As countless series get more and more re-releases, using the same Disc-ID for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th.... time, and nearly every time with new case & cover it looks a little bit as if "we" might have used much too less of the possibility of an alternative version.

During my actual work on the database I had to recognize that countless of my series hav such Disc IDs - with different covers. And I am thinking about a VERY huge change. Not totally sure as this will be another bunch of hours to spend, but so far it is at least an idea.

But this causes a bunch of questions:
- Can the database stand this? I got now idea if it has any restrictions but if I am not the only one with this idea and hundreds of people start doing the same, there will come up thousands of new profiles.
- As it is mostly for the covers (and maybe for the field for "case"), on the other side it causes more "control" as I think that there might be several alt. versions of a Disc ID but I am sure they are not connected one to another in any way? If this is the case the idea might die before I start.

To explain the last passage:
Let's say we had the 1st release of Star Trek Voyager. Season 1, Disc 1 has the (fictional) ID: "ABC" (That was the release with the plastic boxes for each season). The next version came up in the digipacs and gets ID "ABC #1". And then we have the whole season in a box, getting ID "ABC #2". Maybe there have been other releases with the same IDs, too, but this is just for explanation.
As (like I presume) they are not connected in any way, any correction of cast & crew (or running time, audio, subtitles etc.) which is done for "ABC" should additionally be done for "ABC #1" and "ABC #2".

So if anyone has the technical knowledge of "behind the scenes": Am I right with that presumption or IS there a connection of the alternative versions? Which means: If anybody does an updated contribution for "ABC #2" it is also done for "ABC" and "ABC #1"?

At least in theory this can't be, as sometimes the Disc IDs are identical, but the movies (or whatever is on the disc) are totally different (at least I think to remember cases like that).

And to make know what you think about those "AVs", there's a poll, no matter if you have the know how to answer my questions ;-)

Yes, I create Alternate ID profiles.  I didn't see that as an option in your poll.

Most recently, I added 3 Alternate ID profiles, for the child profiles for the Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy.

The same disc is used for at least four US releases alone - two for the prequel trilogy together, and two for different releases of the "complete saga" (which is no longer complete, as it's just the first two trilogies).  That's not even counting the releases in other countries (which are also the same disc ID).  I'm pretty sure they'll use the same disc for a new "complete saga" release with all three trilogies in it at some point in the future.

The profile I originally downloaded had child profiles from one of the complete releases attached, so it was easy to make the change by changing the disc ID to the new alternate and copy/pasting the correct cover from the parent profile.  Poof, new alternate ID profiles with the correct cover art.

If I can make things a bit more correct for others in the future, why not do it?

Quoting Magmadrag:

Quote:
Am I right with that presumption or IS there a connection of the alternative versions? Which means: If anybody does an updated contribution for "ABC #2" it is also done for "ABC" and "ABC #1"?

No. Only the profile that you have in your local database will be updated. If I have ABC #1 and update it, only ABC #1 will be updated with that change.

Sorry that I forgot that option in the poll. Confusing that I can change the name of the thread and the text - but not the options of the poll.

Next "problem" ("complication") then: I create the ALTs (calling them so from now on) for 10, 20, 30 TV-Series, each witch 30 - 50 discs. Really fine for me, my covers are now in official profiles, well done!

But: As I am the creator, only in my personal database (and for sure here online) the new ALTs are correctly connected to their parent. Anyone else who has the same parents has either to the delete the (now wrong) box set contents and to download the new or check out (which is much more time intensive) if there allready is the ALT with the same cover the parent has (and I have to do the same before I create new ones: check out if someone allready created what I plan to do).

For me myself the change will be work but the result will be great. But: How could all (with the same boxes) handle it to update/modify THEIR boxes (without becoming angry about me^^)?

I've created quite a number of alternate IDs. The same discs tend to wind up in multiple Echo Bridge sets that I own, which means different covers and release dates despite the same contents. Without alternate IDs I wouldn't be able to link each copy to the different sets I own.

Quoting Magmadrag:

Quote:
Sorry that I forgot that option in the poll. Confusing that I can change the name of the thread and the text - but not the options of the poll.

Next "problem" ("complication") then: I create the ALTs (calling them so from now on) for 10, 20, 30 TV-Series, each witch 30 - 50 discs. Really fine for me, my covers are now in official profiles, well done!

But: As I am the creator, only in my personal database (and for sure here online) the new ALTs are correctly connected to their parent. Anyone else who has the same parents has either to the delete the (now wrong) box set contents and to download the new or check out (which is much more time intensive) if there allready is the ALT with the same cover the parent has (and I have to do the same before I create new ones: check out if someone allready created what I plan to do).

For me myself the change will be work but the result will be great. But: How could all (with the same boxes) handle it to update/modify THEIR boxes (without becoming angry about me^^)?

Just submit a contribution to the parent profile with the alternate IDs as box set contents.  The system will take care of updating everyone else's when the contribution is approved and they refresh their profiles.  All of the work is on your as the original creator of the alternate profiles, not on them.

Just a question: If the ("wrong") childs are allready Disc-Id-Profiles, do you "only" create Alt. Versions or do you check if the IDs are correct?

Sometimes I struggle with the laziness of creators: The simply add existing ID-Profiles (or even EAN-Profiles) without inserting any disc. What means: Sometimes an Alt. Version wouldn't even be neccessary as the real ID of the Disc is not in use yet as the creator of box set/child profiles didn't check.