quartz release info

i think i heard something a little while ago about a newsletter that went out about a public beta or something.. i didn't get anything about it. seeing as the 'end of june' is only a couple days away, is that still a realistic date?

[Adrian]

I think that they stated end of Q2, but I am not convinced that their revenue cycle for Q2 is the same as the calendar year (ie End of Q2 could be anytime).

Any which way, I would assume that revenue is not their highest priority as before these slipping dates I was recommending SnapStream to people, but now I am not !

Simple really:
Reliability = trust = revenue !

[srigby]

End of Q2 is end of June - they even clarified this in their original statement.

The newsletter mentioned Late June / Early July

What's really disappointing though, is that this date is just for the public beta release

[mitch Green]

One of the many things people forget is that there is no god-given right that says that they have to put out any beta's at all for people over the net. This is a privillage not a right and while it angers me that we are now at the end of June and still have not heard anything we still have to remember that they could just give the product to others of there hand-picked choice to test. This would be bad practice but has happened in some companies. I know that we all want to play with the newest latest and greatest but remember that when they were beta testing they did respond and listen. So I ask you to be patient and wait. Who knows you might realize that good things come to those who wait. ... i hope ...

heh well, i'm solidly in snapstream's camp right now, so i don't need to be convinced that what I'm currently using is good...no point in beating a dead horse at this point. can someone post the newsletter here that mentions the beta thing so I and others can read it? Thanks.

[srigby]

mitch green:

That's what is great about competition.

Sure, they don't have to care one bit about their customers - they can take it as slow as they like.....and before too long, they won't have more users let alone customers to bother them.

I've been so impressed by the way ShowShifter has improved over the last 6 months while SnapStream was just spinning it's wheels.

I'm trying to send them a wake-up call (because I'm a long time SnapStream evangelist) but if they choose to ignore it, that's their problem. I will have already moved on...

[srigby]

Here you go, Festivalman:

SNAPSTREAM ANNOUNCE NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2002

--------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
--------------------------
* QUARTZ AND SNAPSTREAM.NET
* PRESS
* TV FAN SITES
* CONTACT US
--------------------------
QUARTZ AND SNAPSTREAM.NET
--------------------------
The next version of SnapStream, code-named Quartz, and SnapStream.NET are
in active development right now. Thanks to everyone who expressed an
interest in the Quartz/SnapStream.NET beta test. These programs will be
opening up in the next two weeks (late June or early July) as we release
the public beta. If you expressed an interest in the beta program, look
for email from us in the next few weeks.

Once again, Quartz will include:
* live TV viewing capabilities
* full integration with SnapStream.NET
* ...all the other features in SnapStream PVS

And SnapStream.NET will include:
* US TV listings
* Intelligent recordings (record once, record always, etc)
* Powerful TV shows search engine

--------------------------
PRESS
--------------------------

Philadelphia's NBC10, Dr. Ken Hartman, Tech Tip Tuesday (June 4, 2002
http://www.nbc10.com/

"I love this!" --Dr. Ken Hartman

1. To see the segment on the Web, go to the NBC10 website
(http://www.nbc10.com)
2. Click on the FeedRoom (the link is titled "More from the NBC Feedroom"
3. Click on TECH TIP TUESDAY (in the left hand side toolbar)
4. Click on GADGETS FOR GRADS.

--------------------------
Nels Johnson, DV Magazine (May 21, 2002), "Web-based PVRs"
http://www.snapstream.com/news/dv-june-2002.htm

"With SnapStream, you get the basic set-top PVR experience on your PC and
avoid the previously mentioned media-wrangling chores when you're viewing
broadcast and cable TV shows...."

--------------------------
TV ENTHUSIAST SITES
--------------------------
There is a small but growing faction of websites where you can read
opinions, reviews, pans, praises and gossip about all of your favorite TV
shows. We've picked out a few of them below. Let us know what you like
the best by e-mailing us at info@snapstream.com.

http://www.allyourtv.com/
Review and news from all your favorite TV shows. Also includes reviews of
soap operas.

http://www.mybestbets.tv/
Fill out a survey and then get daily personalized TV recommendations

http://www.teevee.org/
Started out as friends e-mailing each other about TV shows... Opinionated
commentary on various things relating to television.

http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/
"Do you like anything?" reads one of the questions in their FAQ. Edgy
reviews take shows to task. One of the few sites with active discussion
boards too where you can discuss your favorite TV shows with other fans.

http://www.popmatters.com/
"the magazine of global culture" delivers good reviews for new and old TV
shows. They also review music and film.

http://www.tvtome.com/
An encyclopedia of TV shows and episdoes, TV Tome has over 900 complete
guides covering your current favorite TV shows and even some of the
classics.

