New lower pricing for DeckLink HD cards – 4:4:4 for only $1495 !

[John Foley]

So, I ask, everyone who wants BlackMagic to RAISE the prices of their products and slow down software development — to raise your hands here and now. I am sure (not really) that BlackMagic would be glad to add an I AM A COMPLAINER tarrif to the pricing by individual.

There rest of us appreciate the work that BMD did for AJA a couple of years ago and that they finally got into the hardware business too boot. Competition is GREAT and always brings out both bad and good along the way.

If you want to continue to pay prices for video hardware like you did ten years ago, then get a time machine and go back to 1995. Yikes!

[Mkramden]

So John, I take it you are not willing to pay a reasonable price and get a better product than what we have now? So price for price sakes alone is the ulitimate goal here? Are you not seeing any of the myriad of problems with the last few buggy driver releases that most of us are seeing? I would rather BM and AJA and the rest spend a little more time refining their products so that we get a usable tool than get into these price wars with each other to the point they can no longer spend any money on R&D, but spend it all marketing against each other.
BTW John, I believe you missed my point altogether. I don’t like being treated like a retarded child by anyone, especially not a company I have paid a service to. Perhaps you don’t mind being jerked around, SO LONG AS THEY JUST KEEP LOWERING THE PRICE ABOVE ALL ELSE, but I perfer a little respect. My point was in reference to Sam’s original comment that I doubt there was a $1000 chip on these boards that they were suddenly able to replace and pass the savings on. BTW, if they changed the same chip on these three boards as Luke has stated, then how come two of them dropped by $1000 and one dropped by only $300. Again as Sam stated, we were either being “raped” originally, or are now being jerked around, but I guess AS LONG AS THE PRICE IS LOWER anyone can jerk me around all they want and I’ll just be glad, defend them, and ask for more of the same.

Mark

[Ray K]

guys… this is all a bunch of gibrish!
Anybody that uses these cards professionaly has paid 2 to 3 times the cost for the computer system they use them in.Two Weeks later that price is down 10-20%. After running my business for a few years now, I want my vendors to make a profit, Haveing spent over 3k for my first bluefish card, its return on investment was over 4000% the last two decklink cards and hdlinks return on investment is 12000% or more. And were squibling about under 1k. HELLO!!!!! It’s a free world economy, and in my opinion Black Magic has hit the big home run! Even if they drop this whole product line and create a all new one, I am on the band wagon just as I was when they started. We all know tech changes, AND MY Vendors better change with it.
regards

[Bob Roberts]

Three weeks ago, I bought a Decklink HD card for $595 and now there’s a new pricing scheme…

HELLO!!! $595 FOR UNCOMPRESSED 1080i!!!

The card paid for itself in one billable hour. Instead of buying a multibridge for it, I’ll just get a 4:4:4 Pro card and SAVE $600.

I love you, BM…thanks to you and your gear, I’m going to spend three months in Brazil next year…you make me very, very happy 😉

[Igor Babic]

Hello guys, if you are pro in this bussines then you have to payout BMD investment in one week! What are you garbling about? If you have to hire a HD recorder to capture a footage and put it back, it will cost you like your card. I really dont understand your 1000$ issue. My first pro editing card cost me over 6000$. And this was over 10 years ago. I have payd ot for this investment in 6 months. BMD card with same functionality today cost 10% of it, and with my editing needs I can easily buy 5 of them. ( and rest of my crew will use a universal codec at home without bmd hardware in their machines instead of proprietry codec that uses old cards ) Tehnology goes forward all the time, so go with it, use it best you can, and make money from it, or do something else. BMD keep up your good work, you are on the right track, there always be a people that have something against something!!!!

[Mkramden]

Sorry, but you guys have taken this discussion completely off topic. No one in this thread has complained about lower prices of goods. My comment that each of you has responded to without actually addressing is how a company treats you. How do your comments about being happy with your purchases answer my question about a ludicrous statement made by BM?

Is Luke or anyone from BM going to respond to my question about how this price drop was do to a “$1000 lower price part” and not in response to AJA’s announcement? So most of you that have responded don’t find this of particular importance. That’s fine and you all have a right to this opinion, but please don’t trash me for asking a fair question that DOES matter to me. And once again being treated repsectfully by a company means I expect an answer from them that does not insult me.

Mark

[Nick B]

Well i paid for my Blackmagic HD card on its first job the card infact made me money and could give the card away for free and still walk away in profit !

If you cannot make money to pay for these cards within a few days of work then frankly your in the wrong business.

Now is Avid still charging $10,000 for its compressed HD card ?

[Mkramden]

That’s all well and good Nick, but again has nothing to do with my question.

The lack of response by BM tells me by assumtion is correct, and this had little to do with part changes. They have put this childish behaviour with the competition above treating the customer with respect. Very sad indeed.

Mark

[Patrick Inhofer]

[mkramden] “Is Luke or anyone from BM going to respond to my question about how this price drop was do to a “$1000 lower price part” and not in response to AJA’s announcement? So most of you that have responded don’t find this of particular importance.”

I suggest you read some books on product pricing and placement. When a new “high-end” product comes out, it’s priced at fatter margins because the early adopters generally need the product and are willing to pay a higher price. When that market is satisfied the price is dropped bringing in the more price sensitive customers, and then drops again at very thin margins to get what’s left of the market as a new product comes on the market to replace the formerly “high-end” product.

This is all Marketing 101 and if you’re in business for yourself I suggest you take some time to study the theory of product pricing. As a consumer you might not like it. As a business owner you can’t afford to not understand it, even if you choose to ignore those strategies. The classic example is printer manufacturers who design the top-of-the-line printer, and then add components to slow it down and lower its quality… making the cheaper printers more expensive to produce, while pricing the printer line to move customers into the top-of-the-line high margin product.

I suppose the first time a professional editor is faced with how quickly the technology we own obsoletes itself, the shock can be pretty powerful. Take a breath. If the purchase made sense 3 months ago, then it makes sense today. Even as new gear comes out there’s no reason your gear can’t be productive for the next 3 years. As for begrudging BM their profits, I suppose if your clients knew how much you could cut your prices before you hit break-even (or how quickly you’ll be paying off your equipment but keeping your rates steady) they’d be pretty upset at you.

– pi

—
Patrick Inhofer
editor, compositor, nice guy
applePi Editorial, nyc

[Mkramden]

Hi Patrick,
Yes! You hit the nail on the head! This is what is typically done on most products, and I can atest to the fact that I have been the “early adopter” more than once 🙂

My posting here has more to do with BM support than their pricing. Of course they can do whatever they like with the price, and if we just bought a product, that’s the breaks. But why didn’t they just say exactly what you just said? Or nothing at all? Why put a lame excuse like, we replaced a $1000 chip on the board and passed the savings on to you! I find this insulting. I find it just as insulting that no one from BM has responded to me calling this out. This all goes back to how you treat your customers.

Substantially lower the price and leave your loyal customers hanging. (even Apple gives 30 day price protection)

Make lame remarks, and then when your called out, ignore the customer.

Sorry, but I don’t like being treated that way. However from the responses here, most people don’t seem to mind being treated like a punching bag AS LONG AS THE PRICE IS LOWER! (DID I MENTION THE PRICE IS NOW LOWER, so I can now take any abuse dished on me 🙂 I have never given into the WalMart mentality, and never will.

Respectfully,
Mark