No probs, as soon as I find a way I will let you know, if it works I'm going for something fast and expensive.

In the meantime I'm getting the project I'm working on re-shot on green screen so I can get the most out of Spectramatte and I'll be damned if I can't get some BCC filterson each shot.

Ending on a serious note, I would hope that Avid will take a view on this in line with the 'new thinking' theme. I would hope they will take a sensible approach that will keep all of us happy, I would hate to be punished for giving them my hard earned cash too quickly.

Graham

 I would not blame Avid, I would blame myself. It has not been a secret that a new version of Media Composer was in the pipe line.

In one of threads about the the new thinking, there was both a short reference by blkdog from a cool demonstration of new features in the next release and a question if the upgrade price from AXP to MC also will include a new MC in summer and the answer was yes.

Some research would give You the hand that there is a new version release very soon.

But by the other side, It will not be difficult to earn the upgrade price during between march to july with MC.

And on the other hand, the hardware requierments will growth and You may add a €3000 computer to the price of MC 3.0.

 I'm not sure I would blame me, maybe I should, I don't know, but

I would be extremely dissatisfied with any company that fleeced customers who are eager to purchase there products. If anything normal practice would be to offer incentives to encourage customers to part with their money. I take the point (to a pont) about enjoying the extra facilities but only after a sizeable period of time and a number of upgrades, but when we are talking about a couple of months for me the argument breaks down.

I think we will have to agree to dissagree, my final comment on the matter - if Avid create an environment inwhich every buying decision is fraught with potential risk and uncertainty, they could end up with a cash flow problem, while all therir customers 'wait and see'. Surely Avid, ideally, would like evreyone of their customers to purchase every available upgrade as and when they become available?

Anyway, I'll say no more, I'm off to bed.

Graham

sasfog:

I would be extremely dissatisfied with any company that fleeced customers who are eager to purchase there products.

Kind of like what Apple did with the iPhone ($200 cheaper after a few months) - made a lot of people mad.

-Matt

Butcher:

 I disagree.  I have AXP and I plan on sitting on it until we hear more from Avid, just like I have for the last few months.  It's not even a recent version of AXP.  It's 5.2.4.

In the meantime, others have paid their upgrades and have been taking advantage of the new features.  Just last week I really could have used Spectramatte, and the BCC effects would have been nice too, but since I'm likely to get the green light for only 1 update this year, I'm waiting to see if I can go straight to 3.0.  In the meantime, I don't have all the extra functionality you do because I haven't paid for it. 

Hopefully there will be no upgrade fee or a reasonable one to go from 2.8 to 3.0, but just because you took the plunge early doesn't mean others should be locked out from it. 

 

Michael.

Absolutely agree!  Doing the same thing myself as I cannot afford to upgrade all the time like more affluent editors.  Waiting till v3.0 comes out then I'll spend the (gulp) $500 to upgrade from AXP to MC v3.  Besides, Avid's AXP offer was quite clear.  Anybody with Xpress Pro can upgrade to MC for $500.  What version of MC shouldn't matter.  But go ahead and laugh at my poverty.

Hi Editors:

                  I am going to scream sooooooooo verrrrrryyyyy L o u d if i get fleeced after just paying for an upgrade !!!!!!!! . I agree I got a great deal to upgrade to MC from AXP. I think this move was definitely new thinking, but charging us again a few months later would be bad thinking. (Unless, of course, this charge was low.) I am also concerned the hardware requirements would change and my HP nw 9440 workstation laptop would no longer be compatible with the next upgrade. If this was to be the case, then the actual cost of upgrading would become considerable for our small post production house.

Well, avid says MC v. 3.0 will probably available in june. But history has shown that the new gear/software avid shows at the NAB won't be available until september, when it will be buggy at best. It most likely will be available and usable somewhere around october/november. Considering this it isn't that soon after you all upgraded to MC 2.8.

 This is definitely my final  word on this.

If you accept that people who did not take up the upgrade offer feel it is unfair to be charged to upgrade to 2.8 and then again to 3.0 (the position I and Laptopeditor find ourselves in and probably many more) then surely you must also accept that it is unfair to charge those who already upgraded to 2.8 again when they upgrade to 3.0

There is any easy and fair to everyone approach to this that Avid can take that is so clear to see that it should not be necessary to state, but just incase ;-

Upgrade from 2.8 to 3.0 FREE upgrade

Upgrade from AXP to MC 3.0 $500 or whatever it was.

