Welcome to the Invelos forums. Please read the forum rules before posting.

Read access to our public forums is open to everyone. To post messages, a free registration is required.

If you have an Invelos account, sign in to post.

    Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion Page: 1 2  Previous   Next
Doing the impossible - making DVD Profiler!
Author Message
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantjonthomas83
o' 'ell mun!
Registered: November 24, 2007
United Kingdom Posts: 47
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Hi guys,

I've been using DVD Profiler for well over two years now and love every little detail about it. I love it so much, that now I've been looking into CD cataloging, nothing comes close to what I need.

So my question is this, what expertise do I need in order to produce something even remotely close to DVD Profiler for my CD collection. I am fairly good at learning new languages and this is something I feel passionate about enough to put the time and effort into producing this thing for my (and anyone else who needs it) needs.

Just to get this straight, I'm in no way providing competition for DVD Profiler, it's perfect, but I DO need this for my CD's, it's a must, honestly, no other software comes close, I've tried them.

Cheers,
Jonathan
"What a pathetic excuse for a DVD collection"
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributormdnitoil
Registered: March 14, 2007
United States Posts: 1,777
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Well, the easiest approach might simply be a VB front end with an Access database on the back end.  There's about a hundred different ways to skin this cat, just depends on how involved you want to get.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantjonthomas83
o' 'ell mun!
Registered: November 24, 2007
United Kingdom Posts: 47
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Yeah I appreciate that, I was hoping to maybe build an application that would be self contained and to use the same sort of contribution techniques as DVD Profiler does. This would be a monster job, I appreciate that, but it'd be awesome to offer us music collectors the same sort of user-friendly, feature-full excellence that DVD Profiler does.
"What a pathetic excuse for a DVD collection"
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorDJ Doena
Registered: May 1, 2002
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Germany Posts: 6,741
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
To be perfectly honest the client is not even remotely a problem.

I could write a protope of what the DVDP client can do within a week. But that would be a local-only solution. The real trick is the website, the communication processes (including safety protocols) for downloading, contribution, voting, ... You get my drift.

Also: Hosting such website may be cheap in the beginning but as soon as the users come on running, the load gets up. More users mean more traffic on the website, on the database, on the forums, ...
Karsten
DVD Collectors Online

 Last edited: by DJ Doena
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantMole
Ex-contributor
Registered: March 13, 2007
United Kingdom Posts: 756
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
you could try OrangeCD from www.firetongue.com. Like DVDP it really is the Best in Class
Chris
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantjonthomas83
o' 'ell mun!
Registered: November 24, 2007
United Kingdom Posts: 47
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting DJ Doena:
Quote:
To be perfectly honest the client is not even remotely a problem.

I could write a protope of what the DVDP client can do within a week. But that would be a local-only solution. The real trick is the website, the communication processes (including safety protocols) for downloading, contribution, voting, ... You get my drift.

Also: Hosting such website may be cheap in the beginning but as soon as the users come on running, the load gets up. More users mean more traffic on the website, on the database, on the forums, ...

Yeah I had a feeling that would be the major issue, I can do most of the website stuff, I am a web-designer by trade, but hats off to the guys that run this place, there's bits that I'd seriously have no clue where to start. I think if there was enough like minded individuals here it could be worth us coming together and perhaps asking Ken for some advice. Who knows, maybe Ken would welcome the development and if it were good enough, maybe even think about associating it with DVDP.

Quoting Mole:
Quote:
you could try OrangeCD from www.firetongue.com. Like DVDP it really is the Best in Class

I've tried it mate, thanks for the advice but it really pales in comparison to what DVDP offers as a DVD equivalent. Being the geek I am, I personally need a hell of a lot more from a program in terms of depth than what both the Collectorz and OrangeCD apps offer. The report and stats section of OrangeCD really lacks, but that's just a tiny bit of what I don't like about it.
"What a pathetic excuse for a DVD collection"
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorArdos
Registered: July 31, 2008
Reputation: High Rating
United Kingdom Posts: 2,506
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting jonthomas83:
Quote:
I think if there was enough like minded individuals here it could be worth us coming together and perhaps asking Ken for some advice. Who knows, maybe Ken would welcome the development and if it were good enough, maybe even think about associating it with DVDP.


That's not as far fetched as it may sound to some. Invelos certainly did (if not still) own the domain cdprofiler.com so it's something that has at least been considered in the past.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,456
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting DJ Doena:
Quote:
I could write a protope of what the DVDP client can do within a week. But that would be a local-only solution. The real trick is the website, the communication processes (including safety protocols) for downloading, contribution, voting, ... You get my drift.

I've seen your powerful skills, but I also respect the tremendous amout of attention Ken has paid to lots of nuances in the Profiler software. The way the pulldowns work, what is defaulted when, the docking HTML windows, Layouts, filters, reports, ligtning fast sorting of the collection window, cover art handling - including thumbnail scaling, plugin API and toolkit, backup and recovery, command files, configurable toolbars, search, flags, extensive menus, configuration options, disc ID recognition, cast and crew management with headshots and automatic web lookup, ... the list goes on.

Now the design of a data model that supports a highly tuned GUI requires more than simply setting up an access database. As in the case of profiler, it may take multiple databases in order to provide performance if nothing else.

