OtsAV 1.90 - Esperance update important information

[larichardson73]

I have a lot of the same questions as other broadcasters here.

I have a Pro Classic+ license.  Since I am a broadcaster, the scheduling function is obviously essential to me.  If this will eventually be phased out of the Pro Classic+ products, and if new radio-specific features will not be included either, then I will definitely need to "cross-grade" to a radio product.  I would also really like to have the play log export as a csv file, which I know has been available only in the broadcast product line for a while now.

But what would it cost for me to cross-grade to the Radio Broadcaster product?  If I did this, would I still receive upgrades to 2.0?

Also, is there anyway you could tell me what "true per-item daypart scheduling" means? (I am referencing the Esperance documentation here.  It mentions this as one of the features that didn't quite make it into 1.9).  I am not asking for specifics or promises here.  It's just that I thought Ots already did daypart scheduling.  What will be different?

Any help is appreciated.     

[Joe A]

Me to would like to cross-grade to a radio broacaster as this is the only way im staying with ots and using future upgrades.What would i need to do or can you all offer something like cross-grading to OtsAV Broadcaster so i can strictly use "radio feats" only? I don't use any of the DJ stuff like Video, Karoke, CDG, Turntables and ABM... I would simply love your product more if i just traded out all DJ feats for strictly radio feats.

Thanks,
Joe

[Zakdj]

I use the S&L and the video features for slideshows and "video comments" at a few venues, Will I have to upgrade to a TV broadcaster to get these features? One of my high end Hotels may pay for it but the others will not.

[Dub2Dat]

I have a lot of the same questions as other broadcasters here.

what "true per-item daypart scheduling" means? It's just that I thought Ots already did daypart scheduling.  What will be different?

Any help is appreciated.     

Thats a good question.  What is "true per-item daypart scheduling?"  I use the broadcast version of 1.85 now.  You can do dayparting now.  Albeit no very elegantly.  The per-item part has got me puzzled too. 

[Darryl]

We will have to wait and see.  It seems that you have to be patient with anything from Ots Labs - most things happen eventually.

[DJMartin]

Back in 2001 I bought the first license with free upgrade to V2. Now over 10 Years later, we still haven't touched 2.x.

Up to now I was very satisfied with the OTS philosophy of doing DJing, but with this in a rush announcement and 7 day safe on upgrade path, my loyal feelings have changed somehow. 190$ for an upgrade is vast. My 5 licenses with free upgrade to 2.0 are safed (if I understand it right), even I don't know how it works to ever transfer them to new hardware, which is required soon. I didn't had the time yet to search how this has to be processed with the changed licensing procedure. The old method by sending an email was much more customer friendly!!! Changing product names and procedures quite often sucks.... But this is another story.

People all the time ask me why I'm not using the other, probably more famous DJ products on the market. I don't checked on their price, but have seen at least one product offering 4 decks.... maybe I should start looking around and calculating. I have no clue who will make the race then.

Sadly but true....
Martin

[Jigger]

I hear what you are saying Martin but remember we have features we never expected, as for upgrading your licences it is straight forward, you will need to log on at otszone.com and go to your licenses, if you need any further help just ask.

[larichardson73]

I received the following email today from Ots, in regards to some of the questions posed in this thread.  The indented portions are quotes from my email to them.

******************************************************************************************************************

Thanks for your email.

Yes, it is now possible to cross grade from OtsAV DJ Pro (any version)
to OtsAV Radio Broadcaster 1.90 directly on our website.

This is available on our website currently at US$599.95. Simply use
the link in the OtsAV Radio Broadcaster 1.90 section and click
"Upgrade from: - OtsAV DJ Pro".
Please see:

http://www.otsav.com/buy-otsav-radio/

Please note: When upgrading from a 2.0 license you will surrender your
entitlement to free upgrades to 2.0 for that license (by upgrading
it). If you want to keep your 2.0 license you would need to buy a new
copy of OtsAV Radio Broadcaster 1.90 instead.


We checked to see if you had ever purchased an S&L Module in the past,
but could find none. We could have offered an additional discount if
you had (unless you had already received a store credit in the past).


>> Would I still be eligible for free upgrades to 2.0 if I did this?

No. Only all free upgrades within 1.90.x - which is the
Esperance-series (although Ots Labs may at its discretion decide to
provide a bonus free upgrade to the next level beyond this like it did
recently for TV/Radio Broadcaster 1.85 license-holders to 1.90 - this
should *not* be expected or relied upon though as it is not
guaranteed).


>> If I do not cross-grade, will the "true per-item daypart scheduling" (mentioned in the esperance documentation as an upcoming feature) be available to Pro Classic+ users?

No. All new radio functionality will only be provided in relevant
OtsAV Radio or OtsAV TV products. DJ variants do not expect or need
this functionality and as more and more functionality is added any
radio people using the DJ product will want to consider crossgrading.


We trust this information assists.

Kind regards,
Ots Labs Licensing Dept. [T8SxL]"

*************************************************************************************************************

I was a little disappointed in this answer.  If I am reading this correctly, it will cost me $600 to cross-grade from a DJ Pro Classic+ license to a Radio Broadcaster license.  All new radio features that are part of upcoming releases will only be available to holders of broadcast licenses, and will not be included if you have a Pro Classic+ license.

