Adding some new Media Formats

[Secret Squirrel]

Through the process of adding thousands of albums to VGMdb, we've discovered that we are missing some formats, particularly some lesser used ones. I'd like to add a new batch of these, though I don't remember which formats we've discussed in the past.

Here's what we've currently got:

CD
Vinyl
Tape
Digital Release
DVD
VHS
Other (catch-all)

Here's what we need to add:

Blu-ray
SA-CD

In addition, there are some funky formats like CDV, as well as those mini-sized CDs. I'm not entirely sure that we want to add some of these variants, particularly the ones that most people will want to see returned in their results under the broader category. But anyway, I'd like to brainstorm and discuss all the possible additions so that I can add them all at once.

Note that media format is not the same as data format, so we won't need to (for example) break up digital into mp3, ogg, flac, etc. A data format field will be needed for future cataloging music on a game basis.

[seanne]

There are at least two SACD (Super Audio CD) entries in the database, though I think this format is pretty much extinct by now. There are a few other extinct formats that might possibly have had applicable releases, such as HD-DVD and, yes, Betamax. I guess we can deal with it if any such releases should come to our attention.

As for the old 3-inch mini CDs, I don't think we need to bother with adding anything new for these since it's not really a different format from CD. And it's usually pretty clear either by scans or by the number of tracks if it's one of those.

[Carl]

I recall there being only a few MD (MiniDisc) releases also, maybe 3~4 at most.

[Gigablah]

Just won this from YJA:

[Secret Squirrel]

Haha, I imagine that's firmly in the category of "Other".

11 kHz, 10 kbps. Mono. How does that even sound?

[Crash]

There are still some regular SACDs that are being produced, though the format has evolved to almost exclusively target the audiophile market. Most SACDs that I hear about these days are classical remasterings or jazz recordings. I wouldn't quite say that it is extinct just yet.

Regarding floppy discs, Konami's MIDI Power Pro albums include floppy discs with MIDI arrangements on them, and I've seen some Falcom MIDI arrangements on floppies as well:

http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m62907099

[Secret Squirrel]

Okay, I've added SA-CD and Blu-ray.

I've also rewritten part of the search query so that it searches the media table instead of the album media field, which is essentially deprecated. So search results should be correct now, and will include results that have multiple media types.

Looking through what we have categorized as "Other", I'm thinking about adding both "Laser Disc" and "Floppy Discs" since they occur often enough.

[Secret Squirrel]

Laser Disc and Floppy Disc are both available choices for media now. This means that we could potentially add tracklists for the midi discs in the Midi Power Pro series.

After working through our remaining "Other" format albums, most of what's left are the minidiscs (MD), which we can convert to CD if we decide not to add that format.

[Kaleb.G]

Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel

After working through our remaining "Other" format albums, most of what's left are the minidiscs (MD), which we can convert to CD if we decide not to add that format.

Make sure to not confuse Mini CD with MiniDisc.

[Secret Squirrel]

Ah, so MiniDisc is a separate media, which we should add to our tables.

[Secret Squirrel]

Now that we are delving into older products, we might want to consider adding Phonosheets (aka Sonosheets), which are cheap flexible discs that were not made of Vinyl. I'm not sure about their official English name.

[Myrkul]

wikipedia use the name "Flexi Disc".

[Secret Squirrel]

Flexi Disc is now added and fully integrated into Recent Updates and Search.

I changed all those Beep Sonosheets from Vinyl to Flexi Disc.

[newsblade]

Should we put DVD-Audio on the DVD format and Blu-spec CD on Bluray format?
What about HQCD and SHM-CD?

Usually these cds are hybrid to be compatible with the regular cd players. Here's the link: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/popular_formats/index.html

[Secret Squirrel]

I don't know. Those are data formats, but the media type is still DVD or Blu-ray.