Surely the people at Avid (which is a profit making business after all) can see the dangers that lie ahead if they do anything that discourages its customers, small or otherwise, from purchasing products in the confidence that they are not going to bit penalised soon afterwards.

MC 2.8 is currently £1822.00. MC3.0 will be introduced in June with all its increased functionallity, I wait to see what the price will be to buy MC 3.0 software only at that time. If I get charged to upgrade I would expect the price to buy it new to be higher to.

The end, no more from me, time will tell.

I will happily pay for new features and expanded capability. That said when MC3 is released and there is not parity between Xpro upgraders to MC3 and MC 2.8.1 to MC3 then that will confirm my worst fear that New thinking is not quite new.

However I have enjoyed the ride with Avid so far. Since Xpress DV 3.0 to MC 2.8.1 with fair and reasonable upgrades along the way. I currently have no reason to doubt that Avid will create upgrade paths that are fair. (really don't want to be proved wrong though).

Now Hardware is a different issue. I am concerned that My near new 12 month old precision workstation is not in the list of supported hardware. I can't afford a new workstation!

Hoping that MC 3.0 software only will run well on systems that were on the last list of approved hardware??????? One can Hope.....

Our upgrades , updates and purchase of new equipment are all client driven. What is the overall feeling amoungst everyone at the moment ? Do you guys feel that all of a sudden clients will start requesting version 3.0 and will want the new hardware relativley soon ?

I say this as I have 20+ xw8000 adrenaline systems which due to spec aren't supported above version 2.7 which leaves me in a psoition of not being able to progress and I'm more than worried as the application progresses these will fast become out of date.

I could just be a paranoid old man though.

If history tells you anything we will all be paying for that upgrade.Just as those who upgrade from AXP say 5.2.4 to Mc 2.8 need to upgrade firstly to the currevnt version of AXP then pay $495.00 for MC 2.8...

 Just checked the specs for my workstation and I'm running MC 2.8 on a P4 single core processor, according to the read me it should be 'Dual 3.06 GHz Xeon® processor or higher'

It seems to be running fine but I guess maybe the difference would be noticeable if I had the approved processor?

According to the specs for MC3.0 I need an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33GHz just to run the software so my laptop will be fine to Mojo SDI but my work station may be getting a bit out of its depth.

I see the Dell Precision M6300 will support upto Mojo DX.

I agree until it becomes a problem with customers it is not a worry but I would like to be able to support 720p/25 on my work station.

Sorry about the change in font size, not sure what caused it but even less how to correct it.

Graham

The cost of upgrade from Avid Xpress DV to Avid Xpress Pro is $495 regardless version.

This is clearly a way for Avid to keep customers and get them moving to the next generation of sortware.

I understand it does not feel nice to first pay $495 (which is a nice feeling) to upgrade to MC 2.8 and then pay $xxx for upgrade to 3.0 very soon after. But this is life, think about they who bougth MC Adrenaline 15th december last year, or they who bougth Adobe CS2 a week before the annoncement of Adobe CS3.

But I will also be clear on one point, it has not been a secret that there will be a MC 3.0 quite soon. Noone outside Avid does have any clue when, but most of us would bet summer or early fall. It was Your decision to do the purchase, and I would also do it if my customers demands BCC (or fx which BCC would help me with), and I got BCC for less than BCC for AXP.

I hope You will not feel better if Avid raise the upgrade price for AXP to MC3 to say $999.

JVR:

If history tells you anything we will all be paying for that upgrade.Just as those who upgrade from AXP say 5.2.4 to Mc 2.8 need to upgrade firstly to the currevnt version of AXP then pay $495.00 for MC 2.8...

Wrong.  You don't have to upgrade to 5.8 first.  You can upgrade straight from 5.2.4 to MC 2.8 for $495 (US). 

You could upgrade an Xpress Pro dongle version 1 (or whatever version it started at) to MC 2.8 for $495 (US).  Same price to upgrade regardless of current AXP version.

Michael.

 Berga'

I agree with you there, I do feel for people who recently purchased Adrenaline HD, I saw yesterday it was still available in a store for about £12,000 compared to around £7,000 for the Nitris DX. I cannot believe they will sell any at that price and am looking to see what prices they come down to as an end of line sale, for me at the moment it may be a more financially viable option than Nitis DX or even Mojo DX as it may not involve the purchase of another CPU, I will have too wait and see.

Graham