Given this fact, I don't think Ots is going to be a part of the long-term future of my internet station.  Ots has got some very decent competition in the radio area nowadays. The reason that I have stuck with Ots is that: 1) It is an awesome application, and 2) It is free! (quite honestly).  Having paid for my license 10 years ago, I was confident that any new radio features would be available to me for free up until version 2.0.  When you take this out of the equation, the competition suddenly looks a little more attractive.  If the "cross-grade" price were lower, I would go for it (and, to be fair, it would be if I had ever purchased the S + L module).  But understand that if I were to pay $600 today to "cross-grade" to radio, I would get exactly one more feature than I am currently getting, and that feature is...exporting the play log as a csv file!  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the only difference between DJ Pro Classic + and Radio Broadcaster in their current form.

Don't get me wrong.  I don't think Ots owes me ANYTHING.  I paid around $100 for the program 10 years ago, and it has been worth that many times over.  In a sense, Ots is a big part of why I started broadcasting in the first place.  I love the application.  However, I think that there are competitors out there who are more laser-focused on broadcasting, are priced competitively, offer more features, and are, by most reports, just as stable and dependable.  If I have to pay for something, it will more than likely be something other than Ots.     

     

[dickus51]

Look at the Spanish program Zara, only problem for me is that all my files are OTS. Think I just svallow my pride and look deep in my Wallet.....Hmm empty

[JohnnyTheFox]

Only all free upgrades within 1.90.x - which is the Esperance-series (although Ots Labs may at its discretion decide to provide a bonus free upgrade to the next level beyond this like it did recently for TV/Radio Broadcaster 1.85 license-holders to 1.90 - this should *not* be expected or relied upon though as it is not guaranteed).

This is the bit which concerns me. OtsAV TV Broadcaster $1499.95 or OtsAV Radio Broadcaster $899.95 and only free upgrades with 1.90.x, so there is a chance that once we hit 1.91, then cash will be required to upgrade.

Sorry, but that does not impress me at all. Don't get me wrong, I like 1.90 and it is an improvement over 1.85 but I'm not convinced that I would have actually parted with cash to upgrade had it not been free to Broadcaster licence holders. 1.91+ will need to have much more in the way of new features (and actual finished features, rather than a trial implementation like looping) to persuade me to pay for it.

For example the TV and Radio Broadcaster 1.90 upgrade include looping. That's was okay as it was free this time, but tell me which TV or Radio Broadcasters would use such a feature so much as to justify paying for it?

Ots needs to ensure that the features that are being charged for in any upgrade are actually wanted or required by licence holders that have already paid $1,500 or $900 for the program.

Disappointing.

[Dub2Dat]

For example the TV and Radio Broadcaster 1.90 upgrade include looping. That's was okay as it was free this time, but tell me which TV or Radio Broadcasters would use such a feature so much as to justify paying for it?

Ots needs to ensure that the features that are being charged for in any upgrade are actually wanted or required by licence holders that have already paid $1,500 or $900 for the program.

Disappointing.

Good point Johnny.  Broadcasters have paided double the price just to get to the small set of features we need. Clearly we have subsidized the development of DJ tools with this release. I'm like to see OTS put a fork in the road and say here is a list of features for DJ. If you want it the upgrade will cost you XX. Here is a list of features for Broadcasters. If you want it the upgrade will cost you xx.      

[JohnnyTheFox]

I agree Dub2Dat.

In my view this should develop into a menu pricing model, like there used to be with the original OtsDJ release (a choice of S&L, Video etc - and you paid to unlock the features you wanted).

That way each range (TV, Radio & DJ) can select from a menu of upgrade features, choosing only the ones they wanted to pay for. For example, I'm not sure that I would want to pay for an upgrade to TV Broadcaster which included HD 1080p when I would never use it, just to get a feature that I might want.

In my business (nothing to do with the music business at all), I have to price each individual item of work seperately so that the customer can decide which they want me to do, and which they don't. each client is different, and have different needs and requirements, so I'm not sure I would sell much if it all came as one package, at one fixed price but included work that the client didn't want. Pricing has to represent VFM at the end of the day.

[Dub2Dat]

I hear what you are saying Martin but remember we have features we never expected,

Features like Plasma Tubes...wow...who needs that?

[DJMartin]

Plasma tubes, these were the first thing I disabled when I first ran the trial. As said in the other thread, if i need a light show, then I got plenty of more powerful fixtures.... 

@Jigger, the upgrade of the two single licenses should work like you're saying. Do you know how to replace hardware these days? In the earlier days, I usually sent an email to OTS support, asking to free up one license for registring a new notebook with that license (enable to get a new machine key). Last time I did so, I was told this is no longer working like that. The description which came along was not understandable for me. Most likely my english knowledge lacks to follow... need to search in here about threads for hardware exchange, since this is OT in this thread. Sorry to be OT for a minute.

[milky]

IF the new PC you are migrating Ots to is connected to the Internet, it is really easy. You simply install on the new PC and then launch Ots. It will detect that it is not registered and prompt you for your license details. When I got the emails which contained the license script from each copy of Ots I bought, I pasted it into Notepad and saved each one, so I can always acces them if needed. If you haven't done that, you can go to Ots' website and login to your "My Licenses" section. You can then copy and paste the details into the window in your new installation. There are two parts to it. The first ocurs when you past, and then click the second button to complete the registration online.

If the new PC is not on the Internet, it is a little more complicated, because you must perform the first part of the process, and then contact Ots to get a license key. I always do it online, and it takes a matter of seconds.