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Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion |
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DVDSpot shutting down |
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| Author |
Message |
| Registered: March 18, 2007 | Reputation:  |  Posts: 6,461 |
| | Posted: | | | | Props to all that are helping me with this. Shouldn't be too hard given all the good info and sample files. Mark shot one of my CSV bugs, FredLooks got me some good DVDSPot data, and Cyclograph has made a most excellent mapping to DVDPro fields. I get the fun part of writing the code, heh heh  . | | | Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog. | | | | Last edited: by mediadogg |
| | Registered: May 27, 2007 | | Posts: 175 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting xradman: Quote:
They are afraid of Skip and I can't say that I blame them. Looking at their forum, their mean age seem much younger than DVDP, so it may not mesh well. I am a DVDSpot refugee and I am 40. Ironically enough, I was accused of being a teenager in the DVDSpot forums because I criticized Friday the 13th 7, the exceptionally lame one with telepathic kids. So please don't make the same assumption.  |
| | Registered: May 27, 2007 | | Posts: 175 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting EPKJ: Quote:
DVD Profiler is now, and always has been the best DVD database available. This is not even debatable. The program speaks for itself. I have never understood how anyone could prefer any of the other currently available alternatives. They are all inferior. DVDSpot was not a real database and now those who relied on it are crying their eyes out because their information will no longer be available in the format which they enjoyed. DVD Profiler is an actual program on my computer which I can use without internet access. The cavalier manner in which the owner of DVDSpot has announced its closing is hilarious. Of course he will dump a project which earns him no money in favor of ones which do so. Viva capitalism! One can only hope that this educates people to be wary of free services. That is precisely why I moved to DVDSpot. I could access my collection from anywhere, add to it, edit it, update which ones I had recently viewed, all of that online with no local client. It was very handy. I never had to worry whether or not my mother-in-law's computer had the "actual program" or not. DVDSpot offered a very complete database of DVD titles, just like DVDP, you put in the bar code and got incredibly complete information on your DVDs, including all actors, cover art, synopsis, etc.etc. It offered a much better method of providing your collection to others in a very easy to read format. How that makes it "not even debatable" is beyond me. Yes, the cavalier manner in which they announced its closure was incredibly frustrating, which is why I am now here. But while it existed, it was a great service. Use without internet access??? Do computers like that even exist any longer? Why in the world is that a benefit when every computer people use has high speed? Even my mother has high speed, as does my mother-in-law. Please don't cite "benefits" which only apply to the 1980's. R. | | | | Last edited: by Rooster6975 |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | Reputation:  | | Posts: 2,372 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting Rooster6975: Quote:
Quoting EPKJ:
Quote:
Use without internet access??? Do computers like that even exist any longer? Why in the world is that a benefit when every computer people use has high speed? Even my mother has high speed, as does my mother-in-law. Please don't cite "benefits" which only apply to the 1980's.
R.
Actually there are many on this site who say they still have access to only dial up. Just because all computers these days are set up for high speed doesn't mean all homes are, especially in a world wide market like this one is. |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 |  Posts: 1,242 |
| | Posted: | | | | I don't think EPKJ was citing benefits which apply to 1980's computer's.
With an only only line DB if for any reason your web access went down (ISP servers off line due to power failure or hacked) you would not be able to access your DB. Whereas with DVDP which has both the local and the online element if your net access was curtailed that would not deny you the opportunity to carry on using the program.
I had a situation recently whereby my access was curtailed for over a month due to circumstances beyond my control, but I was still able to use DVDP.
Steve |
| | Registered: March 28, 2007 | | Reputation: |  Posts: 1,299 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting Rooster6975: Quote:
But while it existed, it was a great service. I had never heard of DVDSpot prior to the announcement that it was shutting down, so pardon my ignorance but I'm just curious what DVDSpot offered beyond the mere collection listing? Everything you mentioned in the end boils it down to just a fancy list with lots of information. Nothing wrong with that, but one of the biggest reason I and many others are such big devotees of DVD Profiler is what it offers beyond just the collection listing: - Filtering capabilities on all kinds of data fields - Reporting functionality - Ample statistics about your collection - Tracking of borrowed movies - Movie picker - Ability to use profile tags which can be used in a multitude of ways - Support for user-created plugins to further enhance the program, with features like: - iPod exporting of your collection - e-mails to overdue loaned DVDs - loading movies from disc changers I'm sure there's more, but the point is: Does DVDSpot offer that kind of extended functionality? If it does, I'll be happy to admit that it was a worthwhile option. If it doesn't, well, then there's your answer for why EPKJ and many of us consider DVD Profiler the premiere choice among DVD cataloguing applications. KM | | | Tags, tags, bo bags, banana fana fo fags, mi my mo mags, TAGS!
