Which is best site to keep track of DVDs???
 

Hi. Before I input my DVDs into the sites, I was wondering which site is the best for me to use. I was in the middle of inputting my American DVDs in DVD Profiler and then realized that you have to pay for it. So, I hear about DVDspot and DVDAficionado and was wondering which one is the best choice since I have American and Chinese DVDs. Or is there a better site for Chinese DVDs? Thanks!

Check one of the many existing threads for advice. Here's a few:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=506044
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=497054
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=492401

Hmmm.....I tried finding one that mainly has Chinese DVD titles. Since most have American DVDs on file.

I just tried DVDSpot and tried inputting some Chinese DVDs. I did about 40 DVDs and only about 10-12 DVDs were in the system.

The good thing about DVDSpot, if you like the layout of the site for your use, is you can easily submit the profiles of any DVD's you don't see on there already...and it's all free.

I don't know about the other sites, but I use DVD Profiler. You don't necessarily have to pay for it to use it, you just won't get all the bells and whistles. You can put your entire collection in, and backup your data so that you can restore it later in case of a computer crash or data corruption (Already happened to me). Plus, once you pay, you never have to pay again when they upgrade it. They also have a Mobile program that syncs to it. I haven't gotten that yet, but it looks promising. I'd say stick with DVD Profiler, and when you get the $30 for it, go for it and your set for life. I think you can also connect your collection to their on-line version, but I haven't tried this yet either. DVD Profiler's data base is driven by it's members, so you could actually be the one to input your Chinese DVD's into the system if someone hasn't already. I haven't paid yet, but I will soon. Can't wait to finally see what this program can really do. Hey, since I'm pretty much plugging away at DVD Profiler, can't I get my registration key for free? Anyone here know a guy that knows a guy?

The_Infidel - I tried inputting my own DVD, but it ask for all these years and production stuff. I don't even know where to find that. Do I have to submit the pictures? Will I have to scan them or take a picture of it? I'm thinking they are very limited on the Chinese DVDs.

mr. b_dvd - I used that, but not sure if I want to pay for it right now. I do know they have a wider selection in movies. I'll have to think about it.

Thanks for the help you guys!

DVDAf is pretty good, then again I don't have any Chinese DVDs.

Princessducky, I have a question. I was curious about your Asian Collection, so I hit your link in your first post. Isn't that the On-line DVD Profiler version? It looks like you have more than 50 DVD's put in, and I read on the website that you had to have a paid version to do that. I haven't tried to get my collection on-line yet, so I was just wondering. It looks like if you might already have the full version of the software if you are able to do this. Not a bad collection either by the way.

I downloaded the new version and it said I can only have 50. That was from the old version. I tried downloading it again, but when I tried to update, it gave me an error.

It's just frustrating inputting my DVDs and then I go and delete DVD Profiler. Then I put my American DVDs already in DVDSpot and now most of my Chinese DVDs aren't on that site. It's like I'm never going to get it done!

Thanks! I tend to have weird taste in movies. I like those no nonsense type comedies. :)

On production info, if you can find the movie on IMDB or Amazon, you can usually find specs on the film to put into DVDSpot. Most information you'll need is right on the DVD itself. The only thing I usually have to look up online is the date the DVD itself was released.

On pictures, I don't know if it will accept the profile without a picture or not, but if it doesn't, then yes, you will either have to scan it yourself or find a pic of the case online and scale it down to thumbnail size.

Oh, and you can backup your collection with DVDSpot as well.

I used DVD Profiler for a long time, and I finally found that I actually prefer the ease of use and the appearance and layout of DVDSpot. Just my opinion, though. :)

I feel your pain. I haven't downloaded their newest version, 3.1, so I might be in the same boat with you if I do. You might be able to retrieve your collection since you have the on-line collections available. What version did you have? I think that 50 dvd rule has been in effect for awhile, so if you had a paid previous version, you should be able to get a free updated key if you had a 1.x or 2.x registration key already. There's a link to get this on their website.

