It occurred to me that the most extensive DVD collection on the planet might be had by taking all of our profiler databases and combining them into one single virtual database.

I was thinking about this when I was looking at all the DVDs I have that you can't get from NetFlix, knowing that there are many, many more out there in DVDProfiler member files.

This brilliant program already has the ability to track loaner discs. Why not extend that by having a voluntary loaner system that could work between members with PAID profiler subscriptions?

Of course no one would have to participate, but can you imagine how much program development money would be generated if some of us did join in, and if anyone that wanted to borrow a disc would then have to get a paid subscription too?

At Swap.com you have to give up a credit card number to cover the value of what you claim you have and will ship, and I'm sure something like that would be necessary.

That same card could cover shipping and return postage.  Alternatively the person shipping the DVD could opt for credits towards purchasing a mobile license or some such.

I have any number of titles that have bare profiles and I'm just too darned lazy to complete the profile, but I would be willing to pay the postage to send the discs to one of us that was good at it. The virtual database would be useful for identifying others in my situation with the actual titles but not the knack for knocking out good profiles.

I can see lots of ways that this could generate development money for our favorite project. DVDProfiler could take a $1 coordination / database maintenance fee off of every transaction processed. There would also need to be a system for rating borrowers, just like there are systems at eBay, Amazon, Swap and many other places.

Loaner systems have been set up by others before, and there are pitfalls. Some require security deposits ($100 per xxx DVDs) and such. I guess part of this would all depend on how much we trust one another!

A system like this would take work to set up, but the payoffs could be significant.

Quoting Silence_of_Lambs:

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At least we in Germany are not allowed to loan our Retail DVDs (Heck, if taking the licensing literally, we are not even allowed to watch it with our friends). There are special Rental licensed DVDs, which nevertheless only are allowed to be loaned if you own one of the officially licensed rental stores.

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Do you have to draw the curtains before you watch a DVD (with dated, title specific, purchaser identified sales receipt in hand)? 

Quoting Silence_of_Lambs:

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Quoting CalebAndCo:

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Do you have to draw the curtains before you watch a DVD

This is not necessary, unless your cellar has windows ... 

:rimshot: