The end of Media Studio??

[neonbob]

And that program has far more professional market penetration than Sony Vegas.

Well, Sorry there Jerry... not interested in offending.... or getting into a pissing contest. Frankly, I have little interest in working out who's program is "more professional" Just thought I'd throw in a few helpful words.

[MrA]

Will this web board go away as well? I put a lot of money into MSP 8 and all the bells and whistles and I barely scratched the shrink wrap..

[sjj1805]

To the best of my knowledge there are NO plans to scrap this forum.
In fact the feedback I get from Ulead is that they are very grateful to the various members who help out on this forum trying to resolve users problems.

If - and it is a very unlikely IF then Ron (Vidoman) and myself have created a 'back up forum.'

I must stress that that forum was created for two reasons.

1. To keep back up copies of the various tutorials that I have spend months developing. Like ALL our forum members should do it is important to BACK UP important software and DATA.

2. Last year (2006) a hacker tried to break into the forum (why?)
This resulted in the forum being unavailable for about a month.

I suggest that members join the back up forum so that if this happens again we will have somewhere (hopefully only temporary) where we can cary on with business as usual. Remember though that it is only a back up forum and so users should post their problems etc. here on the Official forum.

[Jerry Jones]

Wow!

I had no idea you had done this.

Thanks.

Very good thinking, by the way.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[troppo]

I'll be buying Apple Final Cut Pro... on a Mac!

Jerry Jones

Likewise, I have just placed my order for Final Cut Studio 2 and a shiny new Macbook Pro with the high res 17" screen.
And the best part is I can run windows, in a err, window, right on the OSX desktop using parallels! This means MSP8 can live on giving me plenty of time to transition to a new workflow with new software.
One laptop to do it all... amazing.

MSP is dead, long live MSP!

[sjj1805]

Incidentally Corel have NOT removed DVD Workshop from their site.

Link to DVD Workshop 2 on the COREL website

Corel Online Store - link to DVD Workshop

[neonbob]

Incidentally Corel have NOT removed DVD Workshop from their site.

Well, kind of a moot point. There's no sense sinking money into a program that they plan on discontinuing.

In fact, the statement that was made by Corel and the fact that they have not removed these programs (or at least warned in writing on the site that they will be discontinued), MIGHT be construed as a bit dishonest.

[Georg]

Yes, they have not removed the side, but you can´t reach it directly over the side-menu (products - Video and DVD). For a short time it works

[fandj]

I do not see any other choice left to Corel than to publicly inform the customers that have trusted, supported and even promoted Ulead MSP8 that either:

-the press news are not correct/accurate and Corel's plans towards MSP 8 are...
-confirm the news and inform us about timings, transition, God knows what!

I really regret this, and in particular, to see an excellent product to die (may be because of poor marketing, as it is suggested).

I will continue to use MSP8 for as long as I can and until I have developed the skills to efficiently operate with another software. At the same time I will not invest neither more money nor time in developing/customising my own MSP 8.

I have nothing against Corel's strategy and decision, but would like to be treated respectfully.

A final word (s) to the Forum guardians.

-many thanks for the quality of the Forum and support provided;
-if you know something (especially Steve-sorry but this is what I read from your words) that we are not aware of, than once more I congratulate you for the loyalty to Ulead/Corel.However, please, let me remind you that this Forums's users also deserve your loyalty to them. It is a pity that Corel puts you in such an uncomfortable situation (if this is actually the case).

[Jerry Jones]

Yes, they have.

That's a "null" page -- no longer linked from the main menu of the Corel Web site.

Corel's "DVD Creation" Web page now only features four former Ulead products...

1. DVD MovieFactory 6,
2. DVD MovieFactory 6 Plus,
3. CD & DVD PictureShow 4 and
4. Disney Magic Artist Featuring Ulead DVD PictureShow.

Those have apparently survived.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

Incidentally Corel have NOT removed DVD Workshop from their site.

