Flip4Mac Roadmap

[suleiman]

Hey everyone. I'm trying to get a forum thread on the flip4mac forums to get some attention by the flip4mac team. It looks like they are paying (some) attention to what their customers are saying and people are starting to get really upset at them for not having rolled out with a universal version of their plugin yet.

 

I've repeat posted what I wrote in their forums below here and I think it'd be great if some of you could also head over to their forums and post your support for my suggestions or reasonable alternative suggestions if you have them. Please let's get this matter dealt with, because I'm truly sick of not being able to watch wmv files in Safari!

 

My original post:

 

Although I am also patiently waiting for this app, I'll have to apologize to the flip4mac folks for starting a flamewar on this forum thread. I can assure you it was not intended. I do want to say a few things, but I'll keep them polite and to the point.

 

Firstly, while it is certainly impressive that F4M can handle so many file formats and manage the import/export side of that aswell, I'll be the first to point out that I really only need it in the immediate future for viewing WMV files in my browser and those that I download. The point is that if the current code is going to be bad at playing ISO MPEG4v.1.1, I'm not really all that hot and bothered about that. I really just need the wmv functionality for now. If you guys have a universal version of F4M that works for doing that, I think it'd be wiser to release it now with a disclaimer that it's not fully functional than to wait until you have everything working 100%

 

Secondly, while arguably little benefit could come from "admitting" that you are behind, I do want to point out the strong benefits of giving your users at least a small peep at the roadmap for when you'll be rolling out this app. Everyone who bought their Intel macs were well pissed at Adobe when they came out and said "October or maybe 2007," but most of that has now subsided, and people have learned to cope. This is about managing expectations with your customers, and failing to provide a rough roadmap is one of best ways to screw that up.

 

I'm sure I'm one of a handful of other Intel mac users that visit this site on a daily basis holding my breath and scraping for every last vestige of hope that "today will be the day." I don't want to do that anymore, and I wouldn't be doing that at all if I knew there was definitely no point in me coming back for at least another month. This is the difference between letting your users down every day, versus letting them down only once.

 

So that's about all I wanted to say. I'll trust I didn't offend anyone at the F4M team, and of course I would like to be a candidate for any beta testing when/if it rolls out, but in the meantime please read and re-read points 1 and 2 above.

 

Thanks!

 

-Suleiman

 

 

Here's the link folks:

 

http://www.flip4mac.com/fusetalk/forum/mes...006&STARTPAGE=3

[quixos]

if the "voice of reason" had a body, you would be that body.

 

good points you raised. and as it's a small company, you can be sure they'll be read by a decision maker.

[cavemonkey50]

Yeah, the Flip4Mac Unibin is taking way to long. I'll help you over in the thread later today.

[nutmac]

I can symphatize with both sides. Today, most video files are encoded in WMV, MPEG (QuickTime Player), and DivX/XviD (official DivX codec for QuickTime, VLC, and MPlayer) formats. Flip4Mac is critical missing link for Intel Mac users.

 

(There's also Real, which has promised but failed to deliver unibin port, but aside from few streaming websites, Real media files are pretty rare.)

 

We should be mad at Microsoft for failing to continue the development of Windows Media Player -- and more significantly, its failure to deliver Windows Media DRM to non-Windows platform. But it seems Flip4Mac has received funding from Microsoft to offer superior WM Component for free. Although unibin port delay is rather annoying, I think it's great that it will soon be offered for free. After all, Flip4Mac isn't the only company late with the Intel port and we are still shy of 2 months from Steve Job's June 2006 unibin challenge.

 

In the mean time, we can use MPlayer/VLC for pre-WMV9 contents and Popwire for WMV9 contents. Over the next several weeks, Flip4Mac unibin should be available (hopefully, it would offer public beta sooner), which will enable us to watch Window Media contents (excluding WM DRM) via QuickTime and web browsers. So let's be mature and support Flip4Mac on its efforts (redirect such flames to Microsoft so that it would offer, either directly or through Flip4Mac, WM DRM to Mac).

[suleiman]

I think the crux of my concerns nutmac, lie not with any inability to play WM DRM files on my MacBook, but rather the inability to play any WM file natively in any browser.

