Purchasing... Im trying to figure a deal.

[Skettalee]

I make a show on ustream which I havent yet received one advertisement sponsor for. Not that I think they are coming soon. But I use webcammax and its cool but I really love the way vidblaster works. I even used to use castblaster until my key stopped working on vista and i tried the forums there for help and never got any that fixed the problem (though they tried) well im really trying to figure out cause i cant spend almost 400 bucks on something thats making me no money right now. What is the different between pro and home?

I have 2 web cams, an HD sony firewire cam, and camtasia if i have to.. to show pip as well as switch camera stuff on my computer using webcammax for just 30 bucks. But tell what you guys think i should do cause i want to get this program cause i like how it works but 400 is alot. Is home still good? and can do all i need?

[Mike]

Guess it's not my place to convince you to buy VidBlaster, someone else has to do that. What I can tell you that it's not 400 dollars, it's currently about 340. Unless you're a Canadian.
Differences between Home and Pro are mentioned on the site (and in the help file of the program), but if you want to stream than you need the Pro version.
Please note you try out the program for free, the Download page has a link for you.

[Skettalee]

Ok here is the thing and I hope that the creators read this to try and understand it.

There are plenty of programs out there that are either free or cost less than 50 bucks that do just about exactly the same thing this does. Except for a few features. A couple of programs and I are even thinking of making something like it


CamTwist is free for mac and does everything that VidBlaster does but just in a differnet way.
WebCamMax is under 50 bucks for windows and does all the same things too.


I am just saying $400 doesn't seem like justification to be able to do exactly what you can do for free with most programs just make it look more like a tricaster or other piece of software out there that will make you FEEL like you are doing more of a video show.

To me the owners of this, though I still love them for making it when i kept saying i should, as well as castblaster, make great products. But the price for vidblaster pro is outragius and i dont think i can find a justification other than they are price gouging just because of the higher and higher demand for making streaming or web content both audio and video. Now I am one to love to contribute to someone that is making something great, thats why I purchased CASTBLASTER. Great little program and nothing exactly out there like it yet. but now there are lots of other tools out there and really I like how vidblaster does is and yet I can still think of alot of ways he can change it to make it better.(I WORK IN TV, i am a chyron op, audio engineer and learning to direct on switchers) just so you know my background. Plus I do my own live show using castblaster, webcammax, camtwist and other products which in all cost in all less than 100 by far.

And see I see more that he makes it that you gotta buy pro so you can stream, well why the hell else do you want to use a program like this other than to stream? Ok yeah you guys can make a demo or tutorial but there are better programs out there for FREE for that as well. CAMSTUDIO is a free alternative for that.

So really i dont want to bitch much except to tell the owner that I really think this is a huge overcharge for what only it can do for you at this point. I can go ahead and list off the features and through photoshop recreate the UI for you to tell you exactly what will gain almost $400 bucks from me in order to use this program... but other than that... you should really think that since all these options are available for free almost even though they just dont have the UI of a tv production type.... doesn't mean you have to charge outrages prices for something i can skip to another page and get close to the same thing if i lay it out.

Now honestly.. i would love to join the vidblaster team, he might not like me now cause im telling him he is trying to rip people off in my opinion. I used the trial addition for about 3 hours and even streamed with it using ustream and what not. I see what it does, but I know what it needs way more just like folks like Geek Brief.tv and what not. I just dont think for that price, you are getting what you deserve. I feel that for 400 i better be getter way more than what this pro version does.

Can I get more feedback from the viewers and especially the attention of the creator on these things?

[AZPilot]

Dear Skettalee;

I've looked at some of the software that you have listed in your last post and I agree they are not all that expensive. Take WebCamMax, sure it does a lot of stuff to your video like make you look like a pirate. If you?re trying to produce some kind of professional looking video I doubt that putting on some fake hat and sunglasses are going to give you that, unless your making some kind kid?s video.

Remember this program is in its early stages, and it may not have all of the features of Tri Caster (a $10,00 program) but I think from the request that are being made in from some of the people on here Mike is going to have a pretty good program. So far I haven?t seen Mike respond to a feature request with ?No I will not implement that request into the program?. He usually says that he will look into adding it.

Now as far as I know Mike lives in a free society where he is able to lets say set what ever price he wants for it. Now if the majority of the people feel that the price is too high, they won?t buy his product. Thus forcing Mike out of his home and living next to the river and eating at the soup kitchen.

So if you think $340.00 is too much money the by all means buy the $85.00 Home version and you should be happy. But I think given time you will see that Vidblaster will be just as good if not better them some of the more expensive programs.

Just my two cents.

[Skettalee]

First and foremost yes webcam max does have the childish things in it that you can have a great time doing things for kids. But, if you look deep into the program, it does everything that Vidblaster does. And you saying that mike or whoever being able to charge anything he wants for it right now just proves my point even more. And even more, you yet gave me more reason to prove my point because that this program is in early development and still probably very crashy and yet more reason to hardly charge anything for any versions.

If I have the ability to play videos and audio as well as atleast 3 webcams and 2 or more sections of my computer as well as Picture and picture ability and still change between each one and turn up and down the levels of each and every element i want to run through my live stream and stream this to ustream then yes id pay the home price version right now and call it a day. But from what you said, you cant stream unless you pay almost 400. Thats ridiculous. You want to be a programmer and start off with this thing and get the support and help out there to make this thing better well you need to lower that price or take away home and pro versions. I am willing to bet that he is losing atleast 20 or 40 buyers per month that check this thing out and realize well if you cant stream with this thing and cant show picture in picture and what not, everything that camtwist can do FOR FREE.. well im taking my business elsewhere.

