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How to bring order to my chaos?
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Tobias Rieper



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 41
Location: Berlin, Germany

PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2002 9:00 pm    Post subject: How to bring order to my chaos? Reply with quote

Okay, until now I was one of these "leech - burn - and forget" types, but with a 600+ CD collection I'm running into trouble now...

My last collection audit revealed that I already downloaded some series twice and it's getting harder and harder to keep track of what I already have.

So, how do you organize your collection?

Excel lists, databases, CD archiver programs - I read already something about this in the group, but it's too long ago and the posts have vanished.
(Hm... maybe a new idea for the FAQ...)

FYI, I usually collect EPs of the same series to burn them together. (Thank God for those 120 gig drives...) "mixed discs" I try to avoid.

Due to my huge archive I would prefer a solution which would be easier than typing my 600 discs into excel... How was the name of that archiver program again?

T.Rieper
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xo
Site Admin


Joined: 09 Feb 2002
Posts: 466
Location: Los Angeles [comcast]

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2002 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use a variant of "ls >> anime.txt' to add to my list file (it also includes a disc number and size in addition to the file name), and then grep to search it.

Using just a text file hasn't been a problem for me - I generally need to ask 2 questions: do I already have it, and where is it. My system works fine for that (well, mostly, I did recently discover I downloaded one series twice, luckily it was only 6 eps and that was my own fault for not looking it up)

I've thought about looking into a more full-featured cataloging software or developing my own, but I think that anything that makes it any harder than it already is not going to work for me.

I must mention here that this system is failing me pretty badly for cataloging my mp3 discs Evil or Very Mad. Different data...

-xo
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Onakra



Joined: 19 Feb 2002
Posts: 89
Location: Geldrop, Netherlands

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2002 9:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm quite happy with Where Is It? (http://www.whereisit-soft.com/). It does everything I want it to do and the searching inside the catalogues is quite fast.

The only problem is if you already have a large collection you'll have to enter them all in the db (scan). Seeing that usually is an enormous pain I recommend you take a starting point and then do everything from there.

I'm glad I first found this program when I had less then 50 CDs, so scanning those in the beginning wasn't that hard. Quite different was it when I first used DVDProfiler. I had already quite a few DVDs that had to be entered. That really took me a while...
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user



Joined: 19 Feb 2002
Posts: 72

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2002 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I also use Where Is It? and am happy with it. Another alternative is Advanced Disk Catalog:

http://www.elcomsoft.com/adc.html
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HollyBerries



Joined: 06 Apr 2002
Posts: 32

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2002 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just have a text file called Anime CDs.txt where I list the contents of my CDs that I update every time I burn a new one off. I have a separate file called Missing Anime.txt to remind me which eps from which shows I'm missing. So far I only have 100+ CDRs and it's worked for me mostly, I think the only thing I managed to get and burn off twice was X ep 7 because I forgot to update the second file.
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Gorunova



Joined: 10 Feb 2002
Posts: 318
Location: Burnaby, B.C., Canada

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2002 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use pretty much the same system as HollyBerries - a text file in DOS EDIT. Sufficiently advanced technology, and all that.

I put movies and music videos at the top, then list series in alphabetical order by my preferred title. Each series gets a highly visible header line, then a list of individual episodes in watching order with language, file size, format and CDR number info, and sometimes episode titles or comments. If a series has multiple seasons or a TV/OAV distinction, I seperate them with a smaller header.

I'm approaching 500 CDRs now, and this system works fine. The only nuisance, and it's a very minor one, is that EDIT can only perform one search triggered by a single keypress, and requires multiple keypresses or mouse interaction for new searches after that. I could get around that by using a different editor if it really bothered me. Now that I think of it, all my systems have EMACS, the Ultimate Program, and I'm a fool not to be using it for everything...

As for storage, I found that keeping the CDRs on the original 50-disk spindle was a real pain in the blowhole in terms of finding a disk and keeping the disks free of dust and scratches. I took to buying $60 200-disk CD wallets from A&B sound instead. The convenience is worth it.
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Keikai



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 178
Location: Miami, FL

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2002 9:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I keep it all in an Excel spreadsheet. I log pretty much every piece of info about the files (all the encoding stats and codec info, CRC, etc.) using a program that I wrote and then manually enter language, subtitle, and, until recently, quality information. I've played with switching over to a relational database and I may do so someday (actually xo was helping me flesh out this idea, much thanks again to him), but I have too many things on my plate ATM to play with that idea. The main reason for doing this is crossreferencing my flat database of what I have with an episode/universe database which I've worked on in a couple other flat spreadsheets.

For storage I used Koskin 200CD folders for a long time, and I adore them, but it got too expensive so I've just been using the spindles. I'm not crazy about it but it's currently necessary.


Last edited by Keikai on Wed May 08, 2002 8:08 am; edited 1 time in total
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xo
Site Admin


Joined: 09 Feb 2002
Posts: 466
Location: Los Angeles [comcast]

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2002 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keikai wrote:
For storage I used Koskin 200CD folders for a long time, and I adore them, but it got too expensive so I've just been using the spindles. I'm not crazy about it but currently necessary.


