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BZ · Mar 8, 2004, 03:10 PM

I don't usually post about new software that I have found/love, but this time I just thought others should know. (I have no affiliation with this software other than I bought it).

I have been looking for a way to catalog my DVDs and there seem to be a hundred little apps out the DVDx, DVDy, DVDq. I downloaded a few but the one that caught my eye was DVDpedia. Not only does it use the nice iTunes like cataloging, it has a great search, single and multiple DVD inputs, auto-population of data from Amazon and just a host of other features (follow link).

The developer is also very very responsive and has already added three or four of the things I asked for.

Bottom line, if you are looking for a nice DVD cataloging application for OSX, $14 could not be better spent.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/22365

Bruji.com

BZ

mitchell_pgh · Mar 8, 2004, 04:07 PM

I've tried so many of these things that I've ultimately given up on all of them. Every single application I've used falls under one of the following categories:

- Good (not not great) application where they expect you to pay a ton of cash
- Great application with missing features out the wa-zoo
- Poor quality free applications

I now have a VERY archaic way of organizing my movies (including my Netflix movies).

I go to amazon.com and copy the icon and place it on an actual OS X icon.

and name accordingly. I usually save a high res version of the cover art and also place any other stuff I want to incorporate in to the folder (trailers, sound bytes, small review etc.)

I like it because it's simple... I can also drag a movie on to the hard desktop to remind me of something (like a movie is coming in or that a friend borrowed one etc.)

I've tried a few, and this is my current system. Now if someone would only create an application that would automate all of this!

Fothb · Mar 8, 2004, 04:47 PM

Originally posted by BZ:

Bottom line, if you are looking for a nice DVD cataloging application for OSX, $14 could not be better spent.

I agree completely. I've spent a considerable amount of time evaluating about a dozen DVD cataloguing apps, including some no-name ones that weren't even listed on VersionTracker and MacUpdate, and DVDpedia is certainly the best of the bunch.

mitchell_pgh · Mar 8, 2004, 08:46 PM

Looks interesting, but they could use an icon designer to help them out. I would say it looks like it could be a nice program. I think I'm just tired of these applications disappearing or becoming vaporware after an update or two.

BZ · Mar 9, 2004, 04:53 AM

That is certainly always a worry.

What I have found, though, is that the all mighty dollar is what keeps developers developing. Programs like Watson, WeatherPop, Deja Vu, A Better Finder Rename, Net Monitor which are all from small developers, all have done well and continue to release.

The same hold true for DVDpedia. If they sell hundreds of them, they will keep up the updates, make it bigger, release more and try to get more people to buy.

The really nice thing about DVDpedia though, is you can export everything to many different file formats and the whole library is kept in XML. So at the end of the day, you can always take your collection with you.

BZ

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
Looks interesting, but they could use an icon designer to help them out. I would say it looks like it could be a nice program. I think I'm just tired of these applications disappearing or becoming vaporware after an update or two.

mitchell_pgh · Mar 9, 2004, 03:50 PM

Originally posted by BZ:
That is certainly always a worry.

What I have found, though, is that the all mighty dollar is what keeps developers developing. Programs like Watson, WeatherPop, Deja Vu, A Better Finder Rename, Net Monitor which are all from small developers, all have done well and continue to release.

The same hold true for DVDpedia. If they sell hundreds of them, they will keep up the updates, make it bigger, release more and try to get more people to buy.

The really nice thing about DVDpedia though, is you can export everything to many different file formats and the whole library is kept in XML. So at the end of the day, you can always take your collection with you.

BZ

I really wish there were a bigger movement to pay shareware and Open Source developers... especially the REALLY good ones.

Programs like VLC shouldn't go unrewarded.

Almost like an iTunes Music Store Equivalent (or some tie in)... I would like the ability to click a button and have $1 go to the developer I like, where it's simply taken off of my account.

$ doesn't sound like that much, but if you have a few hundred people like the product...

The trick would be to have Apple support such an idea.

maguirer · Mar 9, 2004, 04:33 PM

What I would want is an OS X version of CATVids. I currently use this to catalog my DVDs, and it's one of the only reasons I still keep my PC kicking around.

BZ · Mar 10, 2004, 01:33 PM

Version 1.3 just came out today. It seems to a have a lot of features, fixes and the much awaited "Smart Collections".

