Is Media 100 Dead?

[Michael Slowe]

What difference does it make to your workflow even if what you say is correct? Why are people so fixated on updates and upgrades? OK, being able to edit HD codecs was a considerable upgrade but unless you need 6K editing what do you require?

Obviously as Media 100 is my sole edit system I would hope it continues to be supported but I will still continue using it.

Michael Slowe

[Jeremy Rowell]

It makes a HUGE difference to my workflow! There are a ton of codecs that should be supported and are not. If I was confident that Media 100 was working on these and making an effort to keep their software current, I could JUSTIFY to my company the they should invest THEIR money on a new Media 100 system.

I deal with many other companies that send me files and I am always trying to find a work around to get it into a file format that one of my Media 100 systems likes.

I do not unstand how you can infer that no improvement or upgrades are needed. Every piece of software must continue to evolve to stay current, or it will fade away… as M100 is doing now.

I understand your need to defend what you love. I have purchased 6 m100 systems over the past 13 years and currently have 3 in my production dept. I do not want to use anything else. But I can’t have blinders on, I have to answer to the people that write my checks.

[Michael Hanish]

So, what is it that you are trying to do? Perhaps someone here can help.

I would guess that many of us around here have figured out various work-arounds to frustrating or non-functional workflow bits with Media100 over the years.

best,
Michael

[Jeremy Rowell]

I’ve been using M100 since 1998, I’m pretty good at figuring work arounds! Don’t get me wrong, I love M100. My 3 current systems are rock solid. I don’t want to cut on anything else. With that said, look at any other NLE. Final Cut, Vegas, Premier, Edius, Avid… I guarantee they are working on a new version. bringing new features. supporting new codecs. Introducing new innovations. Is M100? All signs point to no.

I would love to see tabbed time lines. Native support for more codecs. Surprise me with features I didn’t know I couldn’t live without.

How can I ask my company to spend thousands on software that does not look to see V.3? I can’t just buy it because I’m comfortable editing with it. No way to justify that.

[Marcus Warren]

Hi Jeremy. You will have to forgive Michael. Every time the issue of newer and better comes up, he always asks, what’s the big deal? I get the impression that if someone told Michael that he was going to buy a new car, Michael’s response would be, “Why do you want to do that? Your 1948 Buick is still running, right?”
Some folks, like Michael, are just fine with the status quo. Many of us aren’t.

But back to your question; Is Media 100 Dead? My take? Yes, Media 100 is functionally dead. Even if development continues, I fear that it is nothing more than a zombie, a walking dead piece of software. Floh has mentioned on this forum that work on on the next version is complete. Does it matter? I mean in the context of market share, marketing, the ability to take advantage of the newest technology and the like?

Artel Software/Boris FX has shown no stomach for hyping the software, or adding new content to the website or providing meaningful point upgrades. I feel sorry for folks like me who paid for the subscription service; you know, $100 covers all of the paid upgrades over the course of a year. There were none.

Boris Y hasn’t posted on this forum in more than 17 months. But he does post on the Boris FX forum. His ignoring this forum does not instill confidence in the future of the software. That probably does not matter to Michael, but it is a telling sign for the rest of us. Pay attention to what I am saying. Boris has not posted on this site in nearly a year and a half! That has to tell you something!

Jeremy, you are concerned about codecs. I am in the market for a new camera and Media 100 is my only real editing software. That automatically means that my choices are limited, when you consider all of the camera formats that Media 100 apparently does not support. Software like Sony Vegas (not the Pro version), Adobe Premiere Elements and Corel Studio probably natively support more formats and codecs than Media 100 and they cost less than $100. Media 100 retails for nearly $1000.

I mean, does it tick off anyone other than me that other NLEs have access to most advanced Boris software, but the latest BCC filters still are not available for Media 100 after all of this time? And the scenario extends to the latest FEC filters, Soundbite, heck, we don’t even get Media 100 tutorials.

So yes, Media 100 is dead. But Michael will tell you that it is still usable. Final Cut Pro v1 is still usable under the right circumstances. Folks on this forum admit to using versions of Media 100 that predate BorisFX’s acquisition of Media 100. Heck, my Amiga computers are still usable (sorta). Linear tape to tape editing is usable as well. So what?

We have software that appears to be unloved by the parent company even though it may still be in development. I’m not sure what happened, but sadly “it” did.

