Load existing ripped files into CQSL Repository?

[Dean Roddey]

For CQC's purposes, probably it doesn't matter. But you'd need to have the server component (if you do c/s) on the machine where the MM driver is going to run, or vice versa, whichever drives the decision. From a MMs standpoint, the c/s version would, I presume, let you run the MMs client on other machines for movie management purposes.

So, anyhoo, yeh, the c/s version with the server part on the machine where the MM driver is going to be loaded, and the client part wherever you want to do your movie management from.

[kcl]

Well I've made a number of steps forward, but still seem to be missing something. I've now got the My Movies server and database on the same system as the CQC master server, and I've loaded a test set of about 30 DVD and BluRay movies. In CQC I can load a CQSL Repository instance and from the Repository Manager Tools->Settings window check the "Use My Movies Web Service" and enter my MM name and password. When I click 'Save' I get a "The My Movies connection is working. Number of queries left is 2500." (Huh on the 2500?)

Unfortunately, I don't get any "Available Movie Titles" listed. Shouldn't I have the 30 loaded titles listed? I've fiddled with this all day trying to make sure all of the handshaking is correct, but I'm stuck at this point.

Help? :-?

[Dean Roddey]

You won't use our repository manager if you use My Movies. You need to set up a SQL Server connection (see the My Movies driver docs) and then load the My Movies driver to connect to it.

The My Movies stuff you are seeing in our repository is just for getting metadata from My Movies' online metadata source when you are using our repository. When you are using My Movies, you'd use their interface for that all that stuff and just use CQC's driver to allow you to browse that info.

[kcl]

Ah! The light brightens.

I was incorrectly thinking that I could use My Movies to bulk load my existing 1400 movies, and then the repository manager could automagically populate its database via My Movies. Instead, what I'm understanding now is that the manager only uses the MM web service to auto-load metadata when making a single manual entry. I doesn't even look at the local MM database.

Well, heck. That basically puts me back to square one. I'd still prefer to use just the CQSL Repository, as that eliminates the complexities of a third-party dependency. The issue is startup, though. Once the existing movies are loaded, there'll probably only be a few new entries per week. Its that initial bulk loading that's the problem.

So it looks like I'm back to a couple of options: 1) Completely maintain the movie database and metadata with My Movies, and then use that directly from CQC via the MM driver. 2) Use a third-party product that can do bulk loading of existing movies (currently My Movies and Zappiti), initialize the CQSL Repository with the results of that load, and then maintain the Repository manually after that.

Each has its own advantages and issues. I'm currently leaning toward just biting the bullet and using My Movies (option 1), primarily because there's still too many unknown steps, products, and procedures in option 2.

Any input would be appreciated. In the mean time, I think I'll see how installing the My Movies driver goes. :-D

[Dean Roddey]

Oh, OK, it went off track above. The importer tool only understands JRiver or DVDProfiler as sources to do the import. It was written before the My Movies repo was there, and there would be a LOT of code to read the MM database to do that import.

Ultimately, I guess what it really should do is pseudo load up a repository driver driver locally within itself, and get it to load the data, then just pull the data from it directly. But currently it actually parses the source stuff, and in the case of MM there's way too much to try to replicate. It would have to be pulled out and made common or something.

So you'd need to try to get DVDP to import the files you have, which it may or may not do, depending on how they were ripped (and thus whether it can identify them for metadata lookup.)