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+--- Thread: Cataloging DVDs - Developer looking for implementation suggestions (/showthread.php?tid=81780)
Developing a way to catalog DVDs - looking for input - Harry Muscle - 2010-09-23
I'm toying around with the idea of developing some method for XBMC to catalog a DVD collection. Currently I create dummy files (actually they are short video files that say that the movie is on a DVD) and .nfo files with the video codec set to DVD.
If someone (ie: me) were to implement something better, what would you suggest as a good method to catalog DVDs (and I guess HDVD and Blueray)?
Thanks,
Harry
- jmarshall - 2010-09-23
1. You need a URL format that can be associated with a disk.
2. You need to be able to store and retrieve the information for that item.
3. You need support for prompting for the disk on playback.
That's about it I think?
- Harry Muscle - 2010-09-24
I was actually thinking of a more simple solution
I'm not sure if we would have to go as far as associating entries in the XBMC library to individual DVDs since the only benefit I can think that that would give us is the ability to tell the user they inserted the wrong disc ... I'm hoping the user can figure that part out on their own.
I've read a few comments about people wanting XBMC to be able to add a DVD to the library if they insert it into the computer, but personally I think this would get very tedious if you're trying to catalog a few hundred DVDs, plus I'm not aware of any reliable way to tell the title of the movie from the DVD content especially once you start dealing with "custom" DVDs of commercial movies. Plus if you ever lost your XBMC library (upgrading XBMC, etc.) it would prove a lot of work to readd all the movies this way to the library.
That leaves the option of using some sort of file to represent a DVD and dealing with it very similarly to the way we deal with other files. XBMC would just know that when it scans this special file type it flags the entry as being on a DVD (for the purpose of displaying the codec type in the skin) and asks you to insert the DVD (probably present a prompt to insert and a button to play or cancel).
I've been thinking maybe some sort of dummy file with a special extension like .dvd for DVDs and .brd for BluRay Discs. The file would have to be empty (ie: zero bytes) and all the normal rules would apply to it as any other file we scan, so a user could create .nfo files to describe this entry if they wish, provide custom thumbnails, covers, etc.
What do you guys think of this idea?
Thanks,
Harry
- ezechiel1917 - 2010-09-24
There are few patches already on trac regarding sources (removable media/unavailable sources, offline archives...) sources. Not sure why one of them wasn't picked up into trunk yet, though.
#8374 [PATCH] Add support for Volume Label (and offline archive)
#8538 Set unavailable property for items not found in the filesystem (usb disks, stopped nas,etc.)
#8563 Add support for removable media
- Harry Muscle - 2010-09-24
ezechiel1917 Wrote:There are few patches already on trac regarding sources (removable media/unavailable sources, offline archives...) sources. Not sure why one of them wasn't picked up into trunk yet, though.
#8374 [PATCH] Add support for Volume Label (and offline archive)
#8538 Set unavailable property for items not found in the filesystem (usb disks, stopped nas,etc.)
#8563 Add support for removable media
It seems none of the patches are "perfect" enough to be accepted. Also they are more in line with removable USB support than DVDs. For example I don't see how storing the DVD label helps much. You already should know which DVD to insert, plus how does that allow scraping of the DVD Movie, the label is only a few letters long not the whole title, etc. I'm not saying removable media support is a bad thing, I just think there might be better ways to catalog DVDs.
What I'm proposing is more of an extension of the whole .nfo setup, just instead of creating dummy files and .nfo files to define those files, you'll be able to create just a dummy file with a special extension and XBMC will know that you meant for that file to represent a DVD, plus it will ask you to insert a DVD when you select this item for play.
Thanks,
Harry
- craigd - 2010-09-24
This issue doesn't really affect me so I may be off track but an idea I had re: this would be to create an empty folder for the movie to an existing or new source as you would have if there was video files in their own folders.
The folder could then be scanned and contain trailer, nfo, fanart, etc. and apear in the library as normal and if there is no video in the folder flash up a dialog advising there is no video file associated with the folder and give 3 options to exit, play the currently inserted dvd or remove the entry. If you want to play the dvd you would just insert the disc and select the option to play?
as I say I don't bother with dvd's in xbmc anymore as I've moved to revo's so not sure if this is what everyone would want?
- Harry Muscle - 2010-09-30
Most of the discussion about this seems to be happening in another thread, but since it's related to this I figure I should update this thread with a link to the actual submitted patch: http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/10384
Thanks,
Harry