Dolly's not alone. You can also clone profiles.
You've got questions? You've got answers? Take the DVD Profiler Wiki for a spin. | | | | Last edited: by Astrakan |
| | Registered: August 23, 2008 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 1,656 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting EPKJ: Quote:
DVD Profiler is now, and always has been the best DVD database available. This is not even debatable. The program speaks for itself. I have never understood how anyone could prefer any of the other currently available alternatives. They are all inferior. DVDSpot was not a real database and now those who relied on it are crying their eyes out because their information will no longer be available in the format which they enjoyed. DVD Profiler is an actual program on my computer which I can use without internet access. The cavalier manner in which the owner of DVDSpot has announced its closing is hilarious. Of course he will dump a project which earns him no money in favor of ones which do so. Viva capitalism! One can only hope that this educates people to be wary of free services. This statement is just ridiculous. DVDSpot's online functionality crushed Profiler's, just as Profiler's offline functionality destroyed Spot's. I used Profiler early on, and really liked it, but I found that if I wasn't at home, I was screwed, and that's why Spot won over for me. Spot was easily the best online database out there, just as Profiler is (from what I've tried) easily the best offline database. And Spot didn't have a "real database"? Huh? In either this thread or another, I saw mention of the next Profiler update having more online features. I'm looking forward to that, as I do more of my collection stuff outside of my house it seems. I'll agree the owner (which, BTW, is CNET, not one person, as they bought the site a couple years ago) did a crappy way of announcing to the users that it was done. Quoting Astrakan: Quote:
Quoting Rooster6975:
Quote:
But while it existed, it was a great service.
I had never heard of DVDSpot prior to the announcement that it was shutting down, so pardon my ignorance but I'm just curious what DVDSpot offered beyond the mere collection listing?
Everything you mentioned in the end boils it down to just a fancy list with lots of information. Nothing wrong with that, but one of the biggest reason I and many others are such big devotees of DVD Profiler is what it offers beyond just the collection listing:
- Filtering capabilities on all kinds of data fields
- Reporting functionality
- Ample statistics about your collection
- Tracking of borrowed movies
- Movie picker
- Ability to use profile tags which can be used in a multitude of ways
- Support for user-created plugins to further enhance the program, with features like:
- iPod exporting of your collection
- e-mails to overdue loaned DVDs
- loading movies from disc changers
I'm sure there's more, but the point is: Does DVDSpot offer that kind of extended functionality? If it does, I'll be happy to admit that it was a worthwhile option. If it doesn't, well, then there's your answer for why EPKJ and many of us consider DVD Profiler the premiere choice among DVD cataloguing applications.
KM DVDSpot could do the following: - Filtering capabilities on all kinds of data fields - Ample statistics about your collection - Tracking of borrowed movies As I just recently re-downloaded the program, I'm not sure what the following entails yet: - Reporting functionality - Movie picker - Ability to use profile tags which can be used in a multitude of ways So I can't give you an answer. I'm guessing no on Movie Picker already, though.  Profiler definitely kicks ass in the plugins department, and I haven't even used any yet. I'm looking forward to checking them out, though, for sure. (I saw iPod exporting, is there a Zune exporting plugin in the works or available?) I would like to give a big thanks to those working on a way to import the Spot .csv to Profiler. That's incredibly cool and I know I'm not just speaking for myself when I say that's pretty damn awesome of you. | | | Reviewer, HorrorTalk.com
"I also refuse to document CLT results and I pay my bills to avoid going to court." - Sam, keeping it real, yo. |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 21,610 |
| | Posted: | | | | Allen you claim to be SOL if you are on the road. Nothing could be further from the truth, now or ever, now we have DVDPro Mobile, but even back in the old days some users carried the program and their database on a memory card or USB Key (and still do) which could be run from ANY computer. I recall testing DVDSpot, as I do with most such programs and being singularly unimpressed when stacked against the power and capabilities of Profiler.
Skip | | | ASSUME NOTHING!!!!!!
CBE, MBE, MoA and proud of it.
Outta here
Billy Video |
| | Registered: October 2, 2008 | | Posts: 110 |
| | Posted: | | | | AR is right about the functions that DVDSpot had online. If your online capabilities were down, you were SOL, which is where Profiler Rules in that department.
As a Profiler NEWBIE I don't know what the "movie picker" function is, I'm thinking it is similar to DVDSpots "Movie Night".
"Reporting Functionality" Is that when you are having problems with the program and are reporting bugs? If that is the case Spot did that OK. Or does it have something to do with reporting bogus or bootlegged information?
