along with a picture of the cover, info from IMDB about the DVD, etc. I'd also want an easy way to "check it out" when loaning it to a friend.

Now THAT would be sweet. :D

I was sure that DVD profiler does this for the desktop.

Also have a look at crunchymedia.com. It has a much better interface than DVD profiler but lacks in other areas.

For the pocket pc platform i have found MediaWatch from http://www.uglybass.com/birdsoft/mediawatch.htm that looks promising. I will give a burl this evening.

MediaWatch is a new application written specifically for the Pocket PC. It allows you to quickly and easily catalog your Media collections, including CDs, DVDs, Albums, Cassettes, Videos, and Video Games. It will quickly show you your collections, along with a count, and the total investment that you have in each one. It also offers features to easily keep track of who you have lent your media out to. It allows for importing and exporting of your data to be used in your regular Windows applications including Access and Excel.

[rfischer]

How much cleaning up do you have to do on the Desktop CSV file before you copy it down? I might have to give it a try.

Very little. The only thing that I export is the movie title. That's all I need when I'm out shopping for (or renting) DVDs. As you might agree, large spreadsheets aren't much fun on a 320x240 screen so I keep it simple. Basically, before I save it in Excel, I sort by name and resize the column. The row numbers in Excel tell me how many I have. That's it!

[Jeff Rutledge]

How much cleaning up do you have to do on the Desktop CSV file before you copy it down? I might have to give it a try.

Very little. The only thing that I export is the movie title. That's all I need when I'm out shopping for (or renting) DVDs. As you might agree, large spreadsheets aren't much fun on a 320x240 screen so I keep it simple. Basically, before I save it in Excel, I sort by name and resize the column. The row numbers in Excel tell me how many I have. That's it!

I just tried it. Worked great! That's definitely all I need on my PPC. Now I just need to add my Wishlist and Ordered DVD's to DVD Profiler.

Thanks a lot!

[Scarpad]

Well, it doesn't have a PPC companion, but I use DVD Profiler (www.dvdprofiler.com).

To enter a DVD, just input its UPC Code and it does the rest. You can view the cover art, cast, even easter eggs. I think it can scan the DVD now too, but I'm not 100% sure.

It also allows you to upload your collection to their site with its own URL so you can send your collection (very colourfully) to all your friends.

It allows you to track loans too.

Oh yeah, and you can also add DVD's to a WishList (which also appears on your web-list).

Supposedly the DVD Profiler group are working on a PPC version, it's been along time coming but they are remarkably slow, if you go to File dropdown in Profiler you'll see an export to Pocket Profiler. So I've been waiting on this. My Profiler DB is very precise and I'd like to be able to sync to my 2215 and have Thumbnails of covers and everything.

[Scarpad]

I use DVD Profiler too. It's great. If you look on the menu of the current version (2.1.0), there's an option "Export to DVD Profiler Pocket". If you select it, it, you get a message box that states "This option will be enabled with the release of DVD Profiler Pocket". We can only hope it's something clever for the Pocket PC! I checked their site tonight and did not see any info on it. :cry:

Anyhow, if you can get your hands on a CueCat (a free bar-code reader that Radio Shack was giving away), you can add DVDs to the database by scanning the barcode on the back. The trick is to download "Catnip". It's a free driver Rich Goldstein wrote to work with the CueCat. If you install the CueCat drivers from the included CD, it will supposedly report your shopping habits to a website, so I would not use them. The barcode reader is quite useful if you have a large collection. When I set all this up over a year ago, I already owned about 200 DVDs and did not want to type in all the names!

To take the database with me, I export my collection to a CSV, clean it up in Excel and save it to my PocketPC My Documents folder. This has saved me from buying DVDs I already owned. With more than 300 now, it's impossible to remember all that I have. :D

Hopefully I won't appear stupid but I tried this I sent it to a csv. and sent it over to my PPC, how do you open files in Pocket Excel, I don't see any Open option. When I try to click on the .csv there is no way for me to associate it with an excel type file and it will not open...

[rfischer]

You have to open the CSV in Excel and save it as an Excel spreadsheet first.

[AprilRyan]

hey!

any updates on this? i used to have a similar program installed in my trusty old palm IIIxe before it conked out on me (freeware too). i'm still trying to find a ppc counterpart.

[chasmanor]

I use Bookbag Plus for books, CDs and DVDs. The categories are user-definable. It's not free, though you can get a discount if you buy it from Handango through PPCT. Can be found here: http://www.wakefieldsoft.com/bookbag.

[Ripper014]

You can create your own little database with VisualCE (expensive though)... I am not sure about Granda Soft... they offer a free dbase program but I have not had any real experience with it.

[Don't Panic!]

Is there any program that can get information from the IMDB for your DVD's? Not neccesarilly the cover but a synopsis and maybe the cast and crew info. I use a Dell X50v but not in "Real" VGA if that makes a difference.

[lmtuxinc]

Here's what I'd want to see: a program that would allow you to insert the DVD into your PC, have it scan and identify the DVD, then add it to the database, along with a picture of the cover, info from IMDB about the DVD, etc. I'd also want an easy way to "check it out" when loaning it to a friend.

Now THAT would be sweet. :D

That's exactly what movie collector does. its from http://www.collectorz.com/ but it dosent have a pocket pc edition. people have been bugging them for one for a while now.

[socrates63]

That's exactly what movie collector does. its from http://www.collectorz.com/ but it dosent have a pocket pc edition. people have been bugging them for one for a while now.
I just visited the web site. The program looks good.

As for a PPC edition, according to the feature list, the Pro version can export a list which can be viewed with ListPro.

[torgamm]

That's exactly what movie collector does. its from http://www.collectorz.com/ but it dosent have a pocket pc edition. people have been bugging them for one for a while now.Music Collector has an Export to Listpro option , hasn't Movie Collector too ?
That's enough for me :)