You have already mentioned the website and sophisticated metadata management, contributions, web collection viewing, ect. - that's another subject altogether.

We would all benefit from an effort such as you propose, but I predict that it will take you many weeks of programming and testing to produce a decent prototype (and for the record, it would probably take ME a year!). Anyway, just my 2 cents - if you take a shot, I'll be wishing you the best.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
thelittleprince
Free your mind.
Registered: February 28, 2009
United States Posts: 9
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I'd be interested in what you decide on this issue; I, too, have a huge CD collection, not to mention LPs.  For now, I'm content with having my CDs organized through iTunes.
"When it comes to living, dying is the easy part." -Carnivale
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorDJ Doena
Registered: May 1, 2002
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Germany Posts: 6,741
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting mediadogg:
Quote:
I've seen your powerful skills, but I also respect the tremendous amout of attention Ken has paid to lots of nuances in the Profiler software. The way the pulldowns work, what is defaulted when, the docking HTML windows, Layouts, filters, reports, ligtning fast sorting of the collection window, cover art handling - including thumbnail scaling, plugin API and toolkit, backup and recovery, command files, configurable toolbars, search, flags, extensive menus, configuration options, disc ID recognition, cast and crew management with headshots and automatic web lookup, ... the list goes on.

Sorry, I didn't want to diminish Ken's work, that wasn't my intention. This is an awesome piece of software and when I said prototype I meant prototype, not a fully-fledged copy of the client.

I just wanted to point out that the client isn't the part that is the most complicated thing about this client-server environment.

Quoting mediadogg:
Quote:
We would all benefit from an effort such as you propose, but I predict that it will take you many weeks of programming and testing to produce a decent prototype (and for the record, it would probably take ME a year!). Anyway, just my 2 cents - if you take a shot, I'll be wishing you the best.

I wouldn't dream of actually writing a prototype because I see no point in it. I have no intention of replacing DVD Profiler with anything else and while I think I have decent programming skills I am certainly not an UI designer. So my programs look always a bit crappy and I don't know squat about website design.

So, I apologize if my comment sounded presumptuous.
Karsten
DVD Collectors Online

 Last edited: by DJ Doena
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributor?
?
Registered: March 14, 2007
Posts: 3,830
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
.
Sources for one or more of the changes and/or additions were not submitted. Please include the sources for your changes in the contribution notes, especially for cast and crew additions.
 Last edited: by ?
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,456
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting DJ Doena:
Quote:
So, I apologize if my comment sounded presumptuous.

Hey man, no problem. I was secretly hoping you'd say "yeah, I know that, and I've been working on it for a year already!!!!"    Ha! Anyway, as I said before, best wishes.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantjonthomas83
o' 'ell mun!
Registered: November 24, 2007
United Kingdom Posts: 47
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Well, I have to be honest, with under 50 posts to my name and bringing up the age old "CD Profiler" topic, I thought I'd have a lot of stick for creating this topic, but it seems as if people genuinely would like to see such a product.

I would use DVDP to catalog my CD's but it'd be a bit of a backwards step toward my goal to be honest, to me, that's a little bit more restricive than using current tools on the market. My main aim would be to get the same sort of functions and features in a similar program to do what DVDP does for DVD's except for CD's, using music related information criteria.

I know for a fact that there are individuals on here that hate the idea of a CD Profiler, and I bet Ken is probably sick of being asked as well, but I wouldn't mind betting that it'd be more of a welcome addition to the invelos line than not. It's interesting to know that invelos own(s/ed) cdprofiler.com.

As I say, I think it's a matter of people registering their interest here or somewhere else, if not to raise awareness to the powers that be, then at least to show that people are keen and maybe we could compile a list of possible developers, should invelos not want to pursue the idea. If they did not want to have anything to do with it, it would be really nice to say that DVD Profiler insipred a new development.

Let me just say, in response to a comment earlier, this would in no way work as a competitive program to DVDP, this would be a different application all together, for music, whether it be CD, MP3, Vinyl or other. I think it's fair to say that we've all found THE perfect product to catalog our DVD's and that will never change. I do however, think we can use DVDP as an inspiration to create something new and a music equivalent.
"What a pathetic excuse for a DVD collection"
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantrasmusriis
Registered: June 2, 2007
Denmark Posts: 6
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
I'd definitely buy the program.

Like jonthomas83 I've been trying out a lot of the available CD catalog programs for my cd/lp collection, and none of them come even close to DVDP.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorFunkyLA
Will you remove your hat?
Registered: March 13, 2007
United Kingdom Posts: 1,136
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting .:
Quote:
.

   
Giga Wizard are you OK?
Signature? We don't need no stinking... hang on, this has been done... blast [oooh now in Widescreen]
Ah... well you see.... I thought I'd say something more interesting... but cannot think of anything..... oh well
And to those of you who have disabled viewing of these signature files "hello" (or not) Registered: July 27, 2004
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributornorthbloke
Registered: March 15, 2007
Reputation: High Rating
United Kingdom Posts: 5,459
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting FunkyLA:
Quote:
Quoting .:
Quote:
.

   
Giga Wizard are you OK?

See this thread, no one seems to know what's going on with Giga.
    Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion Page: 1 2  Previous   Next