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    Invelos Forums->DVD Profiler: Desktop Technical Support Page: 1 2  Previous   Next
"Relieving" the server - Double "Problem"
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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There are two things I am simply not able to understand!

1. Imagine you just have added a profile to your collection, modify some data (overview, studios etc.) and then contribute your new version. For a long long time I was used not to control the checkbox for "including covers" as it was only active if I had added a cover. Some days I add twenty or more profiles, and this way I don't remember for which ones I had to add covers. Well, contributing the modifications including the same covers I downloaded maybe just an hour ago I simply don't understand. Is there anything wrong with my profiler or why does the "automatic" not recognize anymore that the cover didn't have any change?

2. The other thing I don't understand anymore is updates! We all no the green arrow which shows us if there is an update or not. And if you might do it like me and check every single update, it costs time. Well, during the last couple of weeks I have a massive problem with this arrow: After clicking on "Previw Changes", for at least the half of the updates, shown by the mentioned arrow, I only get to see "no differences deteced". Sorry to say, but that SUCKS! Imagine 50 or 100 updated profiles to check (if I could do all of them at once, there are much more) and at least half of them don't exist! I'd appreciate a solution for this very much.

Any suggestions or ideas what goes wrong with my database or with Invelos and how I/we could solve these troubles? At least the first one is unneccessary server load, and maybe the 2nd one, too, as I always need to contact the server to find out, that there is something or not.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
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Sounds like the kind of tough problems this group should step up to. I need to read again, and look at my own Profiler and think. I hope others will be doing the same and offering some help.
Thanks for your support.
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Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorhuskersports
Registered: September 29, 2008
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I click on the "Refresh Updated Profiles from Invelos" under the Online tab at the top of DVDP. When that is done scanning my images and profiles for changes, a window pops up with "There are x number of profiles that have changed. There are the 2 sections with check marks in them: "Refresh Profile" and "Refresh Cover Images". At the bottom of that window is a box called "Skip All Unchanged". When you put the check mark in that box, that means if your local database profile and the Profiler online database profile are the same in every section (cast, crew, studios, etc.), there will be 2 red X's in the Refresh Profile and Refresh Cover Images section. That way, you won't have to go through every updated profile if there are no changes. This should replace the need for you to click on the green arrows of the profile itself.

Hope this helps,
Eric
My one wish for the DVD Profiler online database: Ban or remove the disc-level profiles of TV season sets. It completely screws up/inflates the CLT.
FACT: Imdb is WRONG 70% of the time! Misspelled cast, incomplete cast, wrong cast/crew roles. So for those who want DVD Profiler to be "as perfect as Imdb", good luck with that.
Stop adding UNIT crew! They're invalid credits. Stop it!
 Last edited: by huskersports
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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Quoting huskersports:
Quote:
I click on the "Refresh Updated Profiles from Invelos"


I was used to do updates for profiles if I am on one. So today I had to give this option a try as the profiler tells my I didn't do ANY update for XXX days (altough I do some evry day). I won't let it run as I am not sure where I placed locks. Well, now I am at this long long list of updates and check every single one. I am just throught the first 20, and 9 (!) of them the preview tells me once again "No differences detected". I'll do the whole list, but the problem mentioned in the first post is still present. Altough there is not any difference, profilertells me that I need to update

It is a horrible work! The list tells me about updates for 2949 profiles. Don't know how long I will need to check all of them, but I think everybody can imagine how I feel about wasted time with all those "No differences".

So far I am through the check of about 1000 updates. And I feel kind of disappointed about the way the updates changed! More than 50 % are "No differences detected", and most of the rest is locked due to personal reasons. I even can't understand the image updates anymore. IS there any update if the the new images have exactly the same dimensions and file size than the old ones? Well, it will last another few hours to check the rest of the list, but so far I can ensure you: Most of those updates are senseless and absolutely not neccessary as there ARE NO UPDATES for anything!
 Last edited: by Magmadrag
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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There is at least one reason for that "No differences"-Crap (and the only way to change/modify this is to change the App): All of these (not existing) updates are profiles I contributed. So altough the data came from me, profiler wants to update my own data with my own data. You know what I mean? And this is unneccessary load for the server and wasted time for me. But as nobody seems to update the programm anymore, this problem will last for a long long time
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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Checking all the updates causes perfect confusion and in my opinion a change in the contribution. I got a HUGE load of so called "updates" which would make my database much worse. Just imagine a whole TV-Series with countless discs/profiles.

