I've just upgrade my long overdued XpressDV 3.5.4 to Media Composer 3.5.4 in end August 2009 without prior knowledge of any potential new version releases and there I go, spending US$495 for MC3.5.4 only to realise that I have to bloody waste another US$495 to upgrade from MC3.5.4 to MC4.0!

This is totally a bloody deja-vu for me when I bought my XpressDV 3.0 and only to realise XpressDV 3.5 was released in just 3months later!

Damn pissed with Avid's support since and totally regretted my decision to break my vow not to buy or upgrade my old XpressDV software....should have just junked my dongle away and stick with FCP!

Since my last bad experience with XpressDV, Avid had lost about 5 workstations worth of business in supplying online editing suites to a post house I used to work in. 

I am not hoping that Avid will give me a discounted upgrade or that they will even try to appease a lone customer, but just to voice out my displeasure and disgust with Avid's support.

MC3.5.4 will be my very last Avid product that I'll ever own and recommend.

You're kidding, right?  Seems to me you have amortized your XDV purchase pretty well over the years, and the $495 upgrade to MC3.5.4 is pretty nominal in the big picture.  Second, who says you *have* to upgrade to 4.0 now?  You ran XDV for a long time, so what's the rush now? Stick with 3.5.4 for a while and get value out of a small $495 investment.   So instead of spending $495 now, you will junk it all and spend $1,000 for FCS or something?  Interesting approach.

Dixon:

Email Marianna Montague, Avid's Customer Advocate and System Administrator on this issue. I'm sure she will help you find a solution that you'll be satisfied with.

Maybe if you had approached Avid or Marianna in particular with your concern/ frustration in a polite and positive manor, without a Final cut signature boasting you have actively encouraged Avid clients to buy a another brand you would have been very pleasantly suprised at what happened.

Hope you edit timing is more successfull than your edit buying in the future.

I agree with Scott your logic makes no sense.

point 1)

Dixon:

Damn pissed with Avid's support

Why are you pissed?  You're upset that they release software updates that don't coincide with your own personal schedule?

point 2)

Dixon:

should have just junked my dongle away and stick with FCP!

You can opt to not have a dongle in version 3.5 and up.  Choosing to spend $1000 on a totally different NLE however does not make good financial sense.

Lastly, again why?

Dixon:

MC3.5.4 will be my very last Avid product that I'll ever own and recommend.

As Scott says, use the version you have upgraded to and when the time warrants it, upgrade it.  It certainly seems as though you have a habit of getting a nice return on the investment.

Damn, I just bought a 1Tb hard drive, just a week later Fry's has 1.5Tb drives... and sure enough, just as I get it installed, Seagate goes and makes 2Tb! When will these tech companies quit!!! Why can't they be more like car dealers and put out the new model every fall?

I am totally bummed too!

Dixon:

Damn pissed with Avid's support since and totally regretted my decision to break my vow not to buy or upgrade my old XpressDV software....should have just junked my dongle away and stick with FCP!