DVD Movie Factory 5 Plus upgrade cost??

bquerry · Post by **bquerry** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 6:06 pm

Let's see here, I purchased an upgrade from Movie Factory 4 to Movie Factory 5 and it cost me $39.99 plus shipping (I must have the CD since I am NOT willing to go through the download serial number fiascos I have gone through in the past in my MF2-3-4 upgrades...). Now if I want to upgrade from Movie Factory 5 (which until recently was not worth the CD it came due to the 4gb file size limit and the VBR encoding limitation) to Movie Factory 5 Plus, I must pay $49.99 plus shipping.

Hmmm..... something is wrong with this picture. For me to get to MF5 Plus I have to spend a total of $89.98 (plus shipping twice) which is $9.98 MORE (plus the 1 extra shipping shipping) than a full version of MF5 Plus would have cost me ($79.99 plus shipping). Perhaps if MF5 would have been useful, maybe. But it wasn't - at least for me.

Anybody else have an opinion on this? I wonder if ULEAD thought this out? I know this is a user-to-user support forum, but I also know some of the ULEAD folks hang out and help. What do you guys think?

My registered ULEAD products that I invested hard earned $$$ for:
Movie Factory 2, 3, 3.5, 4 Disk Creator, 5 (I use 3 as it works best for me)
Movie Studio 6, 6.5, 7, 8 (I use 6.5 & occasionally 7)
Cool 3D 2, 3 Production Studio
Photo Impact 6,7,8,8XL,10,11 (I use 8XL or whatever it was called)
DVD Workshop 2 (I am migrating away as it is becoming somewhat dated)
Video Studio 6,7,8,9,10 (I use these to play with the new features that come quicker than Media Studio)

I keep my patches and service packs up to date (except for MF5 just relesed service pack), and I am just plain disappointed at how long it takes to get problems resolved with my large investment with ULEAD.

So what am I asking for? A fair upgrade price from MF5 to MF5 plus. And better, more timely bug fixes. PLEASE!

BTW- has anyone tried out to see if the 4gb limit has been fixed via the service pack and/or in MF5 Plus release?

Bill

MikePH · Post by **MikePH** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:32 pm

Your points are well made but I wouldn't hold out too much hope of getting any response from Ulead (either officially or unofficially). Much the same complaint has been made several times since DMF5 Plus was launched (without any attempt at defence from Ulead). I think they know they have been particularly greedy (or stupid) over this issue but I also think there is no one in the company big enough to change policy. If you look at their press release for DMF5 Plus, they talk about a an upgrade price from DMF3 or DMF4 but don't say anything about DMF5. That's either an oversight or pure embarassment that they don't really have a policy for loyal customers who upgrade straight after release of a new product. I wonder if Moderator htchien has a view on this?

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:25 am

The 4GB file size limit on NTFS is been fixed not only in the service pack (stated in the service pack page) but also in DVDMF 5 Plus.

Actually I have no views on the upgrade price issue from DVDMF 5 Standard to Plus because I'm not a sales person, but I will bring your thoughts to someone in Ulead.

If you do not need the extra components such as the followings:

# Ulead Burn.Now 4.0 - enhanced audio / data burning tool.
# InterVideo DVD Copy 4 Sliver
# InterVideo WinDVD Player Silver (it's a trial in DVDMF 5 standard)
# LabelFlash support in the Disc Lable tool.

then you can just install the service pack and do not need to upgrade because the service pack is same as DVDMF 5 Plus except those extra components.

It takes long to offer the service pack and DVDMF 5 Plus is because Ulead wishes to make sure the support for the new Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and the Blu-ray can be good and complete. Ulead needs Sony to say OK for the logo verification process of Blu-ray so users can get best experience on Blu-ray with DVDMF 5 Plus.

Hope this helps.

H.T.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 8:54 pm

snoops · Post by **snoops** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 11:14 pm

Hi,

If you do not need the Blu-ray burning

Hmmm, very interesting H.T. But I think you missed something.

Ulead is now offering the so-called BDDR "patch" as part of the MF5 Service Pack 1 collection. This is a full install of BD DiscRecorder version 2.5 that doesn't need the Plus version to install.

Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 now includes BD DiscRecorder module

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:58 am

Yes, you are correct. Thanks.

H.T.

mmponline · Post by **mmponline** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:23 am

What about the extra templates in Plus - As many complained, the templates in MF5 was poor and a few only.

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:30 am

Check http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 1766#81766 for menu templates in DVDMF 5 Plus.

