My Movies Wiki

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Page Revision: 2009/10/03 16:59


You have a collection of DVDs and Blu-Rays on your shelf, have no plans of storing them on your PC or watching them on your PC and just want a nice program to Catalog them and help keep track of them.


DOWNLOAD AND INSTALLATION
Go to http://www.mymovies.dk/downloads.aspx and choose the download that best matches your OS.


Downloads Page


  • First off, choose one of the Server/Client Editions of the program. Next, choose your Operating System (OS). Make Sure that you chosen your correct version of Windows - x86 or x64. If you are unsure of what version of Windows you have, you probably have x86. x64 is a specialized version of Windows and if you have that version, you will almost certainly be aware of that. For the majority of users - x86 is the correct version to choose.
  • Download it using the Link on the right with the nice graphical picture.
  • Once it has downloaded, make sure you extract all the files - it's probably advised not to run the Setup without extracting them first.
  • Now, run the program. If you are installing Version 3 you will be greeted with a choice of versions to install. Choose Standalone.

Installation Choices


  • Now follow the prompts and the program will eventually finish it's installation. Voila!

USING THE PROGRAM
Now we will discuss how to use the program for cataloging your DVDs and Blu-Rays.


Sign In To Your Account
  • Grab some of your dvds and open Collection Management from the Windows Start Menu.
  • It will go through some various thinking phases, create a new database for you and then it will be ready to use.
  • Enter your user-name information, so that you can download the Webservice Information for your DVDs. If you have not created a user-name yet, it is very easy. You should receive an auto-prompt to create a user-name. Follow the instructions, and then confirm your e-mail by following the instructions on the e-mail you will receive.
  • If it does not sign you into the program automatically after this, you may choose Webservice, Account Status and you can enter the information there to sign in.

Account Status


Start Adding DVDs or Blu-Rays
  • Make sure your database is ready to add your DVDs to the correct Group - such as owned, rented, pre-ordered, etc. The Default Setting is All Groups. This setting can be found directly above your list of Dvds on the left-hand side of the program.

Groups


  • Choose Add Titles. There are 2 places to do this:
-From the graphical button at the upper-right
-From Title, Add Titles


Add Titles Option 1


Add Titles Option 2


  • Now choose the method of adding your DVDs - I highly recommend using the option Add By Barcode.
You will have several choices of adding your DVDs:
-By Barcode
-By Disc ID
-By Title
-By Manual Typing
-By Upcoming
Since you have your DVDs available, the absolute best method will be to choose Add By Barcode.
You may choose the graphical image of the barcode scanner to help you, if you wish - this will allow you to use a scanner to actually scan the barcodes for you, if you just can't bring yourself to type in the barcode yourself. Just click on the Barcode Scanner Image and you will receive a configuration menu.


Configure Barcode Scanner


Make sure you have the correct country selected (this is the country where the dvd was released) - choosing Any is a good choice, if you typically have dvds from several different countries.
The Barcode Field will be pink until you type in a valid barcode - once you type in a valid barcode, it will turn green.


Add By Barcode


Notice how the Barcode Field turns green once a valid barcode has been recognized. By 'valid' I mean this: barcodes use a mathematical formula (probably passed down from the ancient Pythagoreans) to self-check it's own validity as a real barcode. If a barcode can not be self-checked, it is probably not valid - it will not turn Green. This is a useful tool for many programs that deal with barcodes. To learn more about self-checking barcodes visit your local library or do a simple Google Search. To be safe, if your barcode does not turn Green, make sure you retype it a few times.
Now, if a barcode turns Green, it does NOT mean that it belongs to a DVD or Blu-Ray title necesarrily - this is important! This simply means that it is a valid barcode. The next step will determine if it belongs to a DVD.


Barcode is Valid


Now that the barcode is determined as valid, the program will go online and search the My Movies Webservice for this particular DVD - using it's barcode. If it finds a result, it will be displayed in the Search Results Panel.


Add By Barcode Search Results


If the Search Result match your DVD - then we have a winner! If you are unsure of the results (there are multiple results, for example) you may use the Preview Button to get more details before you add it to your collection. You can verify the barcode here and other information. You can click on the covers to zoom in and see if it matches your DVD. It's very important to make sure that the barcode matches - after all, you want an accurate listing of your DVD Collection, right?


Preview Title


Preview Title with Cover Details


If some of the information is incorrect, that's okay - it can be fixed later. The important step here is making sure the Barcode matches.
Now, you will choose where you are storing your DVDs:
-Add Online is if you store your DVDs on your pc's hard-drives.
-Add Offline is if you store your DVDs on a shelf somewhere in your home.
Once you choose one of the above choices, you will see your Title is now added to the Queue on the Right-Hand Side.


Add Offline Title


Now you can either choose to add more Titles, or finish adding the current Title. Do this by choosing what Group you want to add the Title to.


Add to Group


Add to Group 2


Now the program will download the DVD's Information and add it to your Collection. You will then be greeted with a prompt to update the actor profiles. You should probably choose Yes.


Update Actors


The program will now update the actor profiles. Congratulations! You have added your 1st Title to your Collection. Just repeat some of the steps above to add more.
To quickly review how to add Titles, follow these steps:
  • Open Collection Management
  • Choose Add By Barcode
  • Type in the Barcode
  • Add the Result to the Queue
  • Choose Online or Offline, Choose a Group and the Title will be added.