I had setup Media Portal 1 on my beta system, but now I've switched back to my production system so I have to start from scratch. If I recall, there was a mymovies plugin you could use, or you could use the existing movie database. I setup the movie database and it was very similar to DVD library, however all my movie files are divx, xvid, H.264 or mpeg. Here is the wiki link for the database
http://www.team-mediaportal.com/manu...ovies/Database
According to the extension section you can load ifo's, so if you rip your dvd's to hard drive the database should still recognize them. I haven't done this but someone who has can comment.
http://www.team-mediaportal.com/manu...ies/Extensions
I'm not sure if the MyDVD plugin is current or if the functionality has been imported into the movies database, but this link talks about using that with dvd iso's. Like I said, I don't do that, I convert my dvd's to movie files, and with the MP database that behaves very similar to dvd library (sans chapter points)
http://www.team-mediaportal.com/manu...Plugins/MyDVDS
As far as the other portions of BM, I prefer the MP music library over BM's. Pictures as well, although I liked the PSE plugin (now on Sage). Weather is far better with MP, you can setup multiple locations and add I think 5 animated weather maps per location. Games, email, comics, file browser, etc, all similar, don't use them much.
BM used to have a superior movie showtimes and preview plugin, if I recall correctly last time I tested that in MP it had virtually caught up. The only reason I still had Beyond Media was fo the DVD Library, Movie Showtimes, and PSE photos (intelligent slideshows). Apart from the last Media Portal is good enough to replace all those IMO.
Another nifty feature, you can make a movie playlist, stream movies after each other and navigate. Also MP has some fo the best video quality out there, BTV has closed the distance now, but impressive none the less.