Best way to make a database of DVD and Blu-ray collection?

Cromulent

Cromulent

Cromulent

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I have a rather large collection of films on DVD and Blu-ray and I'm starting to lose track of what I already own. I was thinking that if I made a database of my collection I could search it to see what I own when making new purchases.

Does anyone know any good software for Windows 10 that does something like that? I was thinking of using Microsoft Access 2016 to do it but that would be a bit more time consuming for me.

If there was a nice cheap bit of software that did all the hard work for me and maybe integrated with IMDB that would be really cool.

Any suggestions?
 
sheets.google.com

Automatically syncs to all my devices using google drive, available offline and quick and simple.
Can be made a lot more complicated than just a list, but other than title and which release, what other info is needed for a quick search.
 
I've been using DVD Profiler for about 15 years (probably one of the best tenners I've spent), you can get it for Windows, IOS and Android ($3 each for the mobile versions), the downside is you have to buy each version separately, but you can link them.
You can scan the barcodes*, enter them manually, or enter the title by it's name and select the correct version and it pulls down the information (rrp, discs, release date, cast, crew etc), as the DB it uses for the info is user created you can find the odd niche title where there isn't an entry already but it's fairly rare.
It has no issues dealing with even large collections in my experience (2500 odd entries), except it can take a while to resync across devices (but that may be a limit with my nexus 2013).
Once you've entered your information you can even decide to put it online via their site and have it visible either in it's entirety or with certain types not shown.

There is a trial version that (from memory) just requires you register an account but limits you to something like 50 entries.

My sig has a link to my collection, which includes a lot of stuff I've bought for a laugh/cheap (I have a weakness for bad films to put on whilst doing something else).

*I use a blue tooth barcode reader and really if you're starting off any such db/list for the first time with a large collection you're probably best using a barcode reader and a proper keyboard and mouse to minimise data entry time (I tried by hand and gave up and ordered a cuecat after about 25 entries going back, then a half decent cheap wired reader, now a good wireless one).
 
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easyrider said:
Rip them and then get plex to do it .
Click to expand...

Do you have any idea how long that would take? It took me 2 weeks just to rip my CD music collection. God knows how long it would take me to rip my DVD and Blu-ray collection. Plus I don't have the disc space to store them in original source quality either so I'd have to run each film through Handbrake to compress them some more adding even more time to the whole process.

I appreciate the idea but I really think a database of some sort would be a much better fit.
 
Werewolf said:
I've been using DVD Profiler for about 15 years (probably one of the best tenners I've spent), you can get it for Windows, IOS and Android ($3 each for the mobile versions), the downside is you have to buy each version separately, but you can link them.
You can scan the barcodes*, enter them manually, or enter the title by it's name and select the correct version and it pulls down the information (rrp, discs, release date, cast, crew etc), as the DB it uses for the info is user created you can find the odd niche title where there isn't an entry already but it's fairly rare.
It has no issues dealing with even large collections in my experience (2500 odd entries), except it can take a while to resync across devices (but that may be a limit with my nexus 2013).
Once you've entered your information you can even decide to put it online via their site and have it visible either in it's entirety or with certain types not shown.

There is a trial version that (from memory) just requires you register an account but limits you to something like 50 entries.

My sig has a link to my collection, which includes a lot of stuff I've bought for a laugh/cheap (I have a weakness for bad films to put on whilst doing something else).

*I use a blue tooth barcode reader and really if you're starting off any such db/list for the first time with a large collection you're probably best using a barcode reader and a proper keyboard and mouse to minimise data entry time (I tried by hand and gave up and ordered a cuecat after about 25 entries going back, then a half decent cheap wired reader, now a good wireless one).
Click to expand...

That sounds pretty cool. I think I'll get that. I looked on another website and saw that they sell USB Barcode Readers for less than £20 so that sounds like what I'll do then. Thanks for the reply.

So just to clarify does it sync your collection data with the cloud or do you have to manually backup your data? I don't want to risk losing my collection information as I regularly reformat my computer and might forget to back it up to my NAS.
 
Cromulent said:
Do you have any idea how long that would take? It took me 2 weeks just to rip my CD music collection. God knows how long it would take me to rip my DVD and Blu-ray collection. Plus I don't have the disc space to store them in original source quality either so I'd have to run each film through Handbrake to compress them some more adding even more time to the whole process.

I appreciate the idea but I really think a database of some sort would be a much better fit.
Click to expand...


This then

https://www.collectorz.com/movie?fr...tor software&gclid=CLTmntbQ_tQCFaEW0wodHYkKIw
 
Cromulent said:
That sounds pretty cool. I think I'll get that. I looked on another website and saw that they sell USB Barcode Readers for less than £20 so that sounds like what I'll do then. Thanks for the reply.

So just to clarify does it sync your collection data with the cloud or do you have to manually backup your data? I don't want to risk losing my collection information as I regularly reformat my computer and might forget to back it up to my NAS.
Click to expand...
You can upload the collection (basic information) to their website as part of the original purchase.

You can also sync across devices (the PC program has the option to run as a server for syncing on your local network), which means all devices that you've done it with will have the full collection information (where/when you bought a dic, it's price, if you've marked it as watched or loaned it to someone), you are also prompted to do a manual backup if you shut the program down and haven't done one for 7 days.

I keep my tablet synced and do a manual backup to a USB stick every few weeks/whenever I've added more than a handful of discs to the collection.

I use an inatech bluetooth barcode reader (often on offer for about £35), but you can get them from around a tenner for more basic LED versions (the model I've got has a scanning laser so it's easier to use with fiddly/smaller barcodes whilst my old LED one required me to get the distance right between the reader and the code).
 
Cromulent said:
That also looks good. £2 a month for a subscription is a reasonable amount or I could just spend the £40 for the full desktop software but I like the idea of everything being stored in the cloud. Thanks for the suggestion, it has given me something to think about.
Click to expand...


How do you manage the collection now?

Alphabetically on the shelf ?
 
easyrider said:
How do you manage the collection now?

Alphabetically on the shelf ?
Click to expand...

Well a shelf is involved as is the floor :P. I want to get some of those DVD / Blu-ray shelving units online from somewhere like I have with my CD collection. At the moment it is just two layers of DVDs and Blu-rays on each shelf. I should probably try and put them in some sort of order.
 
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