Overlays in Version 11 are not as advertised

[pinkhouse]

I upgraded from 10 Plus to Version 11 in the expectation that I'd have more overlay tracks than a mere one. This Corel address http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/ ... 5714228666 (by which I was guided in my purchase) unambiguously says "Multiple overlay tracks: Create sophisticated picture-in-picture and montage effects."

Can someone (perhaps at Corel) please let me know how I can avail myself of this aspect of the product.

Thanks in advance of a reply to this mildly "sensitive" question.

[pinkhouse]

I do aploogise - it's in Version 11, of course, that Overlays are not as advertised.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

For VS 10 and I assume VS 11 is similar.
Only one Overlay Track is shown by default.

The Overlay Track Manager allows you to access the additional tracks
5 extra for VS 10
The icon is positioned above the timeline (second from right) (Two film spools with a tick)
You must be in timeline view to activate.

Good luck
ps i do not have VS 11

[Black Lab]

And, the multiple overlay tracks are only available in the Plus versions.

[sj1805]

Please view:
Video Studio 11+ Preview

Note the +

[pinkhouse]

Thanks for the replies. I note especially the reference by sj1805 to Version 11+. But the page http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/ ... 5714228666 which led me to buy the upgrade was one about Version 11 (not 11+), where it says that the product provides "Multiple overlay tracks", and even excitingly shows a picture of the overlay tracks layout. Further, in the manual (for version 11, not 11+), it explicitly says on page 32 "allows you to create multiple overlay tracks", and it shows a toolbar with the button available.

I assume, then, that this issue is not simply me amateurishly reading things wrongly, but the product (version 11) not being what the Internet page and the manual say it is.

So thanks again. I shall need to find a way to communicate with Corel in order to seek to get either a full refund of my money, or a free upgrade to Version 11+, it seems. Any advice on how to achieve that smoothly and simply would be extremely welcomed.

[Ron P.]

Good luck with that, because they do provide a comparison chart, that clearly shows VS11 not having multiple overlay tracks. http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/ ... 5714229199. This link was just 2 below the one you provided.

I do see that under the VS11, they do mention multiple overlay tracks. I guess Corel's web team needs to be a bit more accurate.

You can email Customer Support using the form:

http://support.corel.com/scripts/rightn ... td_alp.php

[pinkhouse]

Thanks vidoman for the posting. I am grateful of the contact email, and shall see what Corel have to say.

Because, though, there is incontravertible, unambiguous Internationally available advertising available from the FIRST link that people see, and there also is product-manual reference to the feature, I feel that Corel need to be more than a little careful - it does, after all, actually boil down to an explicit (if not delibverate) falsification of the truth about the product.

Perhaps they truly owe a lot of people more than an apology - they owe them a refund or free upgrade.

[Ron P.]

No I don't think that they owe free upgrades. Just picking a single point is not the basis of, my mistake is your fault.

This is the web page that you are taken to, from the Which Version is Right for Me button.

It clearly and distinctly shows that VS11 Plus is needed for the 7 overlay tracks.

[Black Lab]

Pinkhouse, you are right. From the link you supplied it leads you to believe that VideoStudio 11 has multiple overlay tracks. No mention what-so-ever about a Plus version. I would call them on it.

As you can see from the Ulead website, they most undoubtedly differentiate between v11 and v11+.

There is no doubt that the manual was written for the Plus version, and I believe they also included that manual with the regular version to save the money of printing another manual. Although it would seem easy enough to designate certain sections with the Plus symbol, as they have done on the Features section of the website.

I certainly think you have a case and should be entitled to upgrade to 11+.

