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[Mars]

I know that MC is conceived as a console to manage, organise and play media physically accessible by It. But, would It be possible to explode the power of the database and also keep a catalogue of media which are not currently accessible?

I'm thinking about adding to library data of lots of movies that are pending to be ripped (which I currently keep catalogued in a third party software) together with the movie files that are already in the catalogue. A field like [Location] or [Internal/External] could be used to distinguish between accessible or inaccessible media.

[MusicHawk]

Something like this has been requested at times. I'd like it too. It would make MC into a total media database manager.

One of my uses would be to catalog media that for various reasons isn't digital and/or isn't directly available to MC. I'd like to catalog the home movies in the box in the garage, and the vinyl albums on a shelf, etc.

Another use would be to catalog wish-list and to-do items -- things I want to add to MC, but first need to track down, or digitize, or buy, or whatever.

In both cases, MC would need to allow a database record to originate by adding a blank record and typing in info (or copying a record and editing info), without starting by importing a media file.

Perhaps this could be implemented via a data record "Status" button that tells MC about the record's media file. Maybe it has values such as Local, External, and None. If/when a "None" file becomes available, it could be added to the existing record by changing the Status to "Local" (instead of having to create a new record) and adding the file's path to the record (same as cover art is added). (A value of External or Remote or Removable could indicate the media file is only available to MC some times.)

Allowing an MC database record to exist without an attached media file could also help the situation of changing the file associated with a record, usually to replace a poor rip with a better rip. Just change Status to "None" or whatever, replace the file, and change Status back to "Local". Probably this would be accompanied by a way to select and attach the new media file to the record, similar to how cover art can be attached.

I hope...

[JimH]

The "Notes" feature might do some of what you want.  It has to be turned on in General/Features.

[rick.ca]

Allowing only files to be catalogued is unnecessarily restrictive. When I started using MC, I had a database of every movie I had watched for the last 10 years. Most were rented or seen in a theatre, and no media existed. Aside from just being interesting, this information has a direct bearing on my decision of what to watch today, and what I may want to acquire tomorrow. Doing without it was simply unacceptable. I'm now comfortable with my workaround of creating dummy null files to represent movies. I name them with a ".LOG" extension, and include those in my video views. It seems to me the same technique could be used for anything.

It would be preferable if the program allowed the creation of such records (without creating dummy files, of course) and turned this into a feature. They could be called "memo" records—to distinguish them from "file" records. Functions could be provided for converting from one type to another—for whatever reason: a "wish list" item is acquired; a DVD is ripped; a file is deleted after viewing; etc. It's so simple, useful and otherwise harmless, it's difficult to understand why this has never been implemented.

[Mars]

"Notes" feature works perfect as a task manager inside MC, for things like: "Incorrect tag of that song"; "Must buy entire album" or "tell mum she'll love that movie".

What I meant for External Media, as MusicHawk suggested, was the idea of having a full tagged record of an object that is not currently available to MC, but that I actually own and that I'm licensed to use it. So when I surf through the library and choose what movie to see tonight, I may find a record tagged as "External" (what would mean: "go downstairs and pick the DVD from the shelving").

[Mars]

It would be preferable if the program allowed the creation of such records

Maybe something like the "sidecars" used to store the metadata of video files could accomplish this function?

[rick.ca]

Maybe something like the "sidecars" used to store the metadata of video files could accomplish this function?

A "sidecar" to what? Why not the "memo" record I suggest—which would just be a record in the library that doesn't need to be associated with or based on a file?

[Alex B]

... So when I surf through the library and choose what movie to see tonight, I may find a record tagged as "External" (what would mean: "go downstairs and pick the DVD from the shelving").

MC has had a database section for optical media (CD & DVD) since the first version. If I recall correctly, in the beginning it was included as a tree view by default, but now you have to add it manually. Actually, I have never understood why it was removed from the default tree views. I guess many users are not aware that such feature exists.

MC adds all inserted optical discs to this database section automatically. After a CD/DVD view is added you can easily browse and tag off-line optical discs. You can also add cover art and even use the "Lookup Movie info from Wikipedia" feature.

Here are my old instructions for creating a CD/DVD view:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=31061

I have attached more recent screenshots here:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=56561.msg383974#msg383974

[MusicHawk]

So, there are several ways to get MC to add a record for a not-always-there file and they are good to know for those situations. But to use these methods for a never-there file is a kludge.

All that is needed to close this gap is for MC to allow database record creating/editing when no file is involved, ideally via a record-level flag status that tells MC what is intended. Let the status field be readily changed by the user, and allow for the various conditions: Local file attached, Remote/Removable file sometimes attached, No file attached. With this, 95% of the gap would be closed.

