How do you organize your movies and tv show collections?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Like my brained, generally scattered all over the place. On coffee tables, under beds, behind guitar amps.

Still, at least they are all in the same building. Oh, wait, that's not true.

[Jenik]

Every disc has its nubmer. I have list which you may order by date, number, name or genre. Easy to burn, store and fast to find.

[TBoneit]

I started creating a catalog one time. I even wrote my own custom software back in the DOS/Win3.x days that could use the mouse or keyboard for navigation, Printed out on file cards or standard paper in different layouts and information. Eventually it became to much work to keep the database up to date.

[JohnnyBob]

Alphabetical by title. Vertically, mostly in jewel cases. Some duplicates and alternate versions in paper sleeves. In stackable Sterilite CD containers with lids, 32 jewel cases per container. Large visible label in front of each Sterilite container noting the alphabetical range of the contents. Sterilite containers stacked in 5-shelf metal bookcases, 36 Sterilite containers per bookcase, approximately 1152 maximum DVDs per bookcase - actually more, considering those in paper sleeves take up less room.

Generous info written on the outside of jewel cases with a Sharpie includes such things as title, volume and disc numbers, studio/version, year, main actor, burning speed & drive model & firmware version, software used to rip, software used to burn, disc ID# and manufacturer.

Data organized in a Microsoft Works database, same database also used for my VHS tapes. The fields are: title, DVD, VCR, year, rating, color or black/white, length in minutes, genre(s), actors. Those fields use the following abbreviations/codes as needed:

VCR:
A = Auto speed (SP to EP)
et = S-VHS ET mode (on VHS tape)
M = Multitape or LP/EP
O = OK (in VHS mode)
s- = S-VHS mode (on VHS tape with hole)
S = S-VHS mode (on S-VHS tape)
T = tape or tracking problem

DVD:
r = reauthored
R5 = DVD5 (4.7G SL disc)
R9 = DVD9 (8.5G DL disc)
STP/DD/FF = custom image replacement PNGs
FAB = DVDFab Decrypter
IB = ImageBurn
RI4M = RipIt4Me
SH = DVD Shrink

ALL:
# = copied to DVD from VHS tape
% = compressed
* = it exists (in lieu of other codes)
a = audio quality problem
b = black & white
B = Bought
C = Commercials (often edited out)
F = Focus problem
L = Letterbox/Widescreen
P = Playable, but not good quality
q = in queue (on order from ...)
R = re-Record it ASAP
u = unavailable
v = video quality problem
X = won't play
z = colorized

For the genre field, I'm developing a new language where most of the words are three characters long, to be adjoined alphabetically, maximum of three genres per movie. For example Junior Bonner (1972) Steve McQueen is assigned the genre CowDraRod, meaning Cowboy Drama Rodeo. If you're interested here's my list of genres and their abbreviations, so far. As you can see, in most cases the abbreviation is the first three letters of the word.

