Tech-No-Babblehttp://zerosandtheone.com/blogs/technobabble/atom.aspxCommunity Server2009-04-28T16:43:00ZDVDID XML files and how to get them/blogs/technobabble/archive/2009/04/28/dvdid-xml-files-and-how-to-get-them.aspx2009-04-28T15:43:00Z2009-04-28T15:43:00Z<p>About a month or so ago, I started ripping my DVD collection to my WHS in an effort to use Media Center via XBOX 360 to play my movies. I found a great site called DVDXML.com (I am sure some of you are familiar with it) to get the XML files for these rips, so that media center would properly go out to the web and grab the cover art and movie data.<br /><br />I ripped all my movies to MPG files (which works with Media Center/Xbox 360 in Windows 7) and was happy to find they work just as well as VOB files when it comes to utilizing cover art and the dvdid data. (even DIVX avi files work) <br /><br />I spoke to Tim who runs DVDXML.com and told him I would be interested in writing a Windows client to simplify the process of getting these files for bigger collections.<br /><br />I have created a Windows client app that automates the process of getting all the DVDID xml files for your movie collection.</p>
<p>The normal process of getting the DVDID.xml files from DVDXML.com goes something like this:</p>
<ul>
<li>Login on website</li>
<li>Search for movie title</li>
<li>Look through results to find correct match, select match</li>
<li>Click button to download DVDID.XML file from website</li>
<li>Select directory where DVDID.XML file should go</li>
</ul>
<p>So as you can image, if you have a big collection, that could be a pretty painful process. Tim over at DVDXML.com had created an XML api that could be used to gain access to his database of DVDID information. He currently charges $20 for a license to the API. My application uses this API to automate the above process down to this:</p>
<ul>
<li>Run DVDXML.com client app</li>
<li>Select root folder where all movie rips are contained</li>
<li>Click Run Query button</li>
<li>All results for all movies are brought back instantly. You go through the list and click on the match, and the DVDID.XML file and optionally the cover art are saved to the correct folder automatically.</li>
</ul>
<p>There are also some other features, like a directory creation wizard, for those of you who might have a folder with a bunch of movie files sitting in it (media center needs a folder structure to work properly with DVDID.xml files). As well as the ability to do manual queries, requires, consolidation of multiple DVDID.xml files if present for a single movie, etc..</p>
<p>Oh, and of course the best part, is that this application is written in Visual Basic.NET (using .NET 3.5 SP1).</p>
<p>You can download the application from the link below (keep in mind you do need an API license from DVDXML.com)</p>
<p><a href="http://dvdxml.com/download.php?view.15509" class="null">DVDXML.com Windows Client Download Page</a></p>
<p>Here are a few screenshots:</p>
<p><img height="365" width="512" src="http://www.dvdxml.com/images/winclient_main.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img height="231" width="464" src="http://www.dvdxml.com/images/winclient_settings.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img height="160" width="423" src="http://www.dvdxml.com/images/winclient_query.jpg" alt="" /> </p>
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