Topic: Is Invelos DVDprofiler the best to use?

[Sharpy]

Whats up people!.Im new to this forum ( joined 2day  ) and I was just wonderin if the Invelos DVDprofiler is the best software to use to catalogue your DVDs.I recently downloaded it the other day,and it seems quite good, easy to use etc .Also another thing, is it really worth spending money to register it or is using it for free good enough? thanks 

[addicted2dvd]

It is what the majority of us here use. Definitely feel it is worth the purchase. As for should you? That depends on what all you want to be able to do. There is a list of things that get turned off after 50 titles is added to your collection. You can see that list HERE

[Blair]

Particularly speaking "for the money" then I would have to say that it is the best, yes. To put it in a different way, it costs you no more than a couple of DVDs bought new.


If you want to use it to aid in showing online what you own, though, I'd suggest going elsewhere. The online collection display is awful.

[BigTim]

I absolutely love it.  It is currently well supported and runs great on my Laptop and Desktop and Server.  The online display is lacking but the Program itself is POWERFUL SIMPLE AND FAST.  I have used it since it's beginning and purchased a lifetime subscription and a Mobile one I still use on my IPAQ that I nurse along.  Ask anyone around here and they can probably help you with it.  It's pretty much the bomb diggity.

Big Tim

 

[Sharpy]

Ah right I see.yer im new to the program , but it does seem really good.easy to add dvds (quite like that puttin in the barcode adds the exact version of a film u own).I fink i will hav to at sum point register it , like u said it aint that expensive.as for the showin what u own , any recommendations on any other software to use? respect.

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Not sure if it's THE best, but it's definitely the best for my purposes.

You have the free choice whether you want to use the main-database, or customized data.
There are various PlugIns that add to the value.

Another great program is MyMovies, your online collection looks significantly better, you get full Windows Media Center integration, the entering of data is much easier. On the negative side: Crew-data is not nearly as good as in DVDProfiler (only the very basic Crew) and not customizable. You have no function to distinguish between several actors/crewmembers that sháre the same name. User statistics (e.g. Viewing events) are only very basic (Yes/No).

For both: Whether you want to purchase the full version depends on the size of your collection and your personal preferences.
For Invelos the biggest advantage of the purchased version (for me) is the is the online collection which serves as online backup too.

[Achim]

 


For me, I am going to switch from DVD Profiler to My Movies. That decision is to a big part rooted in the operating system though, because My Movies now has a Mac version and DVD Profiler doesn't.

I had some e-mail interation with the owner of My Movies and he mentioned that a plan to update the online listing (currently merely on par) is in place. While we have heard this from Invelos for years I tend to trust My Movies for the time being. They seem to be quite pro-active at the moment to get their program improved and get more customers.

[kahless]

I have been using the DVD profiler for quite a lot of time. But it seems that the development of mobile applications is only focussed on IOS and not Android. The web presentation of the collection is also very poor. So I decided to use the Movie collector in parallel. Now I have a nice android application and a nice web presentation of my collection. O.k. - it's more expensive, but it seems that you get what you pay for! You can see and compare it yourself:

DVD Profiler

Movie Collector

[Eric]

Since I used both programs extensively and having paid for both I can give you some thoughts about this.

DVD Profiler: If you only want a program to catalog your collection and do not need integration with Windows Media Center then I think it's the best.  It's much more powerful than MyMovies, looks much better and I disagree that it's easier to enter data in MyMovies (see below), I think DVD Profiler is much more user friendly in that regard.

MyMovies: Integration with Windows Media Center is a great thing to have but this doesn't come for free.  Many of the features in MyMovies require to have a certain number of points and you'd have to contribute a LOT to get the 2500 points that are required to have all the features.  You can however buy them but it's about 100$.  If that ended there it wouldn't be the end of the world but at this point you're only good to play DVD's because Media Center doesn't natively support Blu Ray.  If you want that then you need to purchase a Media Center blu ray compatible player.  Total Media Theater is probably the best and easier to integrate with MyMoves but that costs you another 100$ or so.

