What didn't I get with the download version

Mike-Mat · Post by **Mike-Mat** » Fri May 12, 2006 5:06 pm

I'm wondering if I got screwed by getting the download version vs the Boxed version. I did download and install the content files, but I read about people installing disk 2. The stuff I downloaded wouldn't fill 1 disk. So what did the boxed version get on 2 disks?

Mike

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Fri May 12, 2006 6:21 pm

The "Bonus CD" contains additional music, sound and video clips, background, frame and object images, Cool3D SE, WinDVD7, and Pocket DV Show MCE, whatever that is.

Oh, and the nifty User's Guide.

Are you sure there wasn't another file to download, maybe called Extra Content? That's usually the case with the download version.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Fri May 12, 2006 6:34 pm

I am sure this will be of interest to everyone. As part of the Tutorial I am currently working on I am comparing the content of VideoStudio9 to VideoStudio 10+ to see what is worth importing into VS10 from VS9.

These charts also help to answer the query raised in this post.

Mike-Mat · Post by **Mike-Mat** » Fri May 12, 2006 8:35 pm

I dont understand why the new version would contain fewer of anything. It should have more. More menus, more audio samples, etc....

When I bought the download version I received the 3 links and I download (& installed ) all of them. I also paid the extra $9.99 for the CD. Thinking it would be an installable CD. NOT. It arrived today and it's just the same 3 files I downloaded.

kgs · Post by **kgs** » Sat May 13, 2006 7:17 pm

An interesting chart! I Flickr'ed it--I may even blog about it. At this rate, VS11+ won't have ANY menu choices, VS12 will have special invasive software that removes existing menus, and VS13 will find your home DVD collection and remove menus right from the DVDs on your bookshelves.

I too have the same question. I do not understand why Ulead would REMOVE features from the newest version of its product. I've been fence-sitting about this purchase because I keep getting different messages depending on who's talking.

People upgrading from earlier versions are in good shape because they get all the enhancements of 10+ and they can just import older menus. So when they compare 9 with the latest version, it's all gain and no pain.

People buying VS for the first time are asking about the menus. I've seen several comments and I've made several as well. I asked why there were almost no menus in the free trial, and was told the full version had more menus. But others quickly pointed out that 10+ is missing a lot of the content previously included. This chart makes it clear just how much is missing--though not why.

I think Ulead should pay attention to its potential user base and provide a free download for the missing content (and there's no other way to describe it). If I'm not mistaken, these menus are in a proprietary Ulead format, so there's no risk to them.

My concern is that in a month or two new users will be "invited" to purchase the content removed from this version at a very special price. The folks who have been using VS from version 9 or earlier won't care, because they already HAVE the content. It would be bad business practice, but I can't think of any other reason Ulead would leave out useful content unless it plans to (try to) monetize it later.

I received a message from Ulead several days ago asking me what I thought of the product and inviting me to share my ideas. I said the product is nice but limited in one significant area: the menus. I haven't heard back. I'm starting to think Ulead can get by on its existing user base and isn't that interested in new customers. Its business strategy around VS10+ would certainly suggest that.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sat May 13, 2006 9:37 pm

In a sense, I hate to admit it, but I suspect you are right, at least about Ulead forgetting that there are a lot of potential new users of their product out there, and they will be buying a wonderful product (IMHO), but with some significant omissions in basic, but very important areas, such as menus. I have to admit that I too suffer from this oversight from time to time. I've been on this Board now for around 4 years, and am conscious that I was once a video newbie and VS7 was the very first editing program I actually bought. Since then, we are reminded by regular posts by other newbies, that there are poeple out there coming to one version of VS or another for the first time. But that does not prevent me slipping into a mindset whereby I unconsciously start thinking about previous versions and assuming that most of our posters here will have at least one of the previous versions of the program.

While I don't agree that Ulead intend later to make a profit on selling what they have left out of VS10 (at least I hope they don't intend to do this), I do agree that these things -- and certainly not basic elements like menus -- should not have been left out in the first place.

kgs · Post by **kgs** » Sat May 13, 2006 10:20 pm

Ken Berry wrote:In a sense, I hate to admit it, but I suspect you are right, at least about Ulead forgetting that there are a lot of potential new users of their product out there, and they will be buying a wonderful product (IMHO), but with some significant omissions in basic, but very important areas, such as menus. I have to admit that I too suffer from this oversight from time to time. ... But that does not prevent me slipping into a mindset whereby I unconsciously start thinking about previous versions and assuming that most of our posters here will have at least one of the previous versions of the program.

Thanks--I appreciate your awareness here.

