S4000Pro Rants

[MikeMattke]

I was just reading Ted Burke's comments [rants] about the S4000Pro on the Cassie Tips List and I was nodding in approval the whole time. The lack of certain software packages that still do not work and an upgrade to a Bogart OS to iron out the bugs seems reallys slow in coming. I am starting to think that I just should have burned the money that I invested in the unit. I still have to send my unit in to have the headphone jack fixed that came inoperative but I am finding more quirks and bugs each day. Luckily I haven't encountered the dropped frames yet and don't use BlueRay but I still have to use my AVIO for so many things yet and transfer them to the S4000Pro. So far, the worst investment that I have made.

[TimKennelly]

I would agree to date it is the worst investment I have made, but then, I never bought the early Kron.

I also am getting tired of waiting for fixes to really basic bugs and read Ted's comments.

I have quite a bit of faith in the company, but this last year has tested it sorely and frankly, I am done saying "be patient, fixes are coming" and want to see actions where the words are.

That said, Jörg has posted a very positive informational message in response to Ted's post and I thought I'd post it here for what it's worth.

It is my opinion we are close to finally seeing some progress on many basic issues, but as I mentioned, I am through adding to the "any day now" messages.

And with that said, HEEEEEERE's Jörg!

Hello,

I am writing this from my tiny netbook in my Las Vegas hotel room, so please forgive me for the shortness of this message.

We are working very hard to fix the problems and failed expecttions people have with the BogartSE. But please do not forget that we are re-inventing a system that has seen over 12 years of constant improvements and software additions, and we are hitting a market that is more confused than ever before about things like camcorder recording formats and HD delivery formats.

I have done quite a few projects with my S 4000 Pro in the last month, using my AVCHD camcorder. It worked really well, and I have put stuff up on Youtube using their new HD upload and even brought a video to the MGT.

I realize that we did not support all of the camcorders out there in a good enough fashion, and that the beta testing did not find all of the bugs. But remember these guys had to test lots of recording formats and more than 90 add on software products.

We have just released a new beta that fixes the remaining DV and HDV issues with Firewire, and has the best analog recording we ever had, completely rewritten routines. Once we have finished beta testing, we will release this.

The AVCHD recording feature for Arabesk has been released in PAL land already, allowing the users to store more than 2 hours of uninterrupted HD on a BD disk that most newer BluRay players can play back. This (4.3) version will soon come out in the US, too.

We still have a list of things to do, and not all of the third party programs have been made compatible yet. But please keep in mind that for example, Windows Vista still is not fully compatible with many XP software products, and Vista was released in January 2007...

Every time we release a new generation we add great new features and possibilities, but we also need some time to sort out the childrens diseases. That was the case with the legendary Classic (that really was only working any good after we released V 2.5 or so) and the Kron/Avio products. The same thing happens now.

So please don't be too hard on us, we are only human. It is not easy for a small company like us to survive in these hard times, but we try very hard and we are no crooks.

Those who have and will visit us here in Vegas have/will see the new software working, and without a doubt we will soon be beyond the issues that some users express.

But I don't want to wriggle myself out of the responsibilty for these issues. I apologize on behalf of MacroSystem for any problem or inconvenience we may have caused, and I promise that we will do our best to deliver a solution as fast as at all possible.

Regards


Jörg Sprave

[videojim]

Gee, maybe by the time I have gotten well acquainted with this Renomee I got last year, I may see some good comments on the newer stuff. I'll probably be on Medicare D by then though, and I'm not 60 yet! Renny and I are doin just fine- so far!

[ChrisStone]

I'm hopeful that our S4000's will eventually do what they were advertised to do, but until then I agree with videojim, my two Renommee's are "gettin er done" as Larry the cable guy would say.