What are your methods...?

[Nanny Fine]

I'm sitting here going through piles of tapes (halleluiah for a weekend off!) and I am wondering a few things.

When you are ID'ing shows that you are not all that familiar with according to seasons, storylines, etc, how do you ID that episode? Do you use an episode guide? I use TV Tome (it's like my online TV bible) but I still have a hard time and not the patience to scroll throug seasons of shows trying to find one ep. So I find the credits, note the names of the guest stars, plug those names into the IMDB and find what episode(s) they guest starred in. It makes it a LOT easier to narrow down to which episode I have.

Also, I used to just tape and put the tape in a pile, unlabeled, until I'd have time to scan in. I ended up with piles of tapes that will take me months to go through. Now I use Post It notes - every single thing I tape goes on that post it, name, title, date, etc. I can still put the tape in a "need to update pile" but at least when it's time to update I can just do it without a lot of tape watching scanning.

Anyone else have any little tricks?

[GrapeJelly]

I use the TV Tome episode guides too. I click "edit" and then "find" on my toolbar, then i type in a word that might have to do with the episode. Like say it's an episode of Diff'rent Strokes where Arnold is having trouble with the Gooch, I'll do a search for either Gooch or bully or school. It usually only takes a few secs to hit on the right ep.

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by GrapeJelly
I use the TV Tome episode guides too. I click "edit" and then "find" on my toolbar, then i type in a word that might have to do with the episode. Like say it's an episode of Diff'rent Strokes where Arnold is having trouble with the Gooch, I'll do a search for either Gooch or bully or school. It usually only takes a few secs to hit on the right ep.

OMG that is the bestest thing ever, I did not know about that!

YOU ROCK!

[mashunter18]

I do basically the same thing with the tvtome guide,to try to figure out what is what.It s a pain,most shows change the opening credits every few seasons so it narrows it down some.

Right now I have no tapes that I dont know whats on them,everything I tape gets labeled and includes a peice of paper in the sleeve.

the shows Im attempting to get all episodes for I print the tvtome guide and put a star next to each one I get,then on the peice of paper if the tape is all seinfeld I just put the number,33,34,35...........etc..


Right now Im taping king of the hill everyday,I have a peice of paper posted here telling me thwe upcoming episodes from tvguide or zapit that wil be coming up,the early night ones they are showing now I have but the late night run Im getting,and just go through my list each day.


My other trick is shows Im getting the whole serous for
is each season has around 25 episodes,so if I know im gonna get the whole serous,as soon as I have episodes 1-12,I put them on a tape in order without commercials,or episodes 25-37 etc......
You can do that different ways also,you can fit 16 syndicated episodes in slp on one six hour tape,so we you get 1-16,17-32 etc..you can make copies without commercials.


The nice thing about this ,is what I do if I already got them to a tape without commercials,Ill trade my masters off,usually Ill give you my masters 100 eps for 50 eps etc..I never use the same tape twice.


Thats just a few of my trciks,and the way I do things.

[loudonslim]

If I'm looking to get the whole set I usually print it off tv tome and highlight the ones I have when I get them. I usually check upcoming eps also and put the date and time beside it.

I'm neat but messy also. I have everything organized the way I like it but to my wife it looks so messy!

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by loudonslim
If I'm looking to get the whole set I usually print it off tv tome and highlight the ones I have when I get them. I usually check upcoming eps also and put the date and time beside it.

I'm neat but messy also. I have everything organized the way I like it but to my wife it looks so messy!

My tapes are a mess but at the point I am with them (going through them, labeling, numbering, etc) I know what is where and what is done, etc.

I had a guy BREAK UP WITH ME about a month ago because e could not handle the amount of tapes in my living room.

NOt the tapes in my tape room upstairs (he never made it past my living room) but the ones I have DOWNSTAIRS. What a freak!

[mashunter18]

(he never made it past my living room :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by mashunter18
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

LOL Matt you saw the picture of my tape room, the room DEVOTED to tapes. He did not see it. He'd have had a stroke if he'd have seen that since he couldn't handle what I had in my living room!!!!

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by GrapeJelly
I use the TV Tome episode guides too. I click "edit" and then "find" on my toolbar, then i type in a word that might have to do with the episode. Like say it's an episode of Diff'rent Strokes where Arnold is having trouble with the Gooch, I'll do a search for either Gooch or bully or school. It usually only takes a few secs to hit on the right ep.

Hmm, for some reason this is not working right for me. It's only searching for titles, it will not search inside the list.

Any suggestions?

[GrapeJelly]

Originally posted by Will and Grace Rox


Hmm, for some reason this is not working right for me. It's only searching for titles, it will not search inside the list.

Any suggestions?

The toolbar button says "Find (on this page)" which means it searches the whole page. Works just fine for me. Can't imagine what could be going wrong for you. :confused:

[TVJunkie101]

Originally posted by Will and Grace Rox
Also, I used to just tape and put the tape in a pile, unlabeled, until I'd have time to scan in. I ended up with piles of tapes that will take me months to go through. Now I use Post It notes - every single thing I tape goes on that post it, name, title, date, etc. I can still put the tape in a "need to update pile" but at least when it's time to update I can just do it without a lot of tape watching scanning.

Anyone else have any little tricks?

That is EXACTLY what I used to do. I have at least a hundred tapes not even really labled.

I generally just scan the episode and do what you do, I either use the credits (if you can see them) or use TV Tome to find an episode description that fits.