Try PlugIn LoadDVD

Cyberlink PowerDVD 13 has link to play movies from the hard. I have never used this feature but it might be worth looking into. You have create a folder store the movires there and tell the program and link.
This latest program looks like it plays just about every thing. So I don't why the DVD profile do it or be made to do it also.

You guys (Srehtims, Blair) have totally missed the point. DVDP can very well play files using My Links, LoadDVD or HTML windows. The method is the same as for PowerDVD: point to the folder or file, and click on some kind of menu or icon. So, "So I don't why the DVD profile do it or be made to do it also." - in fact it already can. No need to get into a discussion of which is "better," etc. Your assertion that DVDP can't do this is just plain wrong.

Of course, DVDP does not have a built-in player, but it can be made to use anything that you have installed. Same with LoadDVD, and the Pro version even has its own built-in player. It plays just about anything if you have the codecs on your system.

HTML windows can be easily scripted that use either WMP or VLC player to play just about any file. See the Layout Forum for many examples that work just fine.

Now, what the OP really wants, is for the program to scan the hard drive and somehow either create a database or associate existing files with an existing DVDP database. As I said in my previous post, this is a very difficult thing to do. I have some private tools that can be adapted to a particular user's folder and file structure. That's why I asked the OP for that information. I have a long-standing request to Invelos to make certain things available to plugins that would allow me to use my tools to do exactly what the OP wants. Without the Invelos information, I would need to purchase a license to a 3rd party database - very expensive.

Amoung other things, LoadDVD has a feature that allows the Profile to point to a folder, and it will give you an icon, which when clicked will present a menu of files to play.

While I have no use for it... I do understand the feature request. But I must say... I am surprised at anyone being so shocked that this feature isn't here.  I mean the title of the program tells us DVD... files on the computer is not DVDs. And then if you go main page of the website it clearly states it is for tracking your DVD and BD collections. So forgive me... but it makes no sense to me that someone would be so shocked that files on the computer isn't covered in this program.

I know I for one would have checked it out and be sure it handled what I want it for before buying it.

Quoting FelixDaHousecat:

Quote:
I really am shocked that I cannot easily add my movie files from a hard drive. This seems to me to be a basic function that should be there. I will now have to manually work my way through hundreds of files that will take me hours. Very disappointed!

But you did notice the first three letters in the program's name, didn't you?

Yes of course I know what the app is called and I knew I'd get sarcastic replies. However, most if not all app's like this one handle movie files as part of a persons collection. That is precisely why I have added my surprise to a request for this feature. The ever declining use of physical media to watch movies and listen to music will continue and I hope that file based collections will be catered for in this app in the not too distant future.

I have close to a thousand movie files on my server and a large collection of DVD's. To have to manually add the files to an app will take day's of slog.

In case any of you are interested the feature would work like this:

DVDP would read the file name/titles (not the metadata) of the movies on the hard drive and then present each movie title one by one in the 'add DVD to collection' window. After the correct movie has been selected from the 'add DVD to collection' window (and added) the next one would be presented. This would allow people with large file based collections to add them to the database without having to copy/paste/type the titles manually! It would also be cool if the various file types were detected and catered for.

Simple!

When I said "Simple" I just meant that it should be a simple feature to add.

Why do you have to be so aggressive?