DJ Doena's CastCrewEdit and my TmdbInfo are quite different programs. CastCrewEdit has one main function - fetch cast and crew from IMDb for inclusion in a profile. TmdbInfo is more a way to browse TMDb (The Movie Database), but also lets the user fetch cast and crew.

So, if we just compare the fetching of cast and crew, CastCrewEdit is way more complex than TmdbInfo. But there are cons and pros to both programs. IMDb and TMDb have very different views on sharing their data. IMDb actively tries to make it hard for unauthorized copying of its data. TMDb on the other hand provides an API that let's others share its data. This means that programs that use TMDb need a lot less maintenance since the API doesn't change (or at least is kept backwards compatible), whereas the web pages that are the source at IMDb keeps changing.

When it comes to comparing the quality of their data, TMDb has an advantage in that it doesn't include fake data like IMDb seems to do in order to spot "stolen" data. But how do they compare in other regards? Neither seems to bother about keeping roles exactly as in the credits. Not sure which one is better or worse in that regard. As regards coverage, TMDb's greatest weakness is in crew data from older TV shows.

But back to the two programs. TmdbInfo does not handle "common name" (at least not in the current version). I have to confess that I'm not quite sure how CastCrewEdit handles them, but I know it does. When it comes to birth year, TmdbInfo handles them by comparing the birth year in TMDb's data with the online birth year list. If there is a match, then TmdbInfo keeps the birth year. As long as the birth year list is kept relatively up-to-date, this works fine. CastCrewEdit seems to have a much more complex system, but I'm not sure how the two programs compare in that regard.

So, which of the programs should you use? When it comes to cast and crew, you'll just have to chose whichever works better for you. If you are really using CastCrewEdit to it's fullest potential, then TmdbInfo probably isn't good enough (as long as Carsten can keep up with IMDb). Otherwise, why not at least give TmdbInfo a try and see what you think. And you can always use TmdbInfo for an interesting browsing experience through TMDb's data.

In closing, let me just say that I'm totally in awe of what Carsten has accomplished with CastCrewEdit. TmdbInfo is not an attempt to outdo CastCrewEdit. It just offers another source of data, and possibly a more stable program, for reasons stated above. Still, if there is anything you would like to see added to TmdbInfo, please let me know!