You know, I don't think Ulead is a bad company either, and my pugilistic comments aside, I bet this wasn't intentional. (Though it was still a mistake.) In fact, after running through the demos for the major competing products, VS10+ really stands out. This business with the menus is the ONLY aggravation I have with VS10+, and in addition to its otherwise nice balance of usability and functionality, I'm impressed with the user community. I have been using a camcorder for all of six weeks, and with VS10+ I've been able to quickly produce very nice-looking DVDs.

For the price, it's a really great product (except in that one area). And this is an easy problem for Ulead to fix, even post-production--but it won't hurt for them to hear it from a few of us, including you expert users.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat May 13, 2006 10:39 pm

Perhaps there is a size issue here - I am only guessing this as a possible reason because I have a downloaded version of VS10 and no back up disc(s)

When I purchased version 9 I also obtained the back up CD's which were a set of two. Whilst we have been concentrating here on what has not been carried over into version 10 we are overlooking the fact that there is a lot of new content in version 10.

This new content includes the smart menus and menu transitions.
Now if all this content has to fit onto 2 cd's (Again - I do not have the back up CD or CD's so this is an educated guess) have certain items been dropped to make room?

Before any one shouts out "Smart Download" that would then anger users who bought the CD's who would say "But I shouldnt have to use smart download - I bought the discs"

Looking again at the album Transitions. There were several complaints that Album transitions failed to perform as expected. Now could the reduction in the number of those album transitions be a technical matter. the one's that were dropped had faults that could not be rectified?

Again this is speculation but worthy of consideration.

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat May 13, 2006 10:47 pm

I think that's very possible Steve. I haven't received my full boxed version yet, but when I do ( probably after VS13 ) I'll check it against the last beta release. I don't recall if they had the album transistions included at that time. However since there were problems with them, I understand dropping them.

Ron P.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:00 pm

Another reason for fewer menu templates may be because they are now customizable, a feature that wasn't available in previous versions. In reality, you have many more choices than in the past - if you use your imagination and creativity, which in my opinion, is what video editing is all about.

Mike-Mat · Post by **Mike-Mat** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:48 pm

The customization is VERY limited. You can change the background. You can Hide the graphics thats there already. BUT, if your menu has more than one page, you have to do it all again the the subsequent pages.

If you customize, hid the stuff you dont want and save it. The saved version turns on all the hidden graphics. If I want to use that menu again, I have to re-hide it. Kind of a pain in the @$$ if you ask me.

You can only have 3 lines of text on the menus. This canNOT be modified. The customization is VERY limited.

I would want either More menus to choose from (more variety).... or ..... Better customization tools. Move text, add text, change graphics and save the exact format that you changed it into.

Mike

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:57 pm

It's still more than you had in previous versions!

What do you want for less than $100

Mike-Mat · Post by **Mike-Mat** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:19 pm

I want at least as many menus as there were in V9. and maybe a few more. They alread exist. There is no additional cost to include those menus. If it's so easy to make menus, why dont they throw in a "bunch" of them.

Mike

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:25 pm

As Steve and others have theorized, maybe it's a size issue. VS10 is much bigger and better (IMHO), but maybe some things had to be sacrificed for the sake of space.

Remember, this is a consumer grade editing app, geared mainly towards beginners.

If you want Cadillac ammenities, don't buy a GEO.

kgs · Post by **kgs** » Mon May 15, 2006 3:42 pm

Black Lab wrote: Remember, this is a consumer grade editing app, geared mainly towards beginners.

Right, which makes the omission of easy-to-use content found in earlier versions all the more mysterious. Everything Mike says applies. The steepest curve in this application is figuring out how limited the menus are, then that you can't save a menu as a template but have to slowly rebuild it each time, plus all the laborious effort to hide content. As far as I can tell, you can't even set program-wide preferences for menus, such as no background music or motion menus.

Black Lab wrote: If you want Cadillac ammenities, don't buy a GEO.

I already have several limited products at my disposal, such as Nero OEM, the stuff that came with my camcorder, etc. Those are the "Geo" products.

From the Ulead's point of view, it should want to sell VS10+ as broadly as possible within its targeted consumer community. If that's the case, VS10+ is more like a Honda Civic for most of the program--good features, reliable, even fun and attractive--and then like a used Yugo for the menus. What makes that even odder is as people keep pointing out, the content was in earlier versions. How to import content from earlier versions seems to be a popular topic on this board, and I don't hear anyone saying, "VS9 came with way too much content." So if this content is important to the folks who have been using VS10+ for a while, then it ought to be even MORE important for newbies.

I can easily see a scenario where, having committed to producing the product on two CDs, Ulead suddenly found itself with more content than it could deliver, and had to trim somewhere. But unless I'm missing something, there's nothing to be lost and plenty to be gained by offering the older menu content online (and other content) as a "bonus download."

In future versions, improving the menu function so it is at least as good as the Geos on the market would be a good goal.