A few changes i'd like to see

[Happy2k]

Things i'd like to see changed/added:

1) "Discard"-button when creating new database
2) Faster IMDb fetching
3) Remove whatever check PVD does when ticking a folder in scanning mode, or add a "Cancel"-button
4) Add custom field when popup occurs for when IMDb fetching
5) Use [movie title].jpg as poster

Explained:
1) File -> New. This gives you a popup saying "Save As.." - its not asking if you want to save or not, its telling you. No save = no new database. Current solution: Exit PVD, delete MOVIES.PVD, open PVD.
2) If possible, a faster fetcher would be awesome. Maby in conjunction with themoviedb.org - which could be used for HQ posters aswell.
3) When you want to scan folders for movies/series, PVD does some check when you tick off a folder - if you accidently ticks off "Desktop", then you are.. well, its best described with a quote from Full Metal Jack: ".. in a world of shit." All your drives, all network drives - everything seems to get scanned. No cancel available - program locks up until its done a few years later. Current solution: Open up Task Manager -> Kill viddb.exe
4) Currently, if PVD isnt sure what over it is, you can choose from a list or skip. With a custom field, you could input the IMDb code yourself, so you wouldnt have to go search for skipped movies later on.
5) Shouldnt be too hard to add this feature. If a picture is located in the same folder as the file, and if its named the same as the movie - then automaticly accept it as the poster for the movie. If no poster, then option for search IMDb/other. All my movies are named [movie title] - 720p.mkv, all posters are named [movie title].jpg. In a matter of seconds, all posters could be added - would be awesome!

Just a few things i've noticed as a new user of PVD These are not critical in any way - simply small stuff that would make the use a bit easier.

[rick.ca]

1. I don't understand. You either indicate a name for the new database, or cancel. You get either a new database, or are returned to the one your were in. What's the problem?

2. Nostra commented on this here. Also, the discussion in that thread raises the question of whether better mutli-threading is feasible. And if it is, whether the effort would be worth the resulting improvement in speed. My updates take about 5 seconds per movie (that's 720 per hour). What is it you're doing that requires better performance than that?

3. There already is a cancel button.

4. I suppose, but where are you going to get the URL? If you already have it, it would have made more sense to add it to the record first (and not use NMM, if that's what you're referring to). If you don't already have it, it doesn't make much sense to hold up an update of multiple movies while you look it up. Skip it, add the URL to the record when you've got it, and update the record.

5. I save a poster beside my movies, but I see no value in this. There is a method of adding all such images to a new database (using the IMGbyID utility). Once this is done, then surely PVD is going to be used to add posters—and those are going to be saved in the database. Maybe what you really need is something to write those back out to the file system. I believe that's also possible using an export template.

[nostra]

5 (everything else is very goof explained by Rick): Maybe you just need to turn off the option "Save images in database file". If you do this all the images will be stored in folders specified in Preferences -> Folders using the format title.jpg

[Happy2k]

Rick:
1) aha.. thought the "save as" was for the current database.

2) Yep. Again, its not something thats critical, but something that would be nice.

3) Nothing is working when it does the checking. Doesnt matter how many times you press "cancel" - it keeps scanning for whatever its doing.

4) If a popup occurs, and there's no correct suggestion from PVD - then you can manually go search IMDb, grab the link and fix the index of that movie right away. When you've had a run in silent mode, and are gonna fix all the skipped ones, then you might aswell fix what needs to be fixed, instead of skipping it again.

5) I know there's IMGbyID - but why do you have to use a tool for this? Should be something that PVD could handle by itself. I dont need to export the posters - i add those to the folders manually. Lets say i've made a decent database, but for some reason want to start on a fresh database - i then have to do the tidious job of using IMGbyID once again. If PVD could just grab it directly from the folder, then i wouldnt have to do anything at all.


nostra:
Isn't it needed to link them to the database? Because, if i manually add a poster, it will name it: title_ID.jpg
It does not load any posters by itself from the specified folder - thats what i need it to do
(prefer if it would just take the posters from the same folder as the file is located in)

[rick.ca]

3) Nothing is working when it does the checking. Doesnt matter how many times you press "cancel" - it keeps scanning for whatever its doing.

