[Peter Berg]

done! I asked for the option for custom mapping as well. If we could just do custom mapping from the raw panel data, maybe we could use other older panels as well.

[Peter Berg]

Come on Charles…. the software is free. Dongle isn’t worth that much anyways.

[Peter Berg]

Even at $1999 the software is a steal. I would certainly pay that and even more if I was treated as a priority to Blackmagic. When you put a piece of software into your company’s workflow chain, it’s very very important that it runs well and any issues/problems are fixed. It’s even better when the company listens to it’s customers and improves the software to work better with how the customer actually uses it (and not how they think you should use it).

[Peter Berg]

Any chance there could be a document/matrix on your website that would show what versions of OS and drivers that are recommended for each version of Resolve?

It’s hard to know which versions of drivers (Red rocket, Blackmagic cards, Graphic cards) and OS actually work and have been tested with each new version of Resolve.

The config guides are great, but they are not updated with each version of Resolve so it’s hard to know if which information to follow (the guides, or posts here on the Cow).

I try to scan the posts here on the Cow but they don’t seem to be comprehensive for all versions of Resolve. It would be very helpful.

thanks,
Peter

[Peter Berg]

Hi Ronald,

I totally agree with you on the Apple thing. Their support is also laughable. But it’s pretty clear that they are not that committed to the professional market or even to really helping their customers realize their maximum potential with their software. They barely updated Apple Color the entire time they owned the software. Never incorporated customer suggestions or feedback on any meaningful level.

I think Blackmagic is better than Apple, but far from my idea of a great customer support department. I could just accept it, but I wanted to give my feedback. Also in hopes that things could improve for Blacmagic’s customers (although how much better than free software can you get I guess).

Have you had experience with Avid support Ronald? If Avid did not exist I guess I would not have it to compare to, but fortunately I have dealt with Avid support. They are truly great and how a professional support team should run. In the times I have called or emailed Avid support I have ALWAYS received the support or answers that I needed. They never sent me to a message board to go find the answer myself (not that I don’t do that anyways in some cases). There was a time when I ran across a bug in the software that was really hurting our workflow. After talking to Avid and when they could reproduce the problem, I think it was less than a week before a software patch was out that fixed the issue. That was pretty impressive to me. They would often follow up on my email or phone call to update me on any outstanding issues they were still looking into or to let me know what they were doing to fix the problem. Also I have worked with Assimilate support and they are also really great. They really listen to their customers and improve their software to make sure it works just as their customers need it to. Impressive support team over there.

For the normal consumer that level of support is not realistic I understand. But I guess I was putting Resolve on the same level with Avid in terms of professional post-production tools. In my opinion they are just not at that level and have alot to learn about customer service and support.

But let me give credit to the COW and it’s users. It is really a great resource and has saved me on numerous occasions. I just wish the companies would not use it as a crutch instead of having their own robust internal support department.

But the industry is changing fast and what is accepted today could be out the window tomorrow.

-Peter

[Peter Berg]

I wish I had received that type of support. Sometimes support is able to help me, and in a timely matter. It’s just that my experience is just more mixed. Sometimes I get an answer to my question, while other times I don’t hear back or I get an answer that they don’t know that aspect of the software (the Conform room) and they don’t offer any more help from there. In my opinion, there is much room for improvement in the customer service area. That also includes listening to their customers. I have offered many suggestions (multi-page emails describing my workflow and workarounds I have had to create) and so far it seems that they are more focused on creating other versions of the software rather than improve the things that don’t work for their users.

Maybe Blackmagic is taking Resolve down the road that Apple took Final Cut. Make it more accessible to the masses and not worry so much about the professional (more demanding) customer. Certainly that would be one way to go.

-Peter

[Peter Berg]

Hi Dennis,

I want to start by saying that I think the Blackmagic guys are good guys, and they work hard, but I have been quite disappointed in Blackmagic support.

Currently there are 3 avenues of support. There is a general email address, a phone number, and the Creative Cow. All support is free. I have used all 3, and none of them are all that efficient. Usually it takes a day or two to receive an email response. But there have been a few times when I never got a response. The phone support is not bad, but a few times I was not able to get an answer to my question or help for my problem (They told me they didn’t know much about that part of the software and I should try to Post on the COW to see if someone could help me. Wow, really???). I am a paying customer, and I expect more from the support department.

Again I don’t blame the individuals, I think they work really hard. I think it’s a corporate thing, and a lack of support for the Customer Service part of the company. I also blame the fact that I’m sure the support guys are getting hammered with support requests from people who download the Free Resolve software and ask for help.

I think there really needs to be a separate area for paying customers. As bad as support was before they released the Free Resolve, now it’s even worse (again I blame the company, and not the support guys).

I am coming from the Avid world as well. And it’s great to be able to get professional level support when you need it. Avid takes that seriously and does not disappoint (at least in my experience). Contrast that with Blackmagic… I have been in a real jam with Resolve (found some bugs in the software and some workflow things that were just not working) and when I reached out to Blackmagic, they were not able to solve my problem. I needed to make a delivery deadline and I was on my own (with the help of the COW). So basically you have to support yourself. Find your own work-arounds. Hope someone on the COW will help you or has had the same problem and figured out a solution.

I guess you can’t have it all. You pay $0 or even $1000 and I guess professional level support is too much to ask (although I wouldn’t expect to get support with Free software). I know I wish Blackmagic would have kept the price a bit higher so they could have built a real professional support department. This was my fear with the dirt cheap software model.

Well that is just my experience. Maybe it will improve in the future, although I have my doubts since we will have even more users coming online from the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and their free copy of Resolve.

-Peter

[Peter Berg]

Thank you Robin for the feedback on the Element panel. It does look like a nice panel, but that is unfortunate that Blackmagic did not map the commands very well. I really do hope that they can improve it. I don’t understand why all this great customer feedback gets lost so often. While they do make some good improvements to the software, why do they not fix these small things that would make the software truly a great experience for the user. I think listening to your customers is something that really makes companies great.

It is too bad that the less than ideal mapping is limiting what looks like a great board.

Blackmagic, can you listen to the suggestions and make the mapping better? It should not require that much time? Can you also please add support for the Tangent CP100 panel. I would think the programming should not be too much different than the Element panel. Your paying customers would really appreciate it.

thanks,
Peter

[Peter Berg]

Thanks Barrie. The feedback is very helpful. That does sound annoying that the connection to your panel would drop off many times per day. Mine has a good connection.

Only issues I have with mine is that the knobs with the click positions don’t always seem to turn smoothly. Also occasionally I will find that my grade suddenly ‘jumps’. It will shift to another correction and I have to undo to get it back. Not sure if it’s the software of the panel. But the Cooper has been good for us.

I have a Tangent CP100 and I love it (just wish that Blackmagic would support it!) so I do believe that Tangent can make really good boards.

thanks again,
Peter

[Peter Berg]

Can I ask why you would stop using the JL Cooper? Can you talk about how the Element panel is so much better than the JL Cooper?

thanks,
Peter