Things about DVDSpot i will miss, which might be here at Profiler (or at least in the near future) are:
The top 20 stats lists from you collection.
The front page layout which included your 10 most recently purchased for the week, watched (and ordered at least when viewing your own collection, the ordered discs were hidden when viewing others collections)
handy friends list, which you could check your friends most recent purchases, additions, or just quickly check their collection from the front page
While vieiwing a collection seeing the most recently reviewed DVDs
There may be a few other things, but it probably be when it is completely gone that I'll remember "Oh yeah, I used to be able to do that" | | | CaptKiirk42
DVD Collection/ Also Klandersen at DVDAF
DVDCrate Collection
My Blog |
| | Registered: August 23, 2008 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 1,656 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting skipnet50: Quote:
Allen you claim to be SOL if you are on the road. Nothing could be further from the truth, now or ever, now we have DVDPro Mobile, but even back in the old days some users carried the program and their database on a memory card or USB Key (and still do) which could be run from ANY computer. I recall testing DVDSpot, as I do with most such programs and being singularly unimpressed when stacked against the power and capabilities of Profiler.
Skip Sure, if I had a mobile device (which I don't) and wanted to spend another $20 (which, if I had a mobile device, I probably wouldn't). Carrying the program/database on a USB key is an option, sure, but I am not in the habit of carrying USB keys with me everywhere I go. I'm not disputing Profiler is a kick ass program, it is. It has the features from Spot that il liked, plus more I'm discovering. Don't think I"m knocking the program as far as features, as I'm not. But it's web based side is completely lacking, I don't see how that can be denied. A vast majority of people do not have mobile devices (or, let's face it, USB sticks -- I work in the PC field, everyone I know in that field has a USB stick, but I'm still surprised when my friends (who aren't in the field) are without them. Most people just don't have a need for them. Plus a USB stick doesn't do you any good at some places of work (like mine, as they are discussing blocking them out), libraries, computer kiosks, some hotels, etc. The point is, unless you have a mobile device, realistically, you are SOL on the road. That's why I'm looking forward to the upcoming 3.5. I'm hoping it will then be the best of both. | | | Reviewer, HorrorTalk.com
"I also refuse to document CLT results and I pay my bills to avoid going to court." - Sam, keeping it real, yo. | | | | Last edited: by Alien Redrum |
| | Registered: March 18, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 6,461 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting Alien Redrum: Quote:
I'm not disputing Profiler is a kick ass program, it is. It has the features from Spot that il liked, plus more I'm discovering. Don't think I"m knocking the program as far as features, as I'm not.
Just wanted to say welcome to the community and thanks for the kind words about the CSV Import. The work is going well, and it should be available soon. I see you are registered. You paid for the program - you can knock it if you want!  (After all, it's a program - not a religion!!!  ) | | | Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog. | | | | Last edited: by mediadogg |
| | Registered: March 28, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 1,299 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting klandersen: Quote:
As a Profiler NEWBIE I don't know what the "movie picker" function is, I'm thinking it is similar to DVDSpots "Movie Night". And as a DVDSpot ignoramus I have no idea what Movie Night is. The Movie Picker part of Profiler is a tool to help you pick a movie if you don't know exactly what you're in the mood to watch. It's kinda hard to explain, your best bet is to just play with it (Collection -> Movie Picker) but I'll give it a try: You set consideration sliders representing various things that distinguish each movie (genre, director, production year, etc.), and depending on how you set these sliders, the Picker will suggest movies for you to watch. You then grade each pick for how close it comes to your mood, and it adjusts itself accordingly - eventually narrowing things down to something you'll likely to feel like watching. I use it frequently myself, and it's cool how often it ends up suggesting something that is just right that I haven't watched for a long while. Quote:
"Reporting Functionality" Is that when you are having problems with the program and are reporting bugs? If that is the case Spot did that OK. Or does it have something to do with reporting bogus or bootlegged information? No, it's creating reports based on your collection. Some already come with the program, and there's a bunch you can download from the "downloads" section in the menu bar above, and you can also design your own where you pick what information should be included and how to display it. This feature is available under Collection -> Reports. In the same menu, just under Collection, there's the related Charts & Graphs, which provides some basic statistics about your collection. Those reports are decent for a high level overview: Genres, Production Years, Ratings, Features, Purchase Dates, etc. - all the basic stuff. For more in-depth, nitty gritty stats I highly recommend Mark Harrison's "Database Query" plugin, as well as Asphyxion's "Simple Statistics" plugin. Quote:
Things about DVDSpot i will miss, which might be here at Profiler (or at least in the near future) are:
The top 20 stats lists from you collection. I don't know exactly what this is, but I'd be very surprised if whatever data this feature reported cannot also be pulled using one of the three above stat tools. Quote:
The front page layout which included your 10 most recently purchased for the week, watched (and ordered at least when viewing your own collection, the ordered discs were hidden when viewing others collections) I thought something like this was the default for a new install? It was a while since I last formatted my HDD and had a reason to re-install Profiler, but I distinctly remember some kind of pop-up at the launch of the program. I always disable it thought, so I can't remember what kind of info it contains. The most recent purchases seems a reasonable thing though... Quote:
handy friends list, which you could check your friends most recent purchases, additions, or just quickly check their collection from the front page Something like this would be cool for Profiler. What I've always wanted is a recommendation feature, kind of like Amazon.com has, where you can see what other people who have your title(s) has that you don't. While not particularly handy, and not a list, you CAN see what other people have recently purchased by checking their user info. Just click my username on the left for my list. Quote:
While vieiwing a collection seeing the most recently reviewed DVDs Yeah, we don't have anything at all like this. I don't particularly care for it, but I can see how some users would like it. Quote:
There may be a few other things, but it probably be when it is completely gone that I'll remember "Oh yeah, I used to be able to do that" I'd suggest making a list of what you miss the most and making a request in the Feature Request forum. That's far from a guarantee it'll get implemented, but you never know. KM | | | Tags, tags, bo bags, banana fana fo fags, mi my mo mags, TAGS!
