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Author Topic: Add physical collection to library  (Read 2120 times)

CraigNZ

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Add physical collection to library
« on: February 21, 2014, 09:10:59 pm »

How do I add the titles of my DVD and Bluray disks in my physical collection to the library.  When I scroll through my titles in Theater View I would like to see both hard drive titles and physical titles.
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MrC

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2014, 10:22:15 pm »

MC has to see the physical disc once, and then it adds an entry to the CD database.  You can see these CDs by creating a Smartlist, and set a Modifier to Limit Database to CD.

Likewise, you can customize the view, and disable the Inherit scheme from parent views option, and add a Modifier in Set rules for file display to Limit Database to Main,CD.  Then the view will show entries both ripped and physical.

Depending upon how you've set your tags, you may not see your within a given category.  One way to manage creating a relationship between physical and ripped assets is to use some reference number.  I've been doing this since I started using MC:

    http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/CD_Reference_Number

Ask if you need more help.
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CraigNZ

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2014, 12:39:13 pm »

When you say "see the disk once" do you mean select take no action or following this you must then import a single folder?  What I have done so far is insert the disc, select take no action, import single folder, then get movie information.  This took several minutes to go through the menus and mouse clicks.  Ideally it would be great if there was an additional option after inserting the disk to "add to library" which would then import and update movie information.  Or maybe ther is a mechanism to import from a 3rd party collection manager.
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MrC

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2014, 12:59:43 pm »

MC has to be running when you insert the disc.  The option you choose after that doesn't matter, regarding MC "seeing" the disc.

For CDs, MC calculates a unique identifier based on track information for the disc, and I believe uses this value to store the disc entry into the CD database.

For Blu-ray and DVDs, I believe it similar stores the entry, but I'm unclear on the specifics of the calculated or retried unique value.  Suffice it to say that MC does something, and stores the entry in the CD database.

I suppose we should step back to the intent of your original question.  What is it that you ultimately want to do with "seeing" the physical title?  Is this just for the warm-fuzzies, or inventorying, or ... ?
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CraigNZ

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2014, 01:12:41 pm »

I have 200+ video discs (DVD, Bluray) that would require a lot of external hard drives if I were to copy them.  But when I use Theater View and I scan for a particular movie or genre I see only the online disks.  Ideally I would also like to see the offline disks and if selected have a prompt to load the disk.  So the end goal here is to add the titles to the Library and have them treated the same as the online disks.
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MrC

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2014, 01:20:38 pm »

Ok.

Try adding a new item to your Theater View setup (Tools > Options > Theater View), and place a new Library Item entry under Video, call it Physical Discs or something useful to you.  Add categories to that section such as Name, Series, or whatever you want to see.  In the items Set rules for file display, select under Modifiers the Limit Database To item, and select the CD database.  Also set a Rule as Media Type is Video.  You should then be able to see your physical discs.  If you try to play something, MC will prompt you.
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CraigNZ

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2014, 01:25:29 pm »

Excellent .. I'll give that a try later today and come back with the results.
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CraigNZ

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2014, 06:51:33 pm »

Is there a setting for performing an auto import when a new disc is inserted.  At the moment, I have auto import pointed at my bluray drive.  When I mount a disc nothing happens.  I have to manually launch import for it to add the disc to the library.

Second, I have checked the box on auto import to automatically get movie data (including cover art).  This seems to work but when I go to Theater view it does not show the cover art.  I found that I have to manually run get movie data and then it will display the cover art.  Is there some other setting needed besides the one in import?

Otherwise I think I am almost there.
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MrC

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2014, 08:32:34 pm »

I'll mention that what you're doing isn't a typical usage case.

Physical discs are not auto-imported (like media files).  As soon as MC sees a physical disc, it is added to the CD database.

For Audio discs, the metadata you retrieve via MC, or enter, is assigned to the physical disc entries in the CD database, and also to the ripped tracks.

For DVD or Blu-ray, there isn't the same lookup process, so there's no good data usually, and you have to manually obtain it (like you're doing now).

Cover art is typically stored adjacent to the media files, but that's not possible with read-only media.  (And most folks don't care about adding cover art and metadata to a physical disc.).    Here's some info regarding cover art:

   http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Cover_Art

I'm not sure what the exact workflow would be to get the results you probably want, so your experiences might help others too.
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Scolex

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2014, 08:14:27 pm »

I would think the simplest way to import your physical discs would be to simply load them and then
from My Computer right click the drive and select import from the Media Center sub-menu of the context menu.
This assumes you have shell integration enabled (tools/options/general/shell options/enable shell integration)
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Sean

CraigNZ

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2014, 12:23:00 am »

Tried that and though it did import the movie it also imported 30 or so documents which I had to manually remove. But other than that it did work, even the cover art was correct.
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Ekpen

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Re: Add physical collection to library
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2014, 11:38:57 am »

Is there a setting for performing an auto import when a new disc is inserted.  At the moment, I have auto import pointed at my bluray drive.  When I mount a disc nothing happens.  I have to manually launch import for it to add the disc to the library.

Second, I have checked the box on auto import to automatically get movie data (including cover art).  This seems to work but when I go to Theater view it does not show the cover art.  I found that I have to manually run get movie data and then it will display the cover art.  Is there some other setting needed besides the one in import?

Otherwise I think I am almost there.

This topic of Blu ray devices not being see or detected is going to come up again. If your device is connected via USB, The file explorer should be able to detect it and load the physical discs.
I have been asking or writing about RS232 devices.
With DOS, RS232 appliances will be detected so is devices with USB.
All I have been asking is for MC to be able to detected anything with native RS232 and or IP.
I am heavily depended on physical media.
MC 19 or > in any platform should be able to  scan appliances hooked to the computer, load load.
Playing the contents is another matter.
My Linux HTPC is 97% ready. It is being rebuilt on a Fractal Design R2 XL case. I hope the Linux version will allow me to scan any appliances hooked up to the PC.
Thanks.

George
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