MyMovies comes in 3 separate programs, MM for Media Center, MM for WIndows Home Server (if you want that) and MM Collection Management.  It's the collection management program that allows you to manage your collection and, in my opinion, it has a crappy interface. It's ugly, it's cumbersome and has no flexibility.  You can't customize it at all, unlike DVDP which allows you to move things around and create your own skin.

I have stopped using it and removed it from all my computers a few months ago because I got fed up with Brian's attitude.  He seems to think that because you run his program on you computer he can do anything he wants and interfere with the ways other programs work.  If you want to rip your collection to have the files on a server you need AnyDVD to bypass protection.  I bought AnyDVD, I own a valid license which I paid 100$ and I think I should be able to use it in the way it was designed but for some reason, Brian decided that to ensure it runs in HIS way, whenever "Collection Management" starts, it stops AnyDVD and reloads it but running in background with the same credentials as CM.  The AnyDVD Icon disappears from your system tray and you can no longer use its interface. That really pissed me off to be honest.

There are a few other points of grievance with MM.  

It uses Microsoft SQL Express and Brian categorically refuses to let people use their own SQL Server if they have one.  I have a full SQL 2008-R2 server at home, I don't see why I need to run SQL Express side by side with it.  There's 2 problems with SQL Express and MM.  SQL Express is a FREE product and as such, Microsoft's license clearly states that developer's who use it in commercial applications are responsible for providing support.  MyMovies installs SQL Express on your machine as part of its own installation but if there's a problem and the installation doesn't go through, you're pretty much on your own and have to rely on the forum for help because you're not gonna get much support on this from MM. 

It's definitely up to date as a Windows programs.  Everything in the form is static and it doesn't adjust to changes in resolutions.  If you run your Windows in a resolution other than 1024x768 it's gonna look like shit (sorry but that's what it is).

It doesn't support extended DPI.  The number of complaints about this is absolutely ridiculous.  This a software meant to manage movie collections, it does make sense that people will want to run it on their HTPC and most people set their HTPC fonts at 125% or 150% because at 100% you can't see anything on a big TV running at 1920x1080, sitting 10 feet away.  And still, Brian doesn't care, his answer is always the same, Collection Management is meant to be used as a desktop application, not a HTPC program.

Bottom line.  I use to love this program and now I hate it. I stopped using it and will never use it again.  Actually, I own 2500 points, if they are transferable I'd be willing to sell them for 50$ (That's gonna pay for Assassin's Creed Revelations )

[GSyren]

Hi Sharpy,

As you have undoubtedly gathered by now, there is no single program that is best for everybody.

Personally I haven't looked at MyMovies, and with 5000+ profiles entered into DVD Profiler it's going to take a lot to make me give up Profiler for something else.

I love Profiler, and at 30 bucks (or whatever the current prices is) I think it's a steal.

[addicted2dvd]

....

I love Profiler, and at 30 bucks (or whatever the current prices is) I think it's a steal.

Same here... especially considering it is a one time fee. You don't get charged for any updates.

I have tried both Movie Collectors and My Movies... I personally couldn't stand them. But then I personally don't like anything that pulls the info from places like amazon and imdb. I much rather everything match the disc and actual running credits.

[Sharpy]

Right cheerz for all the information u all have given!very informative  I think ill download my movies and hav a qwick look at it, but I reckon I'll jus stick to DVD profiler, and register it at some point.thanx again 

[BigTim]

Glad we could help.  I too used MM and was very disappointed.  It does have nice things to it.. but overall found it lacking in the big scheme.  I truly loved that DVD Profiler as pointed out, is LIFETIME.  Pay once and you always own it.  That's the way software should be.  I found it worth the money and time.  Also using their ONLINE is a great way to keep data safe.  I had my first laptop with DVD Profiler on it stolen several years ago. I simply logged in re-downloaded the app to my replacement.  Registered and re-downloaded the data.

BIG TIM

[EdwinK]

I love Profiler, and at 30 bucks (or whatever the current prices is) I think it's a steal.

I also think that DVDProfiler is a steal and a great program, but there are a few things I don't like. Some of them most (if not all) are known here . The other is that there is no Mac version of it, and working with Wine or other, is not an option for me.
Of course there are things that MovieCollectorz is not that good compared with DVDP, the data isn't always correct, I do miss the HTML stuff that DVDP had and of course the nice plugins that were written by so many developers.