--------------------------
CONTACT US
--------------------------
As usual, you can e-mail SnapStream at info@snapstream.com or you post
your questions/comments to the SnapStream Discussion Boards:

http://discuss.snapstream.com/

[Dan Martin]

I don't feel a beta is a God-given right either. But Snapstream posted on their website that the full version of Quartz was going to be out months ago. I think user who purchased Snapstream while this was posted (such as myself) on the website have a right to be mad. We shouldn't need to be "priveledged" with a beta months later.

[srigby]

Just so that you're clear on my original point:

I'm not looking for any favours by getting access to a beta release (actually, I'm doing them a favour given the amount of time I spent beta testing 2.0).

My point is, that by now we should have a Quartz release version.

ShowShifter already delivers on so many of the points that I've been asking about (and were supposedly being worked on in Quartz). I just want to see what they've actually achieved to determine whether I stay with SnapStream or dump it.

Ok, fine, so they've been working on SS.net - but that is *completely* useless to me.

hmmmm... so.. seeing as I didn't know about the quartz beta thing, and therefore didn't apply... does that mean it's going to be several months away before the regular folks like me see anything? although the other stuff is great and i'll subscribe to ss.net, i really want de-interlaced video.. a feature that's supposed to work with the current version but doesn't... i'm gone from this if that's several months away at this point.. i put hundreds of dollars into very fast hardware recently just to get full 640x480 video and i've been stuck with 320x240 on an 80 inch projected screen since. ugh.. i'll bite the bullet and just use cyberlink's powervcr....

[unknown user]

So I have applied or email for the beta, and I have yet to hear anything. I am not sure that the beta it self is a public as they have said.

[srigby]

Festivalman:

That's the problem. People go and spend big dollars on fast hardware in a vain attempt to get SnapStream to do 640x480 de-interlacing.

You can do it now with ShowShifter on mediocre equipment!!!

Check it out if you havn't already...

[PBMax]

srigby: I hear you always touting Showshifter as the answer to everthing. Showshifter does some things that Snapstream doesn't. If you had been following Shofshifter they had a public beta out for about 6 months before they released their final version. They had a released version and a public beta available. It's not a miracle that they finally releaed their product. They never actually gave a release date of their new version so when it appeared it appeared.

If showshifter suits your needs then use showshifter. I personally tried it and didn't like it. That's why I chose to use Snapstream. I'm sure there are others out there that agree with me. The biggest problem with snapstream is making deadlines they can't meet.

Also they have a separate set of developers working on SS.net. So no work is taken away from Quartz. And it seems like a new developer just for the IR blaster.

[Jason Bottjen]

Well, although not meeting deadlines *IS* a real problem I would say Snapstreams's biggest issue is an apparent lack of customer support.

I am a strong believer that there should have been a few maintenance releases (for both demo and regestered users) addressing some of the issues found.

The fact they won't release patches or interim updates is VERY disconcerting to me. Whether you are talking about the 588 minute issue, deinterlacing, or the ATI issues all of these shouild have been addressed at some point with a patch or maintenance release.

They are getting away with it now, as there are few competitors. But mark my words, they will NOT be able to give such shoddy support for long and keep customers.

Jason Bottjen

Originally posted by PBMax:
srigby: I hear you always touting Showshifter as the answer to everthing. Showshifter does some things that Snapstream doesn't. If you had been following Shofshifter they had a public beta out for about 6 months before they released their final version. They had a released version and a public beta available. It's not a miracle that they finally releaed their product. They never actually gave a release date of their new version so when it appeared it appeared.

If showshifter suits your needs then use showshifter. I personally tried it and didn't like it. That's why I chose to use Snapstream. I'm sure there are others out there that agree with me. The biggest problem with snapstream is making deadlines they can't meet.

Also they have a separate set of developers working on SS.net. So no work is taken away from Quartz. And it seems like a new developer just for the IR blaster.

[srigby]

PBMax: Of course I don't think ShowShifter is the solution to everything, and I even point out it's short-comings. I just thought: Geez, if all Festivalman wants is 640x480 de-interlaced recording, he doesn't need to waste his money and time on SnapStream.

I've been watching the two products for almost a year now. SnapStream got a huge boost from MS, but since then - nothing. Whereas, ShowShifter has been making constant steady progress - to the point where they're ahead on many fronts now.

Playing the devil's advocate for a moment:

Does this mean that the SnapStream public beta is going to take 6 months as well before it's finished !?!?!

Maybe it's the Enron/Worldcom effect! All of the hot air is spilling out of US institutions leaving a saggy, motionless, wrinkled old skin.