GENRE:
1st First
Act Action
Adv Adventure
Afr Africa
Ani Animated
Art Art
Bas Baseball
Bib Bible
Bio Biography
Box Boxing
Bra Brazil
Can Cannibalism
Car Cartoon
Che Chess
Chi Children
Chn China
Civ Civil
Cla Classic
Col Collection
Cmb Combat
Com Comedy
Cbk Comic Books
Con Con-Artist
Cop Cops
Cou Courtroom
Cow Cowboy
Cri Crime
Cru Crusades
Dan Dance
Des Desert
Dis Disaster
Doc Documentary
Dra Drama
Ear Earth
Eaq Earthquake
Env Environment
Fai Faith
Fam Family
Fan Fantasy
Fig Fighting
Fit Fitness
Foo Football
For Foreign
Fut Future
Gam Gambling
Gan Gangster
Gen Genocide
Ger Germany
Glo Global
Gol Golf
Gor Gory
Hea Health
His History
Hor Horror
Hrs Horse
Hos Hospital
Ind Independent
Ins Insects
Int Intrigue
Jes Jesus
Jur Jury
Kor Korea
Lig Light
Lov Love
Maf Mafia
Mag Magic
Mil Military
Mob Mobster
Moo Moody
Mus Music Musical
Mys Mystery
Nat Nature
Neu Neurotic
Old Old
Pai Painters
Pan Panorama
Phi Philosophical
Pol Political
Poo Pool
Por Porn
Psy Psychological
Que Queer
Rac Racing
Rel Religious
Rob Robber
Rod Rodeo
Rom Romantic
Saf Safari
Sca Scary
Sch School
Sci Science
Sea Sea
Ser Series
Sex Sex Sexy
Sfi Sci-Fi
Sha Shark
Sil Silent
Sla Slapstick
Spa Space
Spn Spanish
Spe Special Interest
Sho Shocking
Son Song
Spi Spiritual
Spr Spree
Spy Spy
Spo Sports
Str Strange
Stu Stupid
Sub Submarine
Sus Suspense
Tea Tearjerker
Tee Teenage
Ter Terrorism
TV Television
Thr Thriller
Tra Tragedy
Tru True
Vam Vampire
Vio Violent
War War
Wei Weird
Wes Western
Who Whodunit
Wom Women
WWI World War I
WII World War II
You Young

I also maintain a separate list of DVDs alphabetical in a word processor, just the title, year, and main actor. This is useful for a quick reference and to help organize the new DVDs that are being input into my collection.

[Lovepeaceguru]

Very interested to learn of Myfilms which I shall immediately investigate.

I have (showing off now!) just over 1100 files stored on a 1TB NAS device. These are alphabetical by title, each movie in a seperate folder. Series (such as Species, Oceans, etc) are all in the same folder. Some movies are doubled up where I might have the same movie from different sources and haven't yet decided which is the best version. These are a few subtitle files in there as well (in the relevant folder) when I have burned a DVD for my very deaf father.

I also have 154 files in a folder called High Definition Movies on my 3TB RAID0 set (for faster streaming), all 720p/1080p versions. Again, series are in the same folder (the Bourne/Matrix films etc). These occupy 1.08TB.

[redwudz]

I'm trying out Extreme Movie Manager. It can scan your hard drives or media and find all your videos, organize them by any of a number of criteria, then go to sites like IMDB or similar and retrieve the DVD information automatically, along with cover and actor photos. Works very well and is reasonably priced, 10 Euros.

I cataloged 1300 video files over my LAN in a few minutes, then about an hour to DL all the DVD information. Solved my problem. Also works fine with Vista.

http://www.binaryworks.it/extrememoviemanager/

[ricoman]

Can anyone recommend a free software to organize my video collection?

[StinkyWheaselTeats]

Personally I’ve been using Movie Collector (free for the first 50 movies) about $40 after
http://www.collectorz.com/movie/
But some of these others look really interesting– I’ll check them out

[ricoman]

Come on .....

$10 is a fair price !!!

if you had a website you will know how much it costs and how much time it takes to update the software and the website when you have a new feature if you are looking for something free and won't pay a lousy $10 which is a price of a movie with popcorn then i really don't know what to say .....

I'll give it a shot. I have no problem with $10, but I do with $40.

[Dabeers]

I Have binders and a data base with title, rating, actors, and location (in the binders). I also have a picture database with dvd cover shrunk down with discription of movie and actors and rating. All compliments of netflix.

[akrako1]

Binders... Many CD/DVD binders.. hopefully the ones that hold at least 250 discs.. Seperated into the following categories:
Movies
Superhero Movies (ok, I'm a comic nerd too)
Documentaries
Music (concerts, documentaries, etc)
TV Shows

Binders are labeled with a white sticky label on the spine, giving a general idea what is inside. Not organized by title, director or anything. TV Shows are grouped together though (ST, FG, Simpsons, Dr Who, etc).

[Supreme2k]

<snip>... if you are looking for something free and won't pay a lousy $10 which is a price of a movie with popcorn then i really don't know what to say .....