I'm sort of in the same boat. With the 200+ binders costing more than I spent on the media it will hold, I find it hard to justify. Spindles are inconvenient, but I tend not to go in and out of them frequently.

One concern I have is the long term prospects. I can't imagine the discs at the bottom are enjoying having 49 (or 99...) of their brethren stacked upon them for long periods. Am I paranoid?

Anyone know of a cheaper source for the large binders? I don't think I've seen any less than $45 or so.

-xo
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HollyBerries



Joined: 06 Apr 2002
Posts: 32

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2002 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh yeah, as to storage I have a little three-shelved plastic storage unit on wheels from Target that I keep all my computer and video game CDs in including a whole shelf of anime, but I'm about to run out of room in it and it adds the expense of cases, as well as is very inconvienient to fish a single specific CD out. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to buy a few of those 200-CD wallets from Best Buy for $14 with my discount when I was working there ;_;
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(inc)



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 356
Location: San Diego

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2002 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmm... Same boat as Keikai -- started in an Excel spreadsheet a few years ago and still there -- keep meaning to move it to Access. But it's a catchall for other stuff too: what I've posted & when; old link lists; calculations of BW/size, boiler-plate *nudges* for posting in aba/abma, blah, blah...

As for storage, for years the Microsoft Developer Network provided me with a seemingly endless supply of HQ cd sleeves (for use in their various binders). Currently I use those (single sided), now much supplimented by double sided ones of the same type made by Case Logic -- I buy 150 at a time, enough for 300 discs, for $20 (CompUSA):
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=280239

And then (the ultimate in re-use) they end up sorted in old containers originally meant for storing 5¼ floppies and (only for old-timers) Bernoulli discs.

(inc)
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user



Joined: 19 Feb 2002
Posts: 72

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2002 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In addition to the Where Is It database, I also keep 2 text files; one for tracking what titles I'm downloading, the preferred (if any) subbing group and what episode # is next; and a similar file so I know which eps I've already watched (I guess it says something when I can't even remember that). Shocked

Quote:
And then (the ultimate in re-use) they end up sorted in old containers originally meant for storing 5¼ floppies and (only for old-timers) Bernoulli discs.

You actually had a Bernoulli Box? Those things were forever out of my price range...
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Neuralblastoma



Joined: 19 Feb 2002
Posts: 109
Location: Ottawa Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2002 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just use text files for cataloguing. I have one list for CD-R's separated by medium and format ie. Anime - VCD, Anime - SVCD etc...

My other list is a master list for everything video related and also includes pressed audio CD's. CD-R, VHS, DVD, and pressed VCD.

For storage I use Case Logic CD wallets. I have one that holds 200, two that hold 256 and a small travel one that holds 24.

I don't list which CD-R's are in which CD wallet though as I don't think it's necessary. I can find what what I'm looking for pretty quickly by flipping through the CD wallets. Plus I use two just for anime and the other for live-action stuff(both movies and TV) and cartoons like Family Guy and Futurama.

(inc) mentioned keeping records of what he's posted and when. I keep all my NFO's which contain the posting dates in a folder called 'usenet postings'. I also keep other poster's NFO's, readme files, text files and such for reference.
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Gorunova



Joined: 10 Feb 2002
Posts: 318
Location: Burnaby, B.C., Canada

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2002 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Neuralblastoma wrote:
(inc) mentioned keeping records of what he's posted and when. I keep all my NFO's which contain the posting dates in a folder called 'usenet postings'. I also keep other poster's NFO's, readme files, text files and such for reference.


I just use my PowerPost log file and my Xnews sent folder for that. I like to know what I've posted and when, but I don't need every little detail like the NFOs.
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(inc)



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 356
Location: San Diego

PostPosted: Thu May 09, 2002 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

user wrote:
You actually had a Bernoulli Box? Those things were forever out of my price range...
For those who might not know, Bernoullis are what Iomega did before their Zip and Jaz drives.

Consider it a professional blessing. Used 'em for years, first a 90M external and later a 150M external and 150M internal. They became indespensible, both for extra storage and backup, but I also had the adapter that would let you go SCSI through a parallel port -- if a client's hd seemed to be going bad, I'd just scurry over and copy it off to a disc (hee -- in those days 150M was a lot of space).

(inc)
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Orqyman



Joined: 27 Feb 2002
Posts: 98
Location: Dallas, TX

PostPosted: Thu May 09, 2002 8:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi its me.

No, I'm not very active any more, but that's just because I'm outta ammo. As soon as the cash flows once again.

Anyway, my database, as much as I wanted to start one, is still my brain. Considering it has to hold even more useless information thanks to school, and, geez what the hell was that last girl's name? .... I can't remember even what the hell I just d/led last night.

Posting something here atm, cause I just finished one of my finals. So this is what free time feels like!
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