H.T.

mmponline · Post by **mmponline** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 12:03 pm

Well, due to the numerous errors/ crashes of MF5, I uninstaled it. The original purchase had no link to additional content. I received a link after 5 days of struggling. This link is now dead, now that I'm trying to re download it again. Where do I get this content again. Surely as a member, I should be able to download it fron somewhere.

bquerry · Post by **bquerry** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 12:27 pm

htchien wrote:The 4GB file size limit on NTFS is been fixed not only in the service pack (stated in the service pack page) but also in DVDMF 5 Plus.

Actually I have no views on the upgrade price issue from DVDMF 5 Standard to Plus because I'm not a sales person, but I will bring your thoughts to someone in Ulead.

If you do not need the extra components such as the followings:

# Ulead Burn.Now 4.0 - enhanced audio / data burning tool.
# InterVideo DVD Copy 4 Sliver
# InterVideo WinDVD Player Silver (it's a trial in DVDMF 5 standard)
# LabelFlash support in the Disc Lable tool.

then you can just install the service pack and do not need to upgrade because the service pack is same as DVDMF 5 Plus except those extra components.

It takes long to offer the service pack and DVDMF 5 Plus is because Ulead wishes to make sure the support for the new Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and the Blu-ray can be good and complete. Ulead needs Sony to say OK for the logo verification process of Blu-ray so users can get best experience on Blu-ray with DVDMF 5 Plus.

Hope this helps.

H.T.

H.T. Thanks for the responses. A small suggestion from a 35 year veteran in the software development industry, "bug fix" releases and "new feature/feature enhancement" releases can be done as individual releases. "Bug fixes" fix things already promised, feature enhancements are nice-ities. Bug fixes can usually be resolved quickly as there are fixing things already decided on an approved, feature enhancements usually require more involvement and approvals. Quick bug fixes gives the impression that one cares about the current customer's problems, new stuff, unless it adds missing "promised" features, is just that, new stuff.

bquerry · Post by **bquerry** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 12:32 pm

maddrummer3301 wrote:
Now if I want to upgrade from Movie Factory 5 (which until recently was not worth the CD it came due to the 4gb file size limit and the VBR encoding limitation)
If your VBR recording is broken then try "REMOVING" the Advance=1 from dvdmf.ini file if you edited the config file and added that setting in the file. On my computer system(s) that setting breaks SD material / VBR re-encoding and Encoding forcing VBR to a bit-rate of 4200kbs.

Unless I misread your interpretation of the VBR being broken.
.

Yep, that's is what I was talking about. I used that feature in MF3/4 to adjust the final output when trying to squeeze a few extra minutes onto a DVD. It use to work fantastically. Now, not so (unless the service pack fixed it). I do sports events which often need just an extra 5-10 minutes. The VBR adjustment, let me do it previously. How can I do it now?

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:48 pm

bquerry · Post by **bquerry** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:48 pm

The reason I've always used the advanced screen in MF was to check or set the "Fielding Order" because MF doesn't let one select the fielding.

Simply drop the bit-rate in the normal encoder settings to a slighly lower value. (You must already know that).

Actually it is for both of these I needed to set Advanced=1. I found that anytime I wanted to tweak the VBR rate, unless I changed the Field order also, I ended up with "jittery" video. I never did understand why others did not also have the problem. But for me it was resolved by setting the field order to Upper Field First anytime I wanted to tweak the encoding VBR rate.

BTW - I capture all of my DV video via firewire in Lower Field First. Any other combination of capturing and adjusting VBR rate always gave me the "jitters". Oh, this is in MF3. I haven't done significant work in MF4 due to the length of time it took to get the "anomolies" ironed out. I probably need to give MF4 with patches a workout again fiddling with VBR & Field order. Just need to find the time again, or perhaps I should just skip it now that MF5 is fixed and put my efforts there... Do you still have fielding problems in MF5?

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:53 pm

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:05 am

mmponline wrote:Well, due to the numerous errors/ crashes of MF5, I uninstaled it. The original purchase had no link to additional content. I received a link after 5 days of struggling. This link is now dead, now that I'm trying to re download it again. Where do I get this content again. Surely as a member, I should be able to download it fron somewhere.

Yes, you can download it again if you still keep the receipt or the purchase confirm mail with you. Check the download section in the Ordering FAQ for the component redownload issue.

http://www.ulead.com/tech/faq/order_faq.htm

bquerry wrote:H.T. Thanks for the responses. A small suggestion from a 35 year veteran in the software development industry

Thanks for the suggestion.

maddrummer3301 wrote:I also have used the Advance=1 in MF3/4.
At least on my installations of MF5 the Advance=1 doesn't work and breaks the encoder.

It's not suggested to use the advance setting in DVDMF 5 now. I would suggest to leave the setting as 0 or remove it from DVDMF.ini.

Thanks and best regards,
H.T.

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