BMV - Beer Magazine Viewer
       

The Beer Magazine Viewer (BMV) is a Java program for viewing and keyword search of beer can collecting magazines. Nearly 40,000 pages of eighteen different publications have now been scanned into a digital archive.




Questions and Answers
 
Q: What type of computer do I need to run the BMV software?
A: BMV is written in Java and can run on any computer which supports the Java Runtime Environment. Code has been tested on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11, Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) and 10.13 (High Sierra), Centos Linux 7 and 8, RHEL Linux 7.5 and 8.6
 
Q: What version of Java do I need installed on my computer?
A: You must have Java version 1.8.0 or later. Java 1.8 was released March, 2014 so very likely your computer already has an acceptable Java version installed. Please see the download instructions for BMV differences between Windows, MacOS, and Linux computers. BMV no longer bundles a Java Runtime Environment.
 
Q: What is the cost of the BMV software?
A: The most popular price point of our collecting hobby, FREE. Anyone may freely download the BMV viewer, search keys, and magazine content. You simply aren't allowed to sell it!
 
Q: Can I still order BMV media?
A: No. There is nearly 15GB of digital magazine content, not including the viewer, and no longer fits on cheap DVD. Also, downloads over modern internet should be very fast. If you don't have high speed internet, there is always McDonalds or Starbucks for free.
 
Q: What about new features, bug fixes, or new content?
A: Hopefully few bugs will be found, but most certainly new features will be requested and more importantly, new magazine issues will often appear on monthly basis. Please use the "Tools -> Check For Updates" feature for download of any updates.
 
Q: What if I have an earlier version of the BMV?
A: First, thank you. If you already have BMV data installed on your computer please download a new BMV package and unzip it into the same directory (e.g. C:\BMV). BMV 3.0 is 100% backwards compatibile with earlier file formats and will automatically adjust data if necessary. Most existing BMV users can simply use their existing BMV data for majority of the magazine content and only download recent years issues.
 
Last Updated: March 20, 2024