Eric's quite a friendly name. And he is the guy who is going to help you organize all your videos and DVDs properly with the right information. He isn't so pretty as far as looks go but he is pretty functional. A touch here and there and you can find the catalogued information on any movie in your movie collection.

Say hello to Eric's Movie Database; EMDB for short. A free software and a movie collection manager for Windows.

Eric's Movie Database (ver.1.18) is a 1MB sized free software for Windows that helps you to manage your entire movie collection whether it is in the form of DVDs or downloaded movies from the web. If you have an over spilling collection of movie titles, this utility, like all collection organizers, is a must have for keeping track of your large movie collection.

To cite my example, I have quite a large stash of movies, most of them still left to be seen. It is a pain to decide to which ones to watch next when you can't recollect where it is stored and what the genre and the storyline is. EMDB comes to the rescue by giving me all the details at the click of a mouse.

The name, EMDB is probably 'ripped' from IMDB because EMDB uses IMDB's vast movie database to fill in the details about each movie. When you open up EMDB for the first time, you will get the blank wooden bookshelves. The toolbar of Eric's Movie Database with its 12 functions is pretty easy to grasp. If you don't, then there's the online help page with all the instructions contained on a single webpage.

This is how it all looks from the front:

eric database

But we are going in reverse. So, let's get into the free movie software and check out how we can get all our DVDs, ripped, or downloaded movies to look so neatly organized.

Behind The Scenes

movie database

To begin the cataloging process, click on Add. You can add in the name of the movie if it's on a DVD. If you have a large downloaded/ripped collection, click on Browse HDD and go to the directory where all the movies are stored. The Add New Movie dialog window also shows you the information fields that will be filled up from IMDB.

movie database

As soon as EMDB taps into IMDB and starts auto-importing the movie details, a list of possible matches is returned. You get a list of popular titles, exact matches, and approximate matches. Then there are the optional alternative titles that get released in other countries. This slows down the process especially if you have a large list of movies. But it ensures greater accuracy of the catalog. Add and continue to the next movie.

movie database

You can set down information in the fields provided in the dialog box. For instance, you can dropdown and choose the Medium (DVD, VHS Tape, Blu-Ray, Hard Disk etc), Source (TV, Cam, Internet etc), give the location of the movie file on your HDD, or add comments. You can also your own give star ratings to the movies in your collection.

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You can also tag the movies according to Seen, Wish List, and Own. Wish Lists can be created with detailed info on the movies you want to see. You can then use the filters in the main view.

Back To the Bookshelf

If you like a more descriptive view, you can toggle it to the List Mode.

online movie databases

You can use the filters to sift through your collection.

online movie databases

And if you are searching for a needle in the haystack of your movie collection, check out the range of options to fine-tune the search.

organize movies

EMDB allows you to export your movie data as HTML, text, and CSV files.

organize movies

For movies that are located on the HDD, clicking on Play will open them up in the default media player.

EMDB also accommodates larger sized thumbnails from many sites that keep a stock of them. You can use them instead of the default smaller ones from IMDB.

Check Out The Loan System

When you start using EMDB, you might wonder where the loan system is located. Well, EMDB has another neat view which we haven't seen yet. Select a movie title and click the little arrow at bottom center of the main window. See that?

eric database

Just fill in the name of the guy whom you have loaned it to. When your friend returns it, you can click on Return. The loan records for a movie can be viewed with History.

The End Credits

EMDB's Options panel also has a full range of tweaks. The one thing you should always do is to keep your carefully compiled records backed up. EMDB has both manual and auto backups.

EMDB earns a few credits for being a small efficient piece of software. You can harp on its lack of looks, but I found it to be quite adequate. You can also copy the installed folder directly to your pen drive and use it as portable software. Read the portability notes on the online help page.

As far as managing your movie library goes, EMDB takes a few stars. But that's me speaking. Does EMDB do the job for you?

Eric's Movie Database [No Longer Available] is supported on Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7. It is also is available in several languages.