I had entered my collection when I found this forum and DVD Profiler this summer, and just when I finished it (over 600 dvds), my laptop crashes on me before I can backup the data. It took me weeks to go through each dvd and enter it, and I had to do it all over again. I now back up every chance I get. It's cool to know exactly how many movies I have, and which ones are on lone (I've lost way to many forgeting who had what).

The_Infedil, I have only seen DVDSpot from looking at people's collections, so I don't know what it looks like if it has a different look when you become a member. I guess I could try it out since it's free. I kind of like DVD Profiler's set up, but I haven't delved into DVDSpot's yet. I Like that DVD Profiler has the back covers, and I like it's layout better that DVDSpot putting the movies in the center of the screen.

Yeah, I really liked DVD Profiler. Well, about that registration key. I only had a free one. Not a premium one.

All this is making my head hurt......all my DVDs are scattered around my room. :hairpull:

I use DVDAF. BTW is there a similar site for games?

I use DVDSpot. Submitting titles there isn't that tough at all. I usually refer to IMDB, Movieweb and DVDEmpire to gather all the info needed to submit.

Yeah, submitting 40 foreign titles into dvdspot is how I want to spend the weekend. If you get it down to a science, its still going to take at least 10 minutes per film if you have to input all the info.

I use DVDSpot

That's very true. I think no matter which way you go, either site is pretty much user-driven, and all the movies they have weren't there until someone put them in. I don't think you're going to find any tracking site that has all the movies you're looking for already in there to begin with. But once you put them in, they'll be in there for yourself and everyone else to use from then on, but it will take a little time.

I have a pretty large Asian film collection and most of the films (and specific edition) that I own are in DVDAF. Though not all. I've submitted a few myself and I find that it takes awhile for them to get around to updating current profiles. But when I was actually submitting titles it was right around the time when they switched over from aficionado to af. So the timing may have improved since then.

In either case, I don't think that you'll find any perfect catalog site. Since it's user driven, it's always good to contribute whenever possible. I've had decent luck with Intervocative and DVDAF. I can't speak for DVDSpot or any others ...

I use both dvdspot and dvdprofiler. I have to say that dvdprofiler is the best thirty bucks spent. I like using dvdspot also.

I second that!

Dirk

Excel spreadsheet baby!

I use dvdprofiler.

What I really like is that I don't have to go online at all to view my collection or to move titles from my wishlist to owned.

Once in awhile my internet will go out for a few hours, I can just run the program and view my collection. If my collection was only viewable online then I couldn't do that when my internet goes out. So thats a big reason why I prefer dvdprofiler over a web based collection.

I started to do 40 DVDs and stopped. I have about maybe a little over 200 titles.

Thanks for all the help guys. I guess it's going to be between DVDSpot or DVD Profiler. I'll try and see if I can figure out how to put my DVDs into the system and contribute.

I wish I had time to make a list using Excel. Maybe sometime next year I'll try. Until then, I use DVDAf. Simple and effective!

dvdspot ftw.

guzzlefish was my favorite..but that went bye bye.

DVDAF has gotten much quicker. I submitted a new DVD and it got approved same day. A lot of the changes I submit for titles already in there usually get approved the same day or next.

I use DVD Spot...is there anyway to print out a complete list of titles (breaking down boxsets, etc)?

if you export a .csv you can sort it in a spreadsheet program by any field

or you could make a boxset filter on the site and just print those out...?

i haven't tried to do that yet though

Nice to see http://www.theimportforums.com/image.../thumbs_up.gif

Darn, you beat me to the punch. I have worked out the .csv/excel option before it works fine. The only trouble with this is that a lot of profiles are either incomplete or wrong, at least I found this was the case more so with imported releases. So one would need to comb the data for accuracy.

I've tracked my DVDs in a spreadsheet even before using Profiler and when all else Internet related fails, I will still prevail!

Though returning to the OP's original question, Profiler at least provides that option whereas DVDAF and DVDSpot (I think) does not.

dvdaf/dvdspot until it left and came back, now i only use DVDspot...these threads keep coming back up

AFAIK, DVDAf is all I've ever used. Of course, my small DVD collection of ~75 is quite smaller than all of you crazy people :D