Almost worth moving to Israel 8)

Movie and popcorn, you say?! I have a hard enough time finding a place lower than $10 for admission alone

[DereX888]

<snip>... if you are looking for something free and won't pay a lousy $10 which is a price of a movie with popcorn then i really don't know what to say .....

Almost worth moving to Israel 8)

... but it may come with extras: free hizbollah rocket, grenade, or maybe a very religious idiot (from the 'religion of peace' legions) dressed in a suicide bomb-belt
I'd stick to my $20 combo

[raejaime]

I have tried almost everything. I have a collection of over 1400 movies.

I use http://www.moviecollectorplus.com It is free and totally awesome.

You can add all your movies with the details really easy - includes nice box shots. You can print your collection and export it to excel if you want. You can also sort your lists using title, rating, year, or whatever you want and also change views. Does everything the normal - pay - programs do.

What's cool is tht you can also connect to your friends' collections (if they invite you) and vice versa - then compare your movies and even ask to borrow right through the page you're looking at. It's a sweet feature. There's a lot more it does, too.

It is a great website and free tool for organizing your movie collection. Check it out.

[raejaime]

I Have binders and a data base with title, rating, actors, and location (in the binders). I also have a picture database with dvd cover shrunk down with discription of movie and actors and rating. All compliments of netflix.

BINDERS! BINDERS! Lets hear it for storing in binders. I use them, too. Saves so much space and is easy to find and update. I also print my lists of movies - I print one list that is alphabetical and another that is oldest to newest with the cover images.

When you use a site like http://www.moviecollectorplus.com to catalog your dvds, they automatically assign a movie id number to the movie. Most programs do this. You can also print your lists how you want them.

I use that number to organize my binders. It is much simpler this way. Then - on their website you can sort by title or rating - however you want.

I'd recommend simplifing!

[stiltman]

Alphabetical by title.

Most obvious and not on the poll list... DOH!

[bigjimmpls]

What I did was just alphabetize all the movies and then to MicroCenter and bought these:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0202998. I can keep 10 in a case and then
I printed up sheets for each case as to 1 thru 10 in order of the case. It works great for me. I love those UniKeeps.

[russkelp]

I was thinking recently that most people would think that keeping your discs in alphabetical order by title would seem weird to some people. Like maybe you were a compulsive neat freak for doing so. On the other hand, I thought that most people don't have a lot of discs, so of course it wouldn't make sense to them.

I use a variety of methods to store discs.

Commercial DVD's are stored alphabetically in rack. (Over 900 DVD's)
Shows recorded off the satellite are stored in Binders and also in a DVD Case that holds 1000 discs.
(Currently 1-1000 DVD case and 10 DVD Binders that hold 200 discs per.)

A Filemaker Mobile database running on a Treo 650 keeps track of all this.

[Nelson37]

Most DVD disks in hard-shell colored metal binders, grouped by Genre. Older SVCD are in the cheaper soft binders.
Newer flicks on HD grouped in sub-directories, Comedy, action, kidstuff, etc. Adult content labeled as Serious, figured this would be less interesting than PORN and hopefully passed by. I'd have used Documentary or Educational but I already have those.

I find I'm not usually looking for a particular title, but just a general mood, so grouping by title was not as effective. Maintaining a database just too much hassle, as I started with my VHS-Starwars, then Analog capture, then Digital capture, then HD capture, then HD with subtitles, and finally HD 16:9 with subtitles and 5.1 audio. The only constant has been that a better method always comes along.

[DereX888]

<snip>... if you are looking for something free and won't pay a lousy $10 which is a price of a movie with popcorn then i really don't know what to say .....

Almost worth moving to Israel 8)

... but it may come with extras: free hizbollah rocket, grenade, or maybe a very religious idiot (from the 'religion of peace' legions) dressed in a suicide bomb-belt
I'd stick to my $20 combo

Come I invite you and you will see the most beutifull girls in the world

There are plenty of beautiful shiksas in my area... thx but no thx

[yoda313]

This is not appropriate for the forum. This poll has run its usefullness and will now be locked.