Features Set:  

DVD Upload

With Movie Collectors your upload options are almost limitless. You can have an unlimited number of databases (one for each person in the family) and an unlimited number of movies in each database.

You can automatically import your DVDs by title or barcode. Simply type in your movie’s title or barcode into the add movies dialog box and click search. From there Movie Collector will query their personal database with a listing of matching entries.

When you select a matching title the software will import cover art, a summary, cast listing and more. In our tests Movie Collectors included almost any title we tried. However, we will admit it had a little difficulty with television titles without a barcode.

We really like that you can preview your selected title and corresponding DVD details. This feature is particularly helpful if you are uploading your DVDs by title and there are multiple movies with the same title; for example, King Kong, Father of the Bride or Elizabeth.

Movie Collector is also one of the only DVD Collector programs we reviewed that could also import DVD information using an external scanner. However, you have to have the scanner software installed on your computer and it is suggested you use one sold by Movie Collector’s manufacturer Collectorz.

If you happen to have a title that the Collectorz database doesn’t, or if you are uploading home movies you can also forgo automatic upload and manually enter all your DVD information.

DVD Details

Movie Collectors DVD details are endless. In addition to adding title, genre, cast and episode information you can track personal information about your movie including where and when you purchased it. You can also add a personal rating and additional links to the movie’s homepage, IMDB or TopTenREVIEWS movies listing. You can also use the link feature to link to the movie’s trailer.

After your titles are uploaded all details can be edited. You can also upload your own cover art or images. This is great for home movies or if you have a DVD case picture you’d prefer to use instead of what was originally imported.

You can categorize movies in multiple ways including if it is currently in your collection, or if it is Wanted, On Order or For Sale. You can even track if you’ve watched a title yet.

One feature we’d like to see added to Movie Collector’s standard version is the loan manager, which can track which titles have been loan to whom, when it is due back and when it was actually returned.

Search Filters
Simply browsing for a movie with Movie Collectors is really easy. The software defaults to a thumbnail view with disc details listed below. They also include a “random pick” feature that great if you can’t decide what to watch.

Searching for specific titles or genres using Movie Collectors is quiet easy. The standard, built in search filters include searching by genre, format, box set, series, actor and more. These filters are set by folder and you can add more folders to your search options by just selecting Folder Field Selection.

You can also build in more specific filters like Comedies on Blu-ray, but you have to specifically build these filters and to the novice it might be a little intimidating.

You can also use the random selection feature in your filters and files. Just select a broad file like “Action” the random selection will only choose titles in the “Action” folder.

Additional Features

Movie Collector standard doesn’t include many additional features. Most additional features like iPod integration, statistics and integration with Windows Media Center are only available in Movie Collector Pro.

Import/Export

Unfortunately, this is where we were a little disappointed in Move Collector. Although you can import databases from a text file, and even from the #1 product DVD Profiler you cannot export any of your Movie Collector databases unless you upgrade to the Pro version.

We would like to see the ability to export at least to a CSV file.

However, you can backup your databases, but backups can only be read by Collectorz’s software.