Personal Video Database
English => Development => Topic started by: Obelix on March 01, 2010, 09:29:24 pm
-
Hi all!
This is the PocketPC Version (Viewer) of PVD the very best program to organize your movies.
You can download the PC version from http://www.videodb.info/forum_en/.
My thoughts were: what is the best movie managing and cataloging software worth while in the movie store and searching for a title... or sitting in front of the TV and trying to remember what cool movie I could watch...
That, and enjoying to write software for my mobile phone, were the reasons for mobilePVD.
The software is published at PVD's home and at xda-developers place.
How it works
First of all, you have to get PVD and enter your movies. After that, make a XML export. This writes a file containing the movie information and a directory containing the pictures. Take both and copy them onto your device. I recommend to copy them onto the SD card in a sub directory PVD.
Download mobilePVD and install it on your device. When starting, you will have to select the XML file by clicking Menu->Open DB. Your can select other languages and other skins (if someone makes them :D).
You need to have .NET Compact Framework 3.5 installed to run mobilePVD.
When going to a sublist in mobilePVD (i.e. viewing the movie details or selecting directories) and you want to get back, just slide with your finger over the list from left to right...
How to translate
In the program directory on the device is a sub directory called "Languages". Within you find the language files. I deployed English and German so far. To make own translations just copy a file to your desktop, open it with any text editor and translate. Please publish your translation on either forum, so I can build the next version with more supported languages.
How to skin
also in the program directory you will find a sub directory "Skin" with all the images I use. The images in "Manila WVGA" are for a resolution of 800x480. If you like you can take those bitmaps and change them to fit other resolutions and other colors. Don't forget to adapt the settings in the skin.ini file.
And please share your work with us and publish your skins on either forum. I will put them in the download section.
Have fun!
Obelix
If you like my work, you can buy me a glass of wine
(https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donate_LG.gif) (http://"https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6R7K9E7QQXN9U")
Version 2.1 of mobilePVD (http://www.portablepim.de/download/mobilePVD.cab)
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
Thanks for sharing this, Obelix.
I know very little about such things, so maybe you can clarify... Can this be used on things other than a PocketPC, like a smart phone running Android?
-
Thank you very much! On HTC MAX4G works. The only thing, from 90 films which the program loads before opening are displayed only 59. All filters stand by default. In what there can be a problem?
-
...the software can be run on any device running windows mobile 5.0 and above.
to get those things out I would need the database with your movies. I have 62 movies in my db - all shown. But of course the can be cases in which the export generates data that I do not cover, because I did not see...
please email me the export file and the directory, so I can test...
thanks for the quick response...
-
Thanks a lot!
Russian translate in attach.
Shortcomings:
- very long load;
- how said newsky, not all films are displayed;
- settings is not enough.
Better luck next time! :)
I'm looking forward to next version.
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
if anyone of you could send me the export, I could have a look at it...
-
I am sorry that at once has not answered. I attach a file of base XML and just in case zip archive with pictures.
base+image (6mb) (http://www.wikifortio.com/174917/hd.zip)
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
ok - thanks for your database.
It was an "out of memory" issue. I think it is fixed. As far as it concerns the provided database (with less than some hundred movies) it works.
May be I receive a real large (>> thousand) export to test - or at least the result of anybody trying to view that many movies.
next upcoming will be About page and more information in the details page.
-
In an investment there is a XML-template for export to a XML-file only that field that are used in the program mobilePVD.
We throw in catalogue Plugins\Templates of program PVD
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
hmmm. can this be done with any fields (ok - I am not a genius using PVD)?
So if this can be done with any fields, we can select useful fields (i.e. rating)
If the list of fields is quite ok, I will make the next update to show all information in the details view.
You are the master of PVD using - so suggest the fields we need to know on mobilePVD.
-
...so suggest the fields we need to know on mobilePVD.
PVD handles customs fields, so some users are going to be disappointed if mobilePVD cannot do the same. I have no idea how this works, but if this could be done by editing a configuration file, instructions for doing so would probably suffice.
-
ok - this is a step further in the development. First we should be able to manage standard fields (and not all of them - only important, but who decides which ones are).
Later we COULD think about getting some data back from mobilePVD into PVD and managing custom fields.
-
(and not all of them - only important, but who decides which ones are)
Right—this is the issue. I don't imagine anyone wants or needs all fields on their hand-held. The problem is, in some cases a custom field is going to be one of the "important" ones. I suspect your ultimate goal should be to make this completely configurable—so the issue goes away entirely. Maybe that could be handled by requiring field captions to be specified in the XML export. Then mobilePVD would simply display whatever is exported (with fields presented in the same order), without requiring any further configuration.
Later we COULD think about getting some data back from mobilePVD into PVD
But surely you're going to soon replace the XML file with a direct server connection to the database. 8) ;)
-
I spread base of films from 6000 records for your tests. Two variants of export. The first: XML (MoviePVD). (http://www.wikifortio.com/765042/xml_(MoviePVD).zip) The second: XML (movie) (http://www.wikifortio.com/763679/xml_(Movie).zip)
-
ok - that's a real challenge...
On my HTC HD2 I get some thousand movies read, but on the HP iPAQ 114 I only get 1700. Then I reach the limit of the memory...
I have to think about that for some time...
-
I think the best thing to do on the mobile device with restricted resources is not to load the whole file, but only make it load the current page or smth...
-
Yes, thats what I also thought first - but how to filter then...
what I am playing around is something like having the data in memory and displaying only a few items. When having time left I will make some tests and let you know.
-
You can scan the document for data according to the filter using some kind of SAX parser instead of DOM, so that only a small part of the document is loaded into memory at a moment of time...
