Yikes. Just saw this in the 8.0 Read Me:

Both PhraseFind and ScriptSync are dependent on underlying technology from a partner company that provides phonetic indexing and searching. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer these options for sale. If you own ScriptSync and/or PhraseFind, your license will continue to work with your current version of Media Composer (v5.5 - 7.0.x). Upgrading to Media Composer | Software v8 will cause ScriptSync and PhraseFind to no longer function.

This is seriously a deal breaker. Both of these tools are invaluable to my editing. Can someone please confirm that a solution to get these working in v8.x is forthcoming? I simply cannot upgrade without them.

wkumingo:

Can someone please confirm that a solution to get these working in v8.x is forthcoming?

Here's what Dave Colantuoni from Avid wrote on the L2:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Avid-L2/conversations/topics/118058

Couple of things…

• I am deeply involved in the negotiations, negotiations have been on-going for a long time with a lot of effort put in place to resolve, it’s never as easy as it seems, however.
• Avid and our partner (and all partners) have to look out for their own business interests, but both realize the importance of ScriptSync and PhraseFind to our industry.
• We released V8 to roll out new business models (Subscription, Floating, new support options).
• This business models for subscription allow us to roll out regular updates.
• Hopefully I can report good news sooner than later
• In the future the MediaCentral platform will allow partners like Nexidia to use their technology new and innovative ways.  That’s in the future but not that far off.

Dave

Is it just me or do others think Avid are just incompetent when it comes to dealing with and offering 3rd party products? Surely if you are going to do a deal with Nexidia or whomever you make sure you have all possible licensing options tied up in a contract? So far we've seen Phrasefind and Scriptsync go from being included products to add on extras and now not included at all. Or possibly in the future..

Epic fail. No wonder people are p*ssed off. I'm lucky - I don't depend on this but I can understand the frustration out there.

Don't you think that these changes may have been initiated by the 3rd party? As Avid dropped their price for MC there was less in the kitty to pay to Boris and others. No doubt these 3rd party vendors were also trying to increase revenue. Something had to give. When I got into MC the price was $2500. That came with Avid FX, BCC, Squeeze, Avid DVD and Sonic Fire Pro. Today I'll pay $1299 for MC plus a rediculous amount for these extras - it will cost me much more than $2500. This has been a sneaky way to push prices up while looking as though Avid was becoming more competitive. Just saying. 

Look at FCPX. Most things you want from it come from 3rd party add ons and some cost more than the product!

It's a dive to the bottom on price with folks wanting to pay little or nothing and have everything.

People got into a habit of holding off upgrades until they had to make the move. But those upgrade purchases helped fund the development. Chicken and egg and all that.

So we now have subscription like Adobe and a low cost product. You just aren't going to get thrown in 3rd party apps that deliver a quality service.

Enough of us voted by our actions (or inactions) to get where we are today so we now have to see where this leads and if we want to be on board then contribute to it's development.

camoscato:

Here's what Dave Colantuoni from Avid wrote on the L2:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Avid-L2/conversations/topics/118058

Thanks for the L2 link. I'm hoping Avid settles the licensing issues before the next 8.x release in June. PF and SS don't need to be free, just available.

Pat Horridge:

Look at FCPX. Most things you want from it come from 3rd party add ons and some cost more than the product!

It's a dive to the bottom on price with folks wanting to pay little or nothing and have everything.

People got into a habit of holding off upgrades until they had to make the move. But those upgrade purchases helped fund the development. Chicken and egg and all that.

So we now have subscription like Adobe and a low cost product. You just aren't going to get thrown in 3rd party apps that deliver a quality service.

Enough of us voted by our actions (or inactions) to get where we are today so we now have to see where this leads and if we want to be on board then contribute to it's development.

Pat - I don't disagree on the whole pricing issue (I like having the choice whether to pay for something or not) - I'm just saying that Avid should have enough experience dealing with third party suppliers that when they enter a contract to supply a product (which after all is an advantage to the 3rd party) they should make sure they have loose ends like this tied up. It shouldn't be a mad rush to negotiate based on a new licensing model.

It's plain and simple bad management by a corporate as large as Avid.

Pat Horridge:

Look at FCPX. Most things you want from it come from 3rd party add ons and some cost more than the product!

 

It's A SHAME what is going here look at boris fx upgrade WHY, WHICH IS THE REASON NOW to mantain an higher price upgrade for avid user !!!!!! I would upgrade to 9 if BCC 9 upgrade for AVID WAS AT SAME PRICE THAN FCPX or ADOBE.

So you are wrong!!!

At the end we avid user what have

1- more bad support from avid

2- pay much to have the same plug-ins

I really hope you'll find a way to implement phrase find again. My clients love this tool because it makes editing so much easier and saves hours. Whether it is part of media composer or comes as highly implemented 3rd party plugin doesn't matter to me. 'just need it, no matter how. 

ugo1:

Pat Horridge:

Look at FCPX. Most things you want from it come from 3rd party add ons and some cost more than the product!

 

 

It's A SHAME what is going here look at boris fx upgrade WHY, WHICH IS THE REASON NOW to mantain an higher price upgrade for avid user !!!!!! I would upgrade to 9 if BCC 9 upgrade for AVID WAS AT SAME PRICE THAN FCPX or ADOBE.

So you are wrong!!!

 

At the end we avid user what have

1- more bad support from avid

2- pay much to have the same plug-ins

 

My comment you quoted was correct. It didn't say 3rd Party addons for Avid where cheaper than other products.

So I'm not wrong.

Your point that some 3rd party addins are cheaper with other NLE products is true but I can't see that's in Avids hands. Boris and Adobe decide what they charge and I'm sure they have their reasons for making the MC one smore expensive sometimes.

Pat Horridge:

but I can't see that's in Avids hands. Boris and Adobe decide what they charge

For starters, Avid has chosen to stick to their own AVX2 plugin format. If they went OFX, Boris would not have to develop a separate product version for just this one platform. Just see the price difference between the AVX and OFX versions. Also, a lot more OFX plugins available anyway, so more choice for customers.

ScriptSync and PhraseFind are biggies, and they are not just third party. They are Avid features that rely on Nexidia's engine. One would expect Avid and Nexidia to not screw their customers by killing these features over licensing issues between the two of them. Changing business models and licensing schemes could and should have been foreseen by both companies. I consider myself a customer of a product that they share responsibility for. Finger pointing won't help any of us.

All true Job. No idea why Avid has made the call on AVX over OFX and we can't speculate here...

But yes I can't imagine Avid don't know the negative impact of the loss of the Phrase find to some clients.

I've just rolled back to MC7 after realizing that MC8 didn't include PhraseFind. I'm working on a HUGE documentry project for the next 18 or so months. That one feature is a LIFESAVER for a documentry edit. There is no way I can leave it behind and be efficent in my work.

Probably spitting into the wind here, but if Avid is indeed paying attention to these boards, I'll add my voice to the outcry. I simply can't do my job without ScriptSync, and I will subsequently avoid upgrading at all costs.

Till now I've just rolled with it as ScriptSync migrated from built-in feature to somewhat costly plug-in, but to remove it altogether defies logic. At least to many of us endusers.

I'll also add my voice to what likely is a small chorus saying that I'm willing to pay even more for ScriptSync. A premium price if need be. I won't be happy, but I'll do it, absolutely. Just figure it out, Avid & Nexidia, and work out your licensing disagreements, please.

just adding another voice to this one

we have anywhere from 5 - 10 assistants/story editors using scriptsync at any given moment, and the idea of going without it is terrifying. It's a mission critical tool for the work we do, and it's an option.