 

You made the good point of showing how Microsoft did in fact give a substantial sum to the F4M team to produce an intel-compatible WM player. The simple fact of the matter is whilst we should not pester software development teams to "push" products out before they are ready, not clueing in your customers to any kind of a roadmap for a release date is irresponsible. The larger that customer base grows, the more irresponsible non-disclosure can be.

 

In this case the number of new Intel-based Mac owners is growing exponentionally, and this company is alienating the exact same market (of cutting-edge-hardware buyers) that it will later be needing to market its more advanced software lineup to.

 

It doesn't make sense for either the consumers or the producers to not disclose.

 

In short, if you really believe disclosing a roadmap would be tantamount to "pestering" then you need not participate in this endeavor. However, if, like me, you want and expect something more from your software developers, please go and sign your support for my suggestions on the link in the first post

[nutmac]

suleiman, I entirely concur and I share your frustration. More than anything, my usage of Intel Mac (20" iMac) is seriously handicapped by inability to playback WM contents from a web browser (second issue is Safari not fully rendering certain websites). Using Windows just to browse few websites is not satisfactory. For just about every other tasks, I have a workable solution. I wanted Flip4Mac unibin two months ago, nevermind waiting for what appears to be 2 more months.

 

Although I would love even a rough ETA from Flip4Mac, commercial companies do not like to do that. To my knowledge, Adobe, Alsoft, FileMaker, Intuit, Microsoft, Real, and Roxio have all failed to commit to specific dates.

 

So I wait. I check Versiontracker each morning hoping for a surprise (Popwire last week was a good surprise, if not entirely satisfying).

[suleiman]

I agree with you nutmac, but I'm not even asking for a specific date, I'm asking for a rough roadmap precisely so that we don't have to hold our breath every day.

 

Adobe and Microsoft may not have committed to certain dates, but the reason people aren't hitting their website and support forums like bees to honey is because they told everyone not to expect anything for at least another half a year.

 

If flip4mac came out and said "it'll be 1 month" I would be a lot more pleased with them than if they resigned to remain enigmatic about their release date.

[toniola]

Maybe this has all been said before, but I'll reitterate......Flip4Mac accommodates so many format types and streaming varieties, it's not that easy to make it UB, without risking a lot of crashes and unacceptable affects. Here's a summary: Flip4Mac’s supports WM7, 8, 9, 9 Advanced, ISO MPEG 4 V1.0 & V1.1, Microsoft MPEG 4 V2 & V2 along with multiple audio codecs. And, a web plugin for AV playback

 

I've been in contact with Telestream and they are working as fast as possible on the update...which I believe to be the truth....IMHO

[Ouch]

The issue in this discussion is not the speed with which the F4M team are taking to port the software but rather the lack of communication regarding thier progress. Nobody is pestering the team to get it done quick - rather to give us a clue as to how long they expect it to take. Even if that is a few months away.

[suleiman]

Thank you for seeing my point Ouch!potato!

 

toniola, please see my first point in my original post.

[nutmac]

One may argue that since Apple was able to give ETA for its pro apps, Telestream should as well. But that's Apple. To many commercial developers, unibin port has proved to be not so easy and many are struggling.

 

Judging by Telestream's responses, both on their forum and FAQ, they just can't seem to commit to even a rough ETA. I take it that as a bad sign (at least few more months to go).

[suleiman]

If what you are saying is true, nutmac, and I am 50% behind you that it probably is, then they should inform users not to expect anything for at least as many months.

 

Telling people you're going to release an app in 3 months and then releasing it in 1 will upset no one.

 

Not telling people anything at all, leaving them to expect that it might be available "any day now," and then failing to provide it each and every day will upset everyone.

 

To the people who see my point, please post in the Flip4Mac Forums and voice your support for the rough roadmap request. The link is only a click away:

 

http://www.flip4mac.com/fusetalk/forum/mes...006&STARTPAGE=3

[jcurious]

This is from the forum suleiman linked to:

-------

 

Here's what I can say so far regarding Universal. I may be able to post more details in a few days.

 

Demonstrating the Universal WMV products at NAB

Target early May for beta

Early June release

 

We will make the beta public.

--------------------

[suleiman]

Thank you jcurious

 

Mission Accomplished =D

[nutmac]

Good job suleiman!

[romey-rome]

Only if we could do the same with our politicians..but I digress.

[suleiman]

lol...you're telling me, romey, you're telling me...