-
I am not using DOM because its slowly. I "parse" the XML file with a XmlReader... New tries next week ;)
Anyways, I uploaded version 1.2 which works for about 3000 movies on my HTC HD2 and 1700 movies on my HP 114. For the moment its better than nothing. I hope I will manage the data up to all movies from user newsky.
-
i have to say - this is Soooo cool.
i just bought htc hd2.
Best thing since sliced bread
looking to use htc as remote - if i can hook pvd to select what i want to watch...
-
Just released Version 1.2.1 to fix a problem when movies have no posters...
-
Excuse me for interfering, I'm not using mPVD, but it would seem logical to me that mPVD would have version number that is "lower" than PVD since it is "younger" than PVD. Don't bothers me, just noticed it. In such a way it would be easier to track both products?
Btw, great development and congrats on it
-
it would seem logical to me that mPVD would have version number that is "lower" than PVD since it is "younger" than PVD.
I don't think so. This is a completely independent third party program. It has generously adopted the PVD brand, but could probably be used with any movie database that can export an XML file in the required format. Besides, not even PVD plugin version numbers bear any logical relationship to the program version numbers.
-
Has removed version 1.2. Has established version 1.2.1. I start. I wish to open base. The conductor does not appear. It is displayed only \\
[Global]
DataPath = \\
Skin=Manila WVGA
Language=English
It was rolled away on 1.2 now that history, the conductor simply does not appear :( HTC MAX4G
UPD:
Prompt, how the way to base in options looks? I will try to register simply manually.
-
It's a typo in the ini file.
[Global]
DataPath=\
Skin=Manila WVGA
Language=English
only use one "\" as path (and no spaces before or after the = )
-
It not simply typing error. At attempt to open base, there is no conductor! In general. Is not present folders, ANYTHING. On the screen this record from ini a file \\ is displayed only.
(http://s002.radikal.ru/i198/1003/5e/dda7ca94f2c2t.jpg) (http://radikal.ru/F/s002.radikal.ru/i198/1003/5e/dda7ca94f2c2.jpg)
-
If you edit the ini file and change the \\ to \ it will work
I attach the ini file so you can exchange directly.
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
Many thanks! Has edited, has earned!
-
I have mixed feelings with 1.2.1. I miss the thumbnail view of covers but maybe this speed up things a little. Here are a few suggestions how it may make mPVD a little more user friendly.
1. Add a scroll bar to the list view. That way we can quickly scroll to a letter like "S" without having to flick all the way done the list.
2. Better yet, add Alphabet Index to quickly jump to the letter, like what Resco Explorer does or the build-in Contacts.
3. Do the same for the filtered view of Actors where the list is really long. Better yet, add a search box for Actors.
4. When doing search, do not search immediately but after a short pause. The immediate search starts the filter and it slows things down.
5. There must be a way to load mPVD faster. I have only about 300 movies and it takes a while to load my db on the fast HD2. I can load my collection of 3,500 movies in DVDProfiler almost instantly.
6. Can covers be stretch to full width (for smaller images)? or better yet tap the image and it goes fullscreen.
7. Things I wish added:
- Production Year on list view. Some movies have same name.
- Movie Runtime
- IMDB or Other Ratings
That's it for now. Really nice application that can be really useful. Thanks a lot!
-
I am working on a "virtual mode" for the SliderList. That makes loading not even faster, but can load many many more movies than in non virtual mode.
I hope to be soon back with a new version. And also AppToDate support for easy updating...
-
Great, looking forward to it. I guess stability and speed is priority before additional features are considered.
-
Greek language for mobilePVD_1.1
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
...thanks! will be available in next udpate.
-
Here we go with version 2.0 of mobilePVD.
It now uses a virtual mode from the SliderList, so I do not have to prepare all the items after loading, but on demand. That enables mobilePVD to read many more movies, but has some restrictions also.
By now it would be great, if the version could be tested. If it is running stable out at your devices as it does on mine, we can add more features...
It also supports now AppToDate, which means if you run AppToDate on your device you will be offered to update the software if updates are available in future.
-
Has established, has tried, has removed...
1. Well very long loads base... (957 films of 15 minutes)
2. And has not understood as to open a card with a film, how many did not press a film does not open...
3. Not probably to operate by means of handheld computer buttons
4. Also takes off...
IMHO: too crude appendix...
p.s. I apologise for my English
-
To get the movie details you have to select the movie (by clicking the movie) and then slide from right to left to go to details (and slide from left to right to leave the details)
the long time for loading leads from XML. I will make some tests to recode the XML to a flat file. Maybe the loading time is shorter then...
-
It seems to me it is necessary to do import from xml in any format, for acceleration of work of the appendix. This most once long you import, and then quickly works and you open.
-
Ok, thanks for the new version. The thumbnails are back so that's great. Load speed is not improved, maybe slightly slower on my HD2. Stability is good so far, no crashes with my 300 movies. However, movie title filter not working. No matter what i entered, the full list is shown after the filter progress.
Anyone else sees this?
-
Oh, one more thing, now none of the filters work, genre, actors, viewed/not viewed etc. Is it disabled for this version?
-
here comes version 2.1
Filtering is back and Actors are grouped by first letter.
-
Yes, filtering now works as expected and the Actors alphabet grouping helps. But I still think searching actors by filtering is faster. Also, is there a way to add an index to film titles? It really is difficult to scroll all the way down a long list of movies. Good progress and no more crashes on my HD2 since v2.
-
alfish2000 (from XDA-Devs) now officially joined the development of mobilePVD. So let's welcome him ;)
thanks for your support!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6367323#post6367323