Im trying to help the development of this product and there is no justification for a price that high for something that does that little, just like I said, oh wait... it lets you press 1 or 2 or 3 to switch between cameras faster than having to use my mouse to click a drop down or whatever... but $340 to be able to do all that and stream? come on no really? Plus where is the area that you can have a database of audio files that are meta taggable to quickly search and trigger off on the show without having to have the audio feed video play over top of it.

I got alot I can say about this program that would not well know what, gotta go

[Skettalee]

Hey sorry, working and couldn't finish. Id love to hear to words of the creator though

[Tony]

Dear Skettalee;

I've looked at some of the software that you have listed in your last post and I agree they are not all that expensive. Take WebCamMax, sure it does a lot of stuff to your video like make you look like a pirate. If you?re trying to produce some kind of professional looking video I doubt that putting on some fake hat and sunglasses are going to give you that, unless your making some kind kid?s video.



we use those features in our adult show and it adds to the show.

[Skettalee]

Wait sorry thats not what I was getting at when I sad that. I thought you were describing the full program of WebCamMax as a kids made toy which its not. I see though, yeah alot of what it has, I could sure do without!

[Tony]

Wait sorry thats not what I was getting at when I sad that. I thought you were describing the full program of WebCamMax as a kids made toy which its not. I see though, yeah alot of what it has, I could sure do without!


and so the search continues.... ;)

[Skettalee]

Wait sorry thats not what I was getting at when I sad that. I thought you were describing the full program of WebCamMax as a kids made toy which its not. I see though, yeah alot of what it has, I could sure do without!


and so the search continues.... ;)



You lost me, but is Mike(i guess the main guy right?) reading all threads? Just wondering, cause I want to get in touch with the create of this. Matter of fact, tell the fool to let me make him a better logo too :-P

[Skettalee]

So mike... can you atleast explain your reason? That busy?

[AZPilot]

Yes Mike is the guy behind VidBlaster. From what I can tell he is the only one. So this is a one man operation and I'm not sure if this is full time for him.

[Pokesomi]

I am afraid that I agree with Skettalee. The price is just too high.

[Mike]

Due to high demand for a cheaper version I'll be releasing a new VidBlaster Home shortly that is priced considerably lower at US$ 195 and will feature both streaming and support for up to 2 cameras.

[Pokesomi]

by the way i have to ask can you make a version that only does 2 webcams and streams them? I would be willing to pay at the most 50US for it. Although I have a media center pc it severly lags when trying to use the software. Could you help me figure out a way to get it to use less memory? i only have 384 MB becuase of the way this computer is setup

[MarcusCarey]

Look:

I have been working with a variety of programs mentioned in this discussion for over 6 months trying to find the right fit.

Personally, I don't see anything out there for a windows based system as good as what Mike has created. They all have their limitations and quite frankly, VidBlaster is far superior in one very important area: The developer is totally engaged in making this program work.

Look, I am certain that some of my questions to him appear to be from a totally ignorant fool. Yet he takes the time to respond on these forum pages and otherwise.

His improvements so far have addressed nearly every concern expressed to him and he is constantly working on his program.

You are right in one regard. There are cheaper programs out there. But like my dad always said, you get what you pay for.

[Tony]

vidblaster was also mentioned on a vidcast and web site i go on allot called the dv show.

www.thedvshow.com in fact i will be interviewed soon on it..

[c11h17n2o2sna]

As far as I saw whilst scanning through the comments, nobody mentioned one VERY important thing. This program is rock solid. It's iron clad. It's a battleship of software.

I'm running a trial version. I paid $0. What do I get for nothing? Running 4 camera feeds (all at 30 fps), audio, overlays, transition effects, the ability to do screen capture, and tons more. And ALL without a single crash, burp, hiccup, or software freeze. Not once.

I do a weekly live broadcast show with it, all on the fly. I need a program that I can trust and depend on, that I don't have to always be wondering, "Hmmm... if I do this other thing, will my broadcast software crashing down?" That's Vid Blaster. I can't have that happen, and Vid Blaster is the program that I depend on and has NEVER let me down.

The fact of the matter is, Mike is one guy. ONE. Writing this software didn't happen overnight. He put a lot of personal time into it, I'm sure. He's not a company. He's not a team. He's not a franchise. He's Mike, and he did this alone. And the fact that one guy can put out a product of this caliber quality, and then be an active member of the community that uses his product and personally interact and answer questions justifies the price in spades.

I WILL be buying a full version key. Is it more expensive than the alternatives? Yup. Is it worth it? You betcha. What's the one thing that I can get with Vid Blaster that I can't get anywhere else that justifies it? Dependability.

:D

[natfunk71]

He needs more help. Maybe sell the project to a professional software developer?

[DerWinzer]

So finally, let me say thanks to both, Skettalee for starting the thread and insisting on his oppinion and than Mike for joining the idea of a little home version and having an insight with those who love the programm (as I still do with the podcasting prog from Mike) but can't spend that amount of money for using it occasionally. Regards from Dresden/Germany

[natfunk71]

As far as I saw whilst scanning through the comments, nobody mentioned one VERY important thing. This program is rock solid. It's iron clad. It's a battleship of software.
:D


I disagree 100% - VIDBlaster crashes, the UI is clumsy and inconsistent. I'll be keeping my eye on this software, but for now I consider it Mikes hobby. I'm this close to buying Tricaster Duo for 3 grand rather than pay the $1000 or even $500 for this lumbering hippo of an application.