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DVD Library Manager

By on November 8, 2008 in Video, Windows Home Server, Windows Media Center

Quite sometime ago, I wrote an article about how to Play DVD’s in Windows Media Center Stored On Your Windows Home Server.  Several of the comments that came back from this article stated that they use MyMovies for this purpose.  A nice program and they even have a WHS add-in available now, as reported here.  For those who like this type of program: great!

I happen to be one those minimalist kind of guys.  And I am cheap. icon smile DVD Library Manager   If I can do something that requires little or no cost, and does it without installing a program on top of another program, I’ll go that route every time.  Quite often, I also find that other methods like the one I described in my aforementioned article gives me more control over what I want to do.  MyMovies simply did not allow me the kind of control I wanted.

From my article, once I had pointed VMC to my share on my WHS machine, ripped my movies, and got the associated xml file from DVDxml.com, life was good. For the most part…  The one problem that I had with this method was that occasionally I could not not find the xml file needed for a particular movie on DVDxml.com.  Bummer.  They have a forum where one is able to obtain some movie xml files that are not on the main website.  They would work sometimes, sometimes not.  Recently I came across a thread there that provided me a method to get the xml information I was missing.  Music Man, in his post, gave me a hint of a program that would get me the information that I lacked: DVD Library Manager.

I did the usual Google search which led me this GreenButton thread.  From there, I downloaded DVD Library Manager, installed it, started it up, pointed it to my WHS share and several minutes later, I had all the xml and graphics information that I was missing from my DVD collection.  Nice!

So, if you are the minimalist/cheap bloke like me, head over to the GreenButton link above, download the program and complete your DVD information library for VMC.  The following shots are examples of what the program looks like in action.

main 300x187 DVD Library Manager

dvd details 300x199 DVD Library Manager

imdbsearch 300x116 DVD Library Manager

amazonsearch 300x221 DVD Library Manager

Enjoy!


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About Jim Clark

Hello. I’m from the heartland of the U.S. Lots of corn and beans, although Iowa is a lot more than just farmland. It also has a few computer enthusiasts (no, not me!). I’ve been around PCs since I got my 1st PC XT aloooong time ago. WGS is one of the first sites I found centered around WHS. And the best. Every once in awhile, I do get away from the KB and enjoy time with and my wife and our 4 kids. And I do have a day job.
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  • Lankantech

    I have a question could you actually play movies within VMC dvd library if you link your xml to the library. Is it open to any video format such as iso's, avi's, etc..?

  • Jim Clark

    I do a straight rip to a _TS DVD format and copy the folder over the WHS videos shares folder. From there, I pointed VMC to the WHS share (see my previous article). What the xml and folder.jpg files do is provide VMC the movie synopsis and movie artwork. These 2 files are stored directly in the individual movie folders.

    I hope this answers your question.

  • Lankantech

    So my understanding is VMC DVD gallery is kind of like a showcase.It's just a fluid interface to show what movies you have, but wont play the actual movie. Is that right?

  • Jim Clark

    Yes, this is a simple "get the DVD info" from the web for movie data that you have trouble getting. You can use other programs (MyMovies, for example), but I like the "use it, get it" simpleness without the added overhead of other add-ins.

  • Lankantech

    I got you now..i have been using mymovies for couple of years, but i really wish if the interface in mymoives was like the VMC DVD library one.

  • Rodney

    Hello Jim,

    I just discovered DVD Library Manager a couple days ago and I really love it. I've tried MyMovies and just couldn't get it to work, plus it was more than I really needed. I also tried CollectorsMCE and that worked OK, but still a little complicated. DVD Library Manager is so straight forward and simple.

    However, here's my problem. I use a MCE Extender (HP MediaSmart Connect). I got it where I can play my ripped DVDs on the extender. That took a lot of trail and error, but I finally got it to work. But now, how do I get DVD Library Manager to display all of its contents via the extender. All I get to the extender is the artwork, no movie information.

    Thanks,

    Rodney

  • Jim Clark

    Originally Posted By RodneyHello Jim,

    I just discovered DVD Library Manager a couple days ago and I really love it. I've tried MyMovies and just couldn't get it to work, plus it was more than I really needed. I also tried CollectorsMCE and that worked OK, but still a little complicated. DVD Library Manager is so straight forward and simple.

    However, here's my problem. I use a MCE Extender (HP MediaSmart Connect). I got it where I can play my ripped DVDs on the extender. That took a lot of trail and error, but I finally got it to work. But now, how do I get DVD Library Manager to display all of its contents via the extender. All I get to the extender is the artwork, no movie information.

    How are you saving? Sounds like you are clicking on the "Save Cover Art" button. There is an icon at the top left to save art and movie info. Also, FWIW, I have found that Amazon seems to be a little more on top of recent hits than IMDB.

    Thanks,

    Rodney

  • Rodney

    Originally Posted By Jim Clark

    <

    How are you saving? Sounds like you are clicking on the "Save Cover Art" button. There is an icon at the top left to save art and movie info. Also, FWIW, I have found that Amazon seems to be a little more on top of recent hits than IMDB.

    Hello Jim,
    After saving the artwork, I also press the save button in the top left corner. All my information is being saved as should be. I get all information including artwork displayed on my MCE PC, but only artwork on my media extender.

    Rodney

  • Obnic

    Anyone else encountered and solved an unable to edit file error with this application? I get it for just over 5% of entries. Something about illegal characters in the file path.

  • Discipline

    Go check <a href="http://www.codeaero.com/movie-label/” target=”_blank”>www.codeaero.com/movie-label/ instead.. It uses IMDB to download data and can organize DVD, Blu-ray AND files on your harddrive. I have been using it for years.