Existing profiles:
Actor (first name) John (middle name) Jack (name) Evans

And all the updates show:
Actor (first name) John Jack (name) Evans

If I would accept all the updates without controlling them, the chaos becomes perfect.

And the huge number of updates with "No difference detected" might be caused by the more than 2000 accepted contributions I did during the last couple of months. So imo the only solution is a technical one: Profiler shows me that there (probably) is an update and only if I check it, I find out that there is no difference. But if the Profiler would check the so calle dupdate first to detect that there IS no difference, it would not show me that update and would not cause me to become active.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
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Registered: March 18, 2007
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This is a bit complicated for one who does not do contributions, but if I understand correctly, what you are describing could explain why I had some issues with matching the CLT credits. I found that sometimes the CLT takes into account pending accepted contributions even before they are reflected in the profile metadata that comes across the query API.

So, thanks for the information. I wish there were some kind of solution for you. We depend heavily on the diligent work of contributors, such as you.
Thanks for your support.
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Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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Well, my next step would be kind of "modification" of the rules.

So far the rules say that the name in the database is the "most used version" of a person. But for me it is horrible with all the "jr." and "sr." versions, sometimes with a Comma before, sometimes not. So e. g. if there is "Frank Smith, Jr." twenty times with comma and maybe 2 times without, the version WITH comma is the one for the database. Buf if he does another 30 movies w/o comma, all data has to be changed.

So I'd appreciate VERY much to modify the rules for name extensions like Junior or Senior (and other common versions I don't remember so far) that there is no more neccessity to check at least those differences in the Credit Lookup.

To your last post: I am actually sorry that I don't understand the shortcuts "CLT" and "API" :-) It might be helpful to know what they mean for a better understanding
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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Next step I don't understand is image updates. Don't know how or where their size is defined. But what caused my confusion - and I am absolutely not able to understand - is the "variation" of the updates:

There are countless covers with e. g. about 100 KB per picture. Okay!

A load of the updates brings scans with a bigger file size, that's okay and understandable, altough I visually can't recognize any difference and improvement.

But on the other side there are updates with a SMALLER size. Once again no visual difference!

So I think to remember that any contribution of covers is resized to reach predefined values. If I am right, how could it happen that the updates sometimes are bigger but sometimes smaller, too?

Next thing - as addition to the "jr." post - are names with "de" or "van" and so on. Countless times I got existing profiles with "De" (like in 'Danny De Vito') is written big. And the update brings me the small written version. But then I have them written in small and the update brings them in big. So what about a definition that those "name extentions" always are written small or big?

Not to mention the update where suddenly the "de" is not part of the name anymore but suddenly middle name. When I did this years ago my contribution failed because of that and I got an explanation. How could this happen now? Does Invelos really become worse or am I the only one who feels so?
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
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Quoting Magmadrag:
Quote:

To your last post: I am actually sorry that I don't understand the shortcuts "CLT" and "API" :-) It might be helpful to know what they mean for a better understanding

My bad. Everybody on this forum is an expert at something. I made the mistake of assuming expert at everything. Which also happens to me during contributions discussions.

CLT is the "Credit Lookup Tool" (waiting for the "Doh!")

API is "Application Program(ming) Interface". It is what programs use to access features provided by some other program. For example, a DVD Profiler Plugin uses the Invelos Plugins API to query and manipulate the program and database.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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And the next "missing rule": slash (/) used in played roles

One half of the updates my existing profile has a space before and after the slash ("Father / Son") and the update is without. And the next time I don't have space ("Father/Son") but the update brings it.

Maybe I didn't check updates for too long but this way I recognize so mand unneccessary changes which could be erased in advance by some further rules
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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It might sound as if I am complaining too much, but the number of issues making me wasting time is growing too much! Well, maybe you have recognized by my contributions that I love child profiles - especially for tv series. So I copy cast & crew of the episodes of one disc from the parent profile to the disc-/child-profile and than delete cast & crew from the parent profile simply not to have double counts.

