My Movies 4 Public Pre-Release Available Now

If you use Windows Media Center to watch movies and TV shows, and lets face it, most of us do, you will probably need some additional software to make the experience better. My Movies is one of those pieces of software, and frankly is must have. Today the pre-release of My Movies 4 is available and it finally includes TV Series support.

What is My Movies?

My Movies for Windows Media Center is a movie collection program for Windows Media Center in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Windows Media Center is a built-in feature in the Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate packages, as well as the Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate packages.

With My Movies for Windows Media Center, you can experience your entire movie collection, and browse through and play your movies, browse cast, play trailers and much more by using a remote control within your living room or home theatre. My Movies for Windows Media Center also includes the My Movies Collection Management product, which allows you to maintain and manage your movie collection outside Windows Media Center.

Here is what Brian says about My Movies 4:

My Movies 4 brings extended TV Series support to My Movies for Windows Media Center and My Movies Collection Management. You have with My Movies 3 always been able to add TV Series on DVD, Blu-ray or HD DVD to your collection, and users of TV series in online single file structures have been able to have their TV series supported to some extend by using the Series/Box set functionality along with the option to add multiple discs to a disc title profile.

With My Movies 4, we are extending this functionality to what some will refer to as proper TV series import, monitoring, management and browsing. The pre release is intended for users who would like to participate in reviewing, testing and giving us feedback for My Movies 4. The pre release requires 2,500 points or a licensed installer license file to participate – this is done to limit the amount of participating users to a level that we are able to handle support wise.

The functionality implemented for TV series is similar in requirements to what was originally created in XBMC, and today is used in various projects.

My Movies 4 and My Movies for Windows Home Server

If you are also running My Movies for Windows Home Server then there is some additional information from Brian:

My Movies for Windows Home Server is at the time of the pre release of My Movies 4 not updated for the TV Series functionality. It can however with one exception still fully function as a back-end for My Movies 4. The exception to this is that since the Windows Home Server software does not know of the added folders used for TV Series, it’s backup functionality will not include TV Serie graphics. This means that any backup during the pre release must be made from the Collection Management side.

We will during the pre release period release a Windows Home Server version where it’s backup will be able to backup TV Series as well, however we do not know yet when a release will be available where folder monitoring will function with TV Series functionality.

The public pre release of My Movies 4 will be made available to users with 2500 points or more.

Let us know what you think of My Movies 4 – and don’t forget that it is a pre-release version so some things are likely to change, and please make sure that you give feedback to Brian and Rasmus. And look out for the UWHS hands-on review shortly.