Sadly, I will ahve to wait to get home to try it!

http://www.bruji.com/dvdpedia/new.html

BZ

pinlo · Apr 3, 2004, 11:46 AM

Originally posted by BZ:
What I have found, though, is that the all mighty dollar is what keeps developers developing. Programs like Watson, WeatherPop, Deja Vu, A Better Finder Rename, Net Monitor which are all from small developers, all have done well and continue to release.

Yes, quite true. Others should realize this as well. Shareware authors don't release software to become rich, but it takes a lot of time and energy, and if people aren't registering, then the developer usually needs to redirect his or her efforts to something else.

I wish that money were not required to live in this world, but it kind of is.

-jeff

mitchell_pgh · Apr 3, 2004, 04:51 PM

I feel like Apple should come out with a cataloging program. Call it Library (or something more Apple like), but essentially it could be a database front end that has general templates include (Books, VHS, DVD, CD, stamp, coin etc.) where I can add things on. The best feature is, you can enable rendezvous sharing of your catalog.

I also see the potential to purchase books, magazines, newspapers etc.

I would LOVE to be able to "purchase" my local paper via a iTMS like interface and "own" it like a real paper.

Just an idea...

wataru · Apr 4, 2004, 12:45 AM

Ugh, I can't see spending money on something like this. I'll stick with DVDAttache, which is ugly and Java-based, but at least it's free.

Mithras · Apr 4, 2004, 11:44 AM

I like this DVDPedia a lot.

I've been ripping my DVDs to my big external Firewire disk, so my wishlist for the program is for a "play" button. Either a field that could be linked to a file or folder, or a field for a short shell script to run, would make it easy to let me actually play the movie from the listing.

For now I've put the path in a custom field, and used the ever-wonderful OnMyCommand to make a contextual menu item to play the movie. But a button would be more friendly to the non-geeks using the machine...

I've emailed them with my suggestion; we'll see whether they write back.

BZ · Apr 5, 2004, 10:03 AM

BTW: I registered and love DejaVU.

BZ

Originally posted by pinlo:
Yes, quite true. Others should realize this as well. Shareware authors don't release software to become rich, but it takes a lot of time and energy, and if people aren't registering, then the developer usually needs to redirect his or her efforts to something else.

I wish that money were not required to live in this world, but it kind of is.

-jeff

BZ · Apr 5, 2004, 10:16 AM

I have found the developer of this app is very responsive.

As for the Library app suggestion, that would be great, but not sure what Apple would get out of it. From what I can tell, most of these apps write to XML based catalog and throw the data into ~Library/Program/ directories (DVDpedia, iTunes, etc).

BZ

Originally posted by Mithras:
I like this DVDPedia a lot.

I've been ripping my DVDs to my big external Firewire disk, so my wishlist for the program is for a "play" button. Either a field that could be linked to a file or folder, or a field for a short shell script to run, would make it easy to let me actually play the movie from the listing.

For now I've put the path in a custom field, and used the ever-wonderful OnMyCommand to make a contextual menu item to play the movie. But a button would be more friendly to the non-geeks using the machine...

I've emailed them with my suggestion; we'll see whether they write back.

Tomster · Apr 7, 2004, 02:23 PM

Anyone using a Cue Cat with DVDpedia? I ordered one off of Amazon and if it works as advertised, with will make cataloging my collection much faster.

BZ · Apr 8, 2004, 07:51 AM

There is a review on VT about someone using a scanner... (looking)

This is as close as it gets....

"Me again. Thanks for adding the UPC code to the import menu!!! Once I get them in there, I still can't figure a way to get it to autofill now that I have them in there. On the advice that I got from my previous post, I got a wasp scanner. The problem is, it always puts a 0 at the beginning of the UPC code. It would be great to have an option to have it automatically remove numbers from the beginning or the end of the scanned number. Also, the first scan goes into the list automatically, then the next ones don't and you have to hit Enter. It would be great to have it somehow get it into the list automatically. This is by far the best Personal DVD Collection App. I can't wait to have these fixes in so I can get all of my collection into it. More Info "

BZ

Originally posted by Tomster:
Anyone using a Cue Cat with DVDpedia? I ordered one off of Amazon and if it works as advertised, with will make cataloging my collection much faster.