You must be referring to the first phase when the folders are being read, rather than the second when the data is being processed. The second phase can be interrupted. But I have to wonder, having made the mistake of telling the program to scan your entire HD, are you really likely to do it again? If you do, I think having to wait or terminate the program is a suitable consequence.

4) ...When you've had a run in silent mode, and are gonna fix all the skipped ones, then you might aswell fix what needs to be fixed, instead of skipping it again.

Good point. There should be a way of adding the correct URL via the confirmation dialog. A nice companion feature would be a link to the IMDb advanced search page. Both could be presented at the bottom of the dialog with the captions, "Search for more..." and "Paste correct URL here"—so the purpose of both would be clear.

5) I know there's IMGbyID - but why do you have to use a tool for this?

Because it's a one-time requirement, and only needed by those who happen to have poster in that form. Once posters are in the database, such a function is unnecessary. In the unlikely event you needed to "start a fresh database," you would simply export the images "by ID" and export the movie titles along with their ID's so both can be imported into the new database. IMGbyID would then work without any fuss.

[Happy2k]

You must be referring to the first phase when the folders are being read, rather than the second when the data is being processed. The second phase can be interrupted. But I have to wonder, having made the mistake of telling the program to scan your entire HD, are you really likely to do it again? If you do, I think having to wait or terminate the program is a suitable consequence.

It does some sort of pre-scan - a miss-click at "desktop" is fatal The scan for movies is np - works fine. But the pre-scan is weird.

Good point. There should be a way of adding the correct URL via the confirmation dialog. A nice companion feature would be a link to the IMDb advanced search page. Both could be presented at the bottom of the dialog with the captions, "Search for more..." and "Paste correct URL here"—so the purpose of both would be clear.

Would be very nice Ive noticed that the IMDb fetcher doesnt seems to like movies with a dot in the title. Like "10.5" - it doesnt really know what to search for, eventho IMDb's first result for "10.5" is the correct one.

Because it's a one-time requirement...

It would be alot easier if PVD just grabbed the poster directly from the folder. As a new user to PVD, its not very easy getting to work, as it is now. And if you dont know how .bat files works, then youre screwed.

[patch]

It would be alot easier if PVD just grabbed the poster directly from the folder. As a new user to PVD, its not very easy getting to work, as it is now. And if you dont know how .bat files works, then youre screwed.

Enhanced PVD capability to read (and write) locally stored movie information has been discussed on several occasions
http://www.videodb.info/forum_en/index.php?topic=1441.msg6116
http://www.videodb.info/forum_en/index.php?topic=1249.msg4630#msg4630
http://www.videodb.info/forum_en/index.php?topic=870.msg2037#msg2037

But unfortunately I think WYSIWYG http://www.videodb.info/forum_en/index.php?topic=870.msg5587#msg5587

[rick.ca]

It does some sort of pre-scan - a miss-click at "desktop" is fatal.

Why would you do that? Have you not set the default folders to scan in preferences? The only situation in wish you would be making any selection is when you're very deliberately adding a specific folder or changing the defaults. In that case, you would have to be extraordinarily clumsy to manage such a miss-click.

Ive noticed that the IMDb fetcher doesnt seems to like movies with a dot in the title. Like "10.5" - it doesnt really know what to search for, eventho IMDb's first result for "10.5" is the correct one.

I works fine for me, although such movies are not allowed in my database.

And if you dont know how .bat files works, then youre screwed.

And your point?

[Happy2k]

Ive noticed that the IMDb fetcher doesnt seems to like movies with a dot in the title. Like "10.5" - it doesnt really know what to search for, eventho IMDb's first result for "10.5" is the correct one.

I works fine for me, although such movies are not allowed in my database.

It's the movies title.. why dont you allow that? 