Link to DVD Workshop 2 on the COREL website

Corel Online Store - link to DVD Workshop

[Owen]

Well! It does look like MSP's 'swan song'. I was talking to the NZ agent yesterday who informed me I should consider a switch to another product as Ulead/Corel had almost conceeded defeat in the pro video editing market. I agree with the comments it failed because it was never really marketed properly. MSP is and was a great piece of software.

I thank and respect the input of so many people who I have learnt so much from. So many names on this forum seem like old mates. Thanks to you all. Terry, Charlie for a great book, Steve, Jerry, Troppo and heaps of other guys who have contributed willingly and freely to proping up a product that it's owners starved, neglected and left out in the cold to shrivel up and die.

So. It's now time for me as well to switch product. It's a great pitty MSP's owners lacked the faith and loyality that MSP's users had.

[Jerry Jones]

It was an interesting one year of experience that I had as a consultant for Ulead.

It was 2003 and I had just decided to leave a media relations position I held with the city of Boise.

So I sat down and wrote a letter offering my services to Ulead's former president.

A few days later, he responded to me with an e-mail and -- after a few more back and forth exchanges -- we agreed to draw up a contract.

I flew down to Los Angeles and met with the Ulead staff.

I could tell immediately that they just didn't have the expertise they really needed to market MediaStudio Pro *effectively* to professional users.

They were probably doing the best they could with limited resources, I suppose.

But I thought maybe -- just maybe -- the cutting-edge features of the product would be enough to carry it forward.

If you really think about it, Avid probably still has the most professional market penetration.

But Avid is fighting a different kind of battle.

The Avid interface is truly puzzling to a new user.

I know; I tried to master it when I was a TV reporter and I remember how challenging it was then.

It's the kind of interface that takes months and months to master, in my opinion, because there are so many "modes" and cryptic controls.

In time, it can be learned like anything else.

But you really have to work hard to understand it.

When I began with MediaStudio Pro back in the late 90s, I couldn't believe how much easier it was to learn.

And I thought "this software would appeal to TV reporters."

Yet, most TV reporters have never heard of MediaStudio Pro.

Later, I decided to survey the world of community access TV.

I attended a regional conference in Seattle and not one of those many public access producers meeting in Seattle had ever heard of Ulead MediaStudio Pro... not ever!

They *had* heard of Avid, Sony, Adobe and Apple.

(Most favored Apple.)

But they had never heard of MediaStudio Pro!

That really told me that the product had never been effectively marketed to any targeted television industry group.

It was a marketing failure.

It had essentially been marketed as a high-end consumer product designed to chase early versions of Adobe Premiere.

But when it failed to catch Premiere in the marketplace, the owners grew discouraged and -- when I met them -- I think they were already pondering the idea of selling the entire firm.

Then along came InterVideo and then Corel and the rest is history.

It's really too bad.

There was a window of opportunity in the late 90s when Ulead had a chance to get this product into the hands of more professional users, but I suppose Corel may be correct in giving up on it at this point in history.

Perhaps it's too late now.

But one thing I learned when I visited the Ulead offices was that the low-end $120 video editing programs are where the money is made.

I suppose that's one reason Avid bought Pinnacle.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

So. It's now time for me as well to switch product. It's a great pitty MSP's owners lacked the faith and loyality that MSP's users had.

[MrA]

Since I am a retired programmer, it would be cool, albeit not probable, of getting the file structure(s)..

Wouldn't it be cool to have a utility program that could read the cues from audio editor and generate video cues? Rather than manually doing it..

[Jerry Jones]

I just thought I'd write you and let you know I received your e-mail to my blog... thanks.

I agree with you.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

Since I am a retired programmer, it would be cool, albeit not probable, of getting the file structure(s)..

Wouldn't it be cool to have a utility program that could read the cues from audio editor and generate video cues? Rather than manually doing it..

[RickinSav'h]

I've seen with some other software that the engineers will push out one more update on software that is discontinued. I wonder if they'll push out an update with the things they were working on. Vista would be nice but is not necessary if other fixes / improvements are ready.

Sure hope Steve is right & the story has been miss reported. It's getting very difficult to hold on to that hope.