With more than 900 complete series in my collection you might be able to imagine the number of profiles so far (and still growing). And again and again I get updates for the parent profiles with all the cast & crew I have deleted. Wouldn't it be an idea - just an idea - simply to install kind of a function which automatically avoids updates for sections I have locked? Which means that if the update is only for any locked sections, it doesn't show up automatically?

Only if I check an update for a profile (altough the green arrow is not active) THEN I can see the changes/updates of my locked sections - and do them or not!

Additionally: What about "enhancing" the possibility of updates? It is always the whole cast or the whole crew I could accept or not. And so often I would like to accept just a couple of lines, but accepting the whole section would e. g. delete all the uncredited actors in MY profile which are not part of the official database.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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I am just shocked a little bit how it could happen that so many rules have been "bend". I own "Magnum", the whole series in a box. As the seasons keep cases don't have UPC, the rules say that the season only could get a profile by the Disc-ID of the first disc. That's what I did then when I bought the series. And I got the advice that the only chance for a child profile for the disc 1 (of every season) is to create a manual profile.

Well, since I (and probably a load of other ones) did the whole series in the past, suddenly the Disc-Id of Disc 1 is just a profile for DISC 1. So this way the whole seasons couldn't have a profile anymore.

I am even not through half of the alphabet with checking the updates but so far I am sad, I am disappointed, I am angry and exhausted and with every load of updates I check I understand less and less. Why do some people have to follow the rules and others not? I won't say that I am living in the past, but on the example of Magnum: What happened? There was such an intensive and detailed control of every contribution then but now additionally to all the stupidities allready mentioned I get countless updates which are definitly break the rules! And this totally sucks!!!!

If the number of claims in this thread will become longer (and I am quite sure that it will) I am getting closer and closer to the point where I don't do ANY updates anymore. Not downloading and also not contributing. It is a horrible situation for me and maybe it's good that I don't know so much "bad" words in English. Otherwise my anger would be much more visible without senseful reasoning anymore.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
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Registered: March 18, 2007
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What I have noticed in the many posts made by expert contributors such as yourself Magmadrag, is that the number and kinds of changes requested, in my opinion, are far beyond any available program of this type. Even starting with the DVD Profiler as a base, the amount of changes would be a lot. On top of that, there are so many data base structural issues that remain unsolved and controversial in the community.

Is it possible that is one factor in the status of development (or lack thereof)?
Thanks for your support.
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Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMagmadrag
Master of childprofiles
Registered: May 25, 2007
Germany Posts: 453
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That for sure is a HUGE factor! I don't remember the name of the guy who cared about that in the past. I only know that he left for any reason. Someone anywhere posted that he might comeback but it is not sure. And without his support/work in my opinion this once genius development goes down.

Actually my mind produces one idea after another to improve profiler and maybe bring back the fun, but if you check the thread about requests for enhancements and modifications: There are countless good ideas but if "the guy" keeps invisible, none of them might be done.

I had some other technical issues in the past (database collapsed at usual start and I had to create a completely new one to rescue my data) and after this happened more than once, I was looking for any alternative. Well, there are a few programs for DVD-Collectors, but not one of them is as well as profiler is. But thinking about all the problems I recognized in just one day (and - sad to say - thei are growing), maybe in the future one of them is better. I am here nearly as long as you and am missing the time when users really CARED about their data.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
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Registered: March 18, 2007
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Well if that "guy" is not an employee of Invelos, then he will not be able to do all what you want. Most people only use a fraction of the many capabilities of DVD Profiler already. And a lot of its power is "hidden" within the "API" I explained before. But to get those features, you need a plugin. A lot of users don't like plugins, even though they are the "official" way Invelos has provided for developers to provide interim and enhanced functions until Invelos decided how / when to provide the equivalent. I have had several of my early plugins made obsolete by subsequent official features in the main program. That was the way it was designed to work.

There are some very cleverly designed tools available now, that get as close to providing plugin-like functionality without actually running inside the main program (thanks Gunnar!).

But until or unless Invelos either makes public (or sells) information regarding its proprietary components - the online protocols, and the database structure, only Invelos has the power to make the changes you want.

And even then, there is no plugin toolkit for the mobile devices. It is when I think about these things, that I even better appreciate the absolutely brilliant and monumental thing that Invelos has given us.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
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