Dolly's not alone. You can also clone profiles.
You've got questions? You've got answers? Take the DVD Profiler Wiki for a spin. | | | | Last edited: by Astrakan |
| | Registered: March 18, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 6,461 |
| | Posted: | | | | Running tests on DVDSpot data. The DVDSpot exported file is very primitive, and does not use quoted strings. If it is possible, you must specify using quotes for DVDSpot Export. For example, it will be impossible to import any profiles with titles such as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, without quotes - since you cannot distinguish the comma (,) in the title from a comma that is used as a delimiter. This could sink my efforts. Of couse it will still work if there are no extraneous commas in any DVDSpot field.
Oops, I just noticed that the field is in fact quoted, but the others are not. Still a problem, as the parser that I use allows all quoted fields or all not-quoted fields and choice of delimter, but not mixed quotes and non-quotes. Maybe I can convert on the fly ...
Edit: just loaded a 450 profile database with no errors - there must not have been commas in the title. Will release after a bit more testing. | | | Thanks for your support.
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Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog. | | | | Last edited: by mediadogg |
| | Registered: October 2, 2008 | | Posts: 110 |
| | Posted: | | | | Astracan,
thanks for the details on those functions. I look forward to using some of them. I probably will never use the "movie picker" as I like to rely on my own watching decisions. | | | CaptKiirk42
DVD Collection/ Also Klandersen at DVDAF
DVDCrate Collection
My Blog |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 21,610 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting xradman: Quote:
Quoting Lord Of The Sith:
Quote:
Quoting xradman:
Quote:
They are afraid of Skip and I can't say that I blame them. Looking at their forum, their mean age seem much younger than DVDP, so it may not mesh well.
How did you come to this conclusion?
Take a look at this thread and other posts on this forum.
Profiler forum thread about DVD Spot How dare you, xrad. There are users here to fear but i am not the one. Yes, I will keepall of our noses to the grindstone as best i canwhen it comes to the Rules and I always strive for consistency, but fear, hardly. The people to fear are those who desperately try and shut up those they don't agree The people to be afraid of are people like yourself who launch absolutely uncalled for clearly malicious attacks on other users. Skip  | | | ASSUME NOTHING!!!!!!
CBE, MBE, MoA and proud of it.
Outta here
Billy Video | | | | Last edited: by Winston Smith |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 21,610 |
| | Posted: | | | | BTW, xrad since you chose to slander by citing a specific post in another board from a specific user,
Allow me to post that users comment here just for YOUR enlightenment.
"Skip,
You're not as scary as I was lead to believe. If you can't trust Walt Disney...
I love the link to "I'm Not Blockbuster" my feelings exactly about lending stuff out, I have only done it with family and very very close friends who are also true collectors. In the past many years ago I had been burned by lending out other things, once a comic I lent out was returned with damage from being rolled up and stuck in a back pocket UGH. Once or twice during my childhood I lent out a book or two never to see them again or the kid who borrowed it."
Not that I bolded some specific words. Which means that other users, not unlike yourself, specialize in slandering others without allowing people to draw their own conclusions. And I had a very pl;easant series of PMs with this particular user. It's a pity that unlike some users i will NOT allow myself to throw negative votes, but if any deserved it it was yours.
Skip | | | ASSUME NOTHING!!!!!!
CBE, MBE, MoA and proud of it.
Outta here
Billy Video |
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