Jeremy, you asked should you look elsewhere? The answer is yes. I’d only reconsider if Boris his own self posts on this forum and give assurances about the future of M100.

[Bernhard G.]

Hello,

from a cold analytical point of view I think a drawback for M100 is,
that it relies on Quicktime architecture (doesn’t Boris RED either?).
Apple decided to EOL Quicktime architecture and replacing it with A/V Foundation.

So there are two options for Artel to cope with this circumstances:

Option#1: adopt M100 to A/V Foundation, which requires TIME; a lot of it.
[means: follow Apple wherever they are heading for and benefit from it; just like in the past]

Option#2: develop it’s own media architecture.
[means: a lot of work under the hood OR much license fee for 3rd party components]

Another issue is that now FCP-X fills the market of an easy to use but still professional application.

There are also two options for Artel to cope with this situation:

Option#1: make M100 easier than FCP-X
[can’t imagine how]

Option#2: make M100 more powerful than FCP-X
[Boris filters and effects are some of the very best. Using them in a unified, well designed editing interface that basically assembles a finishing app – *cough* *844/X* *cough* – would be a powerful combination.
And sorry, NO! Boris RED’s interface is the opposite of well designed]

Furthermore I’m the opinion that in M100’s long history two fatal mistakes were done:

Mistake#1: EOL 844/X and reactivate the Media100 app instead of
getting rid of hardware development and push development of 844/X.

Mistake#2: restrict video-I/O to AJA Kona boards. !NOTHING against AJA nor Kona! Great products!
But this decision simply was a shot in the knee! Lightyears way off-road the general trends in the market.
Simply a STUPIDITY!!! Sorry for this hard word. It is not that analytical.

Nevertheless I don’t see M100 to be dead – yet.
At next NAB we will need to see how Artel copes with the new situation
an evaluate again.

But while Artel copes with the current situation today, Adobe prepares Adobe Anywhere for the market of tomorrow and I would expect Apple to bring something similar, making us editing FCP-X on iPads while
heavy processing is done elsewhere…

Best regards,
Bernhard

[Michael Slowe]

No Marcus, I don’t have a 1948 Buick, although, funnily enough my son in law has just bought one and had it adapted for a classic car rally over the Andes! I often up date cars and am currently delighting in an S3 Audi.

Of course, I also welcomed all the meaningful Media 100 updates that enable me to import and edit XDCAM footage in a huge variety of codecs, with multiple video and audio tracks etc etc. My point was that people tend to over state the need for constant improvements. I make documentary films and can do all that is necessary within Media 100 for these films to be very successful. As Michael Hanish asks in his supportive post, what exactly do you want and need right now?

There is always rival software to everything , some better, some worse. I, for one, would be very sad to lose Media 100 but I’m an old man and it will probably see me out. The whiz kids, cutting all sorts of fancy multi layered commercials will no doubt find applications with which they will dazzle and amaze us.

Michael Slowe

[Nick Lammers]

I haven’t posted here for a long time but I felt compelled to jump in. First, asking if M100 is dead is a worthwhile question for anyone purchasing new systems. While the “it still works so why change” attitude is fine for existing systems, if someone is buying new you have to make sure your investment is leveraged well for the future and it’s the perfect time to compare features and price points of M100 to other systems.
Even if Boris does make improvements to M100, it’s lack of market share, marketing efforts, etc all concern me. I love cutting on M100 (sadly, I haven’t been able to for a few years due to company’s switch to FCP) but it makes no sense to be the “last dinosaur standing.”

Lastly, I hope things improve. Some day I’ll be buying a new system again and it would be awesome if M100 was a legitimate contender.

Nick Lammers
Surgical Media Productions
St. Louis, MO

[Jeremy Rowell]

That is exactly where I’m at. I can’t justify having my company buy software that was great , but is not going to be doing any upgrades other than supporting new aja drivers. I have to look at the future… sadly that does not look to have M100 in it for me.

[Jaeson Koszarsky]

What difference does it make to your workflow even if what you say is correct? Why are people so fixated on updates and upgrades?

For me, I’m looking for bug fixes more than new features, although that would be nice too. I’m tired of force-quitting M100 multiple times on a daily basis because it hangs up comes back from RED (this just happened again right now). That’s my #1 beef at the moment. #2 is the random glitches in rendering layers & exporting MOVs. Some days go better than others with #2.

Feature-wise, I see BorisFX putting out a lot of great new filters for every other system but Media100/RED.

Jaeson