[pinkhouse]

Oh dear, I had not intended to get into this, but I am afraid that my issue with Corel seems after all to be about things other than techy stuff. It is about false representation. Whether Corel made their representations to the public of the world in error is THEIR problem - the fact that they misguided me is THE PURCHASING PUBLIC'S problem.
vidoman helpfully mentions the existence of a comparison chart, and (in the thread started by zuza, "should I upgrade to VideoStudio11") says "because one chooses not to investigate further should not be the fault of the retailer or manufacturer." May I draw a comparison between what Corel is doing, and a hypothetical cooker-shop.
I go online, and find that a cooker manufacturer's site draws my attention to one of their cookers. The first link that is available takes me to a full-description page where they show a picture of its four hobs, and a little below that they mention that I can cook on four hobs at once - heaven. Those elements of information, along with all the rest, tell me all I need to know, and so I buy. I need no more information, since the descrption page fully answered my questions. That page does not tell me I should be looking at other models of the cooker - this is the one that it's all about, and it looks great.
I have a need, and am fully intellectually aware of what it is, and THIS IS THE PRODUCT TO MEET YOUR NEED, the information there presented tells me. It does not say "before you believe what we tell you on this page, you should know that this page may contain erroneous, misleading or even incorrect information, so we suggest that you look at other pages of ours, available to you via links which you may not have noticed, or even may have decided not to look at because it seemed we'd told you everything with such clarity".
The cooker arrives, and being a thorough kind of chappie, I read the manual before unpacking or using it. There, on page 32, is a written confirmation that I have four hobs. This is the heaven I thought I was buying!!
I unwrap the cooker. It has three hobs.
Surely, the fact that I end up owning a three hob cooker when I bought a four hob one cannot be my fault, can it? The webpage did, I am told in a cooker-forum, have another link below the one that drove me to the full description, in which my cooker was indeed compared to another of their range. There, I could have seen that there were indeed only three hobs on my cooker, and not the four that their other (first available, first invitational) webpage and their manual for MY cooker model said were there.
(Even though someone subsequently suggest to me that the manual is not in full truth the manual for the cooker that I thought I had bought, even though it says so on the front page, but is for the other cooker. It may be my fault, of course, that I have got this manual which shows a picture of the four hobs at work on its page 8, and not at all the cooker company's, who were only trying to save themselves a few quid on printing. Perhaps I should not get huffy about it - fair's fair, after all - I'm just an un-thorough customer.)
My goodness - am I becoming a mere ranter, who's quite wrong - or am I a frustrated buyer who's quite right? And am I the ONLY person thus frustrated, or may there be thousands more? Should I just shut up - or should I buy a copy of Version 11Plus as well as my Version 11 - or should I try to get an equitable response from Corel?
Not really support-forum stuff, I suppose. Perhaps I should speak to the Trading Standards Agency or whatever. Thanks, though, for all the comments. I'll try Corel first.

[Black Lab]

From the link you supplied I can totally see where you would read the features of VS11, including multiple overlays, and say "that's exactly what I am looking for" and press the Buy Now button at the top of that page.

I think you should be given the option to upgrade to v11+ for the difference in price that you paid for v11.

[Hugo]

I was in retail management for over 30 years - when it was a proper job, 3-pce suit and tie, not 17 year old kids being left in charge.

Anyhoooow, the old axim rang true - the customer is always right. If there's a misconception, an ambiguity or any confusion, the decision should fall on the side of the customer.

As you say, if, as an intelligent person, you read the advertising and you are led to believe that black is black and white is white, the horse you order should be one or the other - certainly not a zebra with one leg missing.

Good luck

Paul

[Ron P.]

Hugo first, I delete your duplicate post. (Don't know what's getting into this forum lately).

Pinkhouse.

Good argument, and I want you to understand I do not work for, or have any affiliation with Corel, Intervideo or Ulead. Just a consumer like you. Believe me, Corel and Ulead's business practices have irritated me on occasions. Most of the time, they (Ulead) do take care of their customers. I'm not that familiar with Corel though.

Please be very prepared when you address Corel with this. My "devils advocate" approach is probably minor compared to what they may throw at you. But like I stated, that web page that you pointed to, does give the impression that VS11 has multiple overlay tracks, when in reality it does not.

So good luck, I do hope that you get satisfaction from them.

[sjj1805]

I have checked the Corel Site which differs in appearance to the Ulead Site. I tend to agree that the page gives the impression that the standard version contains multiple tracks.

I have forwarded an email to Corel pointing out the fact that it is misleading so that hopefully they can correct it.