Laptop Casablanca

[JBrooks]

Does anyone know if MS has any plans to bring out a laptop like the S-5000 for the U.S.?

I wish they would. I know about the new remote access that we will have through media manager to control the interface of our home base units that was intoduced at the MGT 2009, it's just that it would be nice with my frequent travel to have a more portable Casablanca.


Joel Brooks
MIT Video Productions

[Franklinbencosme]

Hey !! this will be a great news if MS come with
this product to the NTSC world .
I am thinking about this, since all my competidors offers the
SAME DAY EDIT using MAC BOOK PRO with FCP.

This is COMING SOON to NTSC

BEST....Franklin

[BobC]

I got the impression at the MGT 2009 that this wasn't likely, but I could be wrong.

[TimKennelly]

That was my impression as well Bob.

[Martyn]

Developing a laptop as a Casablanca editor is not as simple as you would expect. Laptop keyboards vary from country to country as do the Windows o/s installed on them (including Microsoft licensing). This means that distributors had to source the laptop locally to a specific set of specifictions, including being provided with all set up disks, and then have it checked by MS in Germany for compatibility. We also had to ensure continued availability for at least 6 months. Add all these together and you have a virtually impossible task...which I discovered after many many phone calls and emails. I didn't find one supplier who could meet all the requirements. Add to that the problems encountered with using a third party product and a limited demand and you have the answer. The only way it would work would be for MS to develop a complete Windows compatible program instead of a version which runs side by side on a dual boot reformated drive....but that would be totally against the Casablanca philosophy and would run the risk of being hacked into and/or infected.

Martyn
Dalco uk

[RonaldPawlak]

My son is a director/editor and he bought a analog to digital converter for his computer. With it, came software for the Pinnacle Studio Version 12, worth $120.00, you can send in for it, FREE. He has been using it and says it does just as good a job editing as I can with my S4KPro. Doesn't have media manager program, but still works to his satisfaction as an editor.

I have a seperate computer that I use only on my editing equipment (not hooked up to the internet) I'm think of buying one of those converters and getting that FREE Pinnacle program. Another guy in town uses the same program, he loves it. He uses his Casablanca Solitaire only on occasions.

Till they get the software I bought, that was promised to us over a year ago,(I know MS has to do business their way to keep competitive) I have to do something to keep my business going. I made a heck of an investment in a lot of equipment and I need the business to recoup some of my losses. Thank goodness I don't have to depend on this to make a living, it's a part time job to supplement my income when I retire from professional sports camera operator this season.

[Jeanton]

Hi All

I am not after a Laptop editor but I don't think the remote use of our editor is for real - it is probably one of those things on the wish list but impossible to achieve. What annoys me the most is the speed Macrosystems is developing their programs for the Pro and the fixing of all the bugs. Mine is working fine now but had many problems in the past. For a company that says they produce professional editors they must know that most costumers try to make some kind of living off them and when the editor doesn't work properly we don't make any money and we get frustrated and so do our clients. This is not good for the companies future as customers start looking or have already switched to other systems and it would be harder to get them back after they are gone. I have been wondering how many new clients Macrosystems gets every year as attracting new customers and keeping the existing happy is the key to success. You can't afford in this time with all the PC based editing systems to sit back and relax and not try to get new customers to keep the company afloat.

I have been using the Casablanca systems since 1997 and have been very loyal and proud to use the system but when I moved to Australia and wanted to purchase this system over here it was very hard to find on the net or anywhere else. This is what I mean - new customers would never know that the system exists and move very quick to a PC based system.

This is just what I wanted to say.

[TimKennelly]

Jeanton,

It is good to hear the unit is working better in PAL land as that means the fixes should be just around the corner finally here in NTSC land.

I agree I think MS has done itself great damage in how long they have taken to address all the bugs in the third generation machines.

Those that have given up and moved on will never be back.

Regarding the remote use function, Jörg accessed his unit back in Germany using his Iphone's internet capability from the Iowa banquet room at MGT as I stood beside him so I know they have it basically functional and so believe it will be functional.

Now exactly how functional and practical will be the real question.

Right now I would be lightly ecstatic if the unit just worked as a stable, conventional editor, let alone any new nifty features.