[rick.ca]

The IMDb search of the title works fine. The movie, however, sucks.

[Happy2k]

The IMDb search of the title works fine. The movie, however, sucks.

Actually.. PVD read the title as "10 5" - not "10.5". So there seems to be an issue when there's a dot in the title.

[Happy2k]

Have you not set the default folders to scan in preferences?

I can only set one folder...how do i set multiple?

To update the list of movies (letting it scan for new ones) - which button is that? The "Reindex movies" ?

[rick.ca]

I can only set one folder...how do i set multiple?

There's a path box at the top of Preferences - File Scanner.

To update the list of movies (letting it scan for new ones) - which button is that? The "Reindex movies" ?

No. Reindex movies reindexes the ID field. Use the Scan folders button. Tooltips indicate what the buttons on the toolbar do. The toolbar is configurable—see Preferences - Appearance - Toolbar.

[Happy2k]

I can only set one folder...how do i set multiple?

There's a path box at the top of Preferences - File Scanner.

To update the list of movies (letting it scan for new ones) - which button is that? The "Reindex movies" ?

No. Reindex movies reindexes the ID field. Use the Scan folders button. Tooltips indicate what the buttons on the toolbar do. The toolbar is configurable—see Preferences - Appearance - Toolbar.

Le superb!

Only thing im missing now, is a subs display priority list! (so that when exporting, i can make a priority list, on what subs to display first)

[rick.ca]

Only thing im missing now, is a subs display priority list! (so that when exporting, i can make a priority list, on what subs to display first)

I don't think that's going to happen. The data (available subtitle languages) is going to stay in whatever order it's put in. You could export all movies with the Subtitles data, reorder them and then re-import. Thereafter, just record the data in your preferred order. Alternatively, depending on the kind of export you're taking about, you may be able to deal with the reordering during or after the export.

[Happy2k]

Only thing im missing now, is a subs display priority list! (so that when exporting, i can make a priority list, on what subs to display first)

I don't think that's going to happen. The data (available subtitle languages) is going to stay in whatever order it's put in. You could export all movies with the Subtitles data, reorder them and then re-import. Thereafter, just record the data in your preferred order. Alternatively, depending on the kind of export you're taking about, you may be able to deal with the reordering during or after the export.

"is going to stay in whatever order it's put in" - thats the problem.. its not in the same order as in the mkv container.

[rick.ca]

its not in the same order as in the mkv container.

What's that got to do with the language priority?

[patch]

Only thing im missing now, is a subs display priority list! (so that when exporting, i can make a priority list, on what subs to display first)

Happy2k, I do not understand what you are meaning PVD could do and how you would use the new capability.

Are you trying to get your movies to play with your preferred subtitles by default? If so how does that work and shouldn't your play do this.

Or do you want PVD to display the subtitles with the one you are most likely to be interested in first. If so that sounds useful if not hard to implement in PVD.

[Happy2k]

Only thing im missing now, is a subs display priority list! (so that when exporting, i can make a priority list, on what subs to display first)

Happy2k, I do not understand what you are meaning PVD could do and how you would use the new capability.

Are you trying to get your movies to play with your preferred subtitles by default? If so how does that work and shouldn't your play do this.

Or do you want PVD to display the subtitles with the one you are most likely to be interested in first. If so that sounds useful if not hard to implement in PVD.

Correctomundo! Last one is the feature im looking for. I have the subs in the correct order in the container - but PVD likes to just mix that randomly

[rick.ca]

Correctomundo! Last one is the feature im looking for. I have the subs in the correct order in the container - but PVD likes to just mix that randomly

The fact they stay in the order they're put in is probably by design. That allows them to be put in priority order, and then that won't be changed back (I guess—I don't have any MKV's with multiple subs) if the file is rescanned. I suppose it would be simple enough to have them sorted according to a specified priority list, the that seems to be a trivial thing that's not going to affect many users. It has no impact on the playing of the files, as it's the player that is configured as to which subtitles to use. And as I mentioned, there are other things you can do if it's that important to you.