The final 5% is an easy way to add/change a file associated with a record (to add/remove,update/fix media files), similar to handling cover art. Maybe first just make the filepath field editable, and eventually add a file dialog.

These changes would make MC a 2-way media database, with both of these actions under total control of the user:
-- MC creates database records from media files (current behavior) -- no file (or dummy stand-in)=no record
-- AND --
-- user creates database records with or without media files (new behavior)

[Mars]

MC has had a database section for optical media (CD & DVD) since the first version

That's right, Alex B, this is very close to what I meant. However, it supposes that the off-line media has been actually in-line in MC before, which wouldn't contemplate DVD's pending to be ripped, vinyls or VHS stack in a box.

Anyway, I think that this database section you refer could be the key to the memo records suggested by rick.ca, if records could be added manually.

[Mars]

So, there are several ways to get MC to add a record for a not-always-there file and they are good to know for those situations. But to use these methods for a never-there file is a kludge.

All that is needed to close this gap is for MC to allow database record creating/editing when no file is involved, ideally via a record-level flag status that tells MC what is intended. Let the status field be readily changed by the user, and allow for the various conditions: Local file attached, Remote/Removable file sometimes attached, No file attached. With this, 95% of the gap would be closed.

The final 5% is an easy way to add/change a file associated with a record (to add/remove,update/fix media files), similar to handling cover art. Maybe first just make the filepath field editable, and eventually add a file dialog.

These changes would make MC a 2-way media database, with both of these actions under total control of the user:
-- MC creates database records from media files (current behavior) -- no file (or dummy stand-in)=no record
-- AND --
-- user creates database records with or without media files (new behavior)

I Absolutly agree

[MusicHawk]

As Rick says, it's not clear why MC can't have database records that don't have attached files. But if there's some fundamental plumbing that makes this difficult to change, maybe use Rick's workaround, but hide it internally. Have a standard MC dummy media file, stashed somewhere, that is automatically assigned to any record where the Status field is set to NO FILE. The dummy file should be tiny and empty, and put where the user can't mess with it. But maybe MC would be happy.

[mschneid]

Alex B...   I am not able to import DVD's into the JRiver database in a usable manner by using the jriver optical database method below.   This method is terrific for indexing CDs that I want to keep on the shelf but I must be missing something for DVD's.

I can import all of the files on the DVD by playing the disc and then importing playing now...   I bring in all the mpg files and artwork BUT   
not the optical database file format that you see with CD's.

Thoughts?

MC has had a database section for optical media (CD & DVD) since the first version. If I recall correctly, in the beginning it was included as a tree view by default, but now you have to add it manually. Actually, I have never understood why it was removed from the default tree views. I guess many users are not aware that such feature exists.

MC adds all inserted optical discs to this database section automatically. After a CD/DVD view is added you can easily browse and tag off-line optical discs. You can also add cover art and even use the "Lookup Movie info from Wikipedia" feature.

Here are my old instructions for creating a CD/DVD view:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=31061

I have attached more recent screenshots here:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=56561.msg383974#msg383974

[Alex B]

You don't need to (and should not to) import the DVDs separately. Just insert the disc and if it shows up in Drives & Devices > [the particular drive] as DVD video it will be imported automatically to the CD/DVD database section (which is not exposed as a separate view by default). All previously played DVD discs should already be included in that database section.

Did you actually create a new tree item aka "view" that can show the CD/DVD database section, as instructed in the linked threads? My instructions in the "Topic: How-to: add All Media & CD database to the tree" thread are quite old and the window layouts have changed a bit (it is still a good read for understanding how the system works), but as I said in the last post in that thread, Marko has posted updated instructions here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=58072.msg393391#msg393391. Also the screenshots in the second link are from the current UI design.

[mschneid]

Thanks,...  Ah... actually I started in a Video view (MC 14)... I only got the cda files

Set up a new view and set it up for MC 14.  now i can see the all of the cda files and ifo files.   Sadly... no useful information came with it.   Moreover,  3/3 dvd's seemed to have only the ifo file.   (Well I learned a lot about video file tagging... grin) 

I also never quite appreciated how much data you are dealing with.    I gave up on archiving all of my DVDs onto the hard drive ... very cool... but simply not being worth it right now (to me).

I wound up following rick.ca's advice and created a file*.log place holder file and then used syndrome's naming and organizational method to bury the file in the nested folder structure and then tagged the DVD  dummy file within the database using the library tools.  I Found a dvd cover image for each disc and built the database manually. 

If I had anymore to do... I would have been very interested in a more automatic solution.

Thanks for your help with my east coast snow project (grin)!