Another couple weeks on the FW

[NorthStar]

Apr 1, 2010 13:43:49 GMT -5 emokid said:

i ran my emoQ today , i just couldnt wait for the update
And it seems perfectly fine to me , set the crosovers reasonably and keeps my settings when i power off ;D ;D
wery plesantly supprised , i thought all devices had these problems ?

It's because you're a smart one.

[NorthStar]

Apr 1, 2010 15:50:09 GMT -5 DYohn said:

Yes, I predicted those responses and I stand by my statements.

By the way, I am not "on the inside" of Emotiva, I am just a customer.

...And also an ex-submariner.

[NorthStar]

Apr 1, 2010 15:23:37 GMT -5 RayoVac said:

Apr 1, 2010 14:44:44 GMT -5 billmac said:

You think "some of us early adopters" are frustrated is a understatement especially if the initial release of the UMC-1 was not a "full-on product release". Again your positive attitude is to be commended but the same thing was said long before the UMC-1 was released. Now several months in to production the UMC-1 does not appear to be a market changer in its present form IMO.

Bill

I did not quote the whole thing... but I think Bill makes very good points here and nice rebuttal.

Of course he does, and not the first time either.

[LCSeminole]

Apr 1, 2010 20:34:31 GMT -5 mlkmgr said:

Mark,

According to Lonnie on March 16th, "hopefully released within a week". So there is a missed commitment. However, dan also gives the favorite generic line from emo: "we are very close".

according to dan's profile, he was logged in today at 7:34pm. he obviously sees what is transpiring, so his lack of updates leaves me to wonder what is going on?

why somebody other than a non-employed moderator cannot simply drop in and state an official update is beyond me. they need to hire PR rep as opposed to a creative director IMO.

Key word here by Lonnie is, "hopefully", his words didn't promise a date. Emotiva has been in a transition with the addition of a couple of new employees. I know many here would expect to see them hit the ground sprinting but let them get their feet wet.

[RSavage]

Apr 1, 2010 20:46:40 GMT -5 LCSeminole said:

Emotiva has been in a transition with the addition of a couple of new employees. I know many here would expect to see them hit the ground sprinting but let them get their feet wet.

I'm as big a fanboy as the next guy, but c'mon. A Creative Director isn't gonna do anything to get the FW sorted out. As far as communication goes, there's been time to fire the Twitter account back up and re-do the UMC product page.....maybe just a bit of an official update might be a good thing too?

I'm about 90% thrilled with my UMC.....but it sure would be nice if the sub eq worked sometime soon.

R

[LCSeminole]

Apr 1, 2010 20:59:48 GMT -5 RSavage said:

Apr 1, 2010 20:46:40 GMT -5 LCSeminole said:

Emotiva has been in a transition with the addition of a couple of new employees. I know many here would expect to see them hit the ground sprinting but let them get their feet wet.

I'm as big a fanboy as the next guy, but c'mon. A Creative Director isn't gonna do anything to get the FW sorted out. As far as communication goes, there's been time to fire the Twitter account back up and re-do the UMC product page.....maybe just a bit of an official update might be a good thing too?

I'm about 90% thrilled with my UMC.....but it sure would be nice if the sub eq worked sometime soon.

R

Rachel wasn't the only recent hire. I'm just saying that two less duties on their plate will "hopefully" allow them to direct more of their attention towards the much anticipated software update. That's simply all that I had implied. Nothing more, nothing less.

[mysticwizard]

Apr 1, 2010 19:56:09 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Apr 1, 2010 17:36:50 GMT -5 mysticwizard said:

That's the response I got back a little while ago when I wondered if PLIIz may be included in the firmware update.

Will someone please explain to me why this function is not important? It seems to me that for Home Theater applications it is important. And from what I read will continue to increase in importance as many new receivers are including it.. even in the lower end.

I'm using my UMC-1 for Home 2 channel music, AND Home Theater and gaming. So, this feature is one which Emotiva, at least for me, seems to have fallen behind on.

Regards,
Bill

When the studios encode discreet channels for things like "height" channels, and "wide"(aka DSX)channels, then I will be onboard. But they don't, so you get a post processing function that literally tries to "guesstimate"through a software function of what sounds should go through to these "height" and "wide" speakers in PLIIz and DSX. Ive heard enough out of them to think they are really worthless. Many times sounds that go through them, shouldnt be going through them.

Really want a better home theatre experience? Instead of buying an extra pair or pairs of speakers(and possibly amps) for these phantom post processing channels, your better off putting that money into improving what you have(like putting the money into better speakers,amps,sound treatments, RTA mics/software to tune your setup etc)in both equipment and even room setup.

WHen the studios start encoding their releases with new effect channels I'll be on the boat with everyone else. Until then I feel that alot of these post processing features are just tossed in to help sell units. Because who is going to want to buy the new years AV gear if its literally identical to last years minus a model # change? Noone really. AV companies have to toss in new features if they want to keep sales high.

Thats why I am big into real meat and potato features that can be used NOW, like Dolby TrueHD,DTS MA, good HDMI 1080p(which is very cool that Emo will upgrade to 1.4 to users later on so that 3D passthru will be available) switchers, 7.1 channels(which have been around for years, but the studios are just now starting to release some 7.1 encoded material, even though the vast majority is still 5.1), a good onboard xover/EQ function(which the Emo has one of the best out there)good onboard DACs,manual user presets etc.

When I look at some of these new 9.1/9.2/11.2 AVR's and processors I just scratch my head. In reality lots of these features will never really be used and the equipment will become outdated by the time some of the features really become plausible(if even at all).

Thanks for the opinion.. and explanation. Your statement... "I feel that alot of these post processing features are just tossed in to help sell units. Because who is going to want to buy the new years AV gear if its literally identical to last years minus a model # change? No one really. AV companies have to toss in new features if they want to keep sales high." ... is probably right on!

The real concern here for Emotiva, then, may be the potential loss of the under-educated, and therefore unappreciative - like me. I see all the "new" features, and don't want to be "left" out. However, there is also the concern of sacrificing quality for quantity.

Your response has given me something to consider.

Respectfully,
Bill

[ntrain42]

Apr 1, 2010 21:26:36 GMT -5 mysticwizard said:

Apr 1, 2010 19:56:09 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

When the studios encode discreet channels for things like "height" channels, and "wide"(aka DSX)channels, then I will be onboard. But they don't, so you get a post processing function that literally tries to "guesstimate"through a software function of what sounds should go through to these "height" and "wide" speakers in PLIIz and DSX. Ive heard enough out of them to think they are really worthless. Many times sounds that go through them, shouldnt be going through them.

Really want a better home theatre experience? Instead of buying an extra pair or pairs of speakers(and possibly amps) for these phantom post processing channels, your better off putting that money into improving what you have(like putting the money into better speakers,amps,sound treatments, RTA mics/software to tune your setup etc)in both equipment and even room setup.

WHen the studios start encoding their releases with new effect channels I'll be on the boat with everyone else. Until then I feel that alot of these post processing features are just tossed in to help sell units. Because who is going to want to buy the new years AV gear if its literally identical to last years minus a model # change? Noone really. AV companies have to toss in new features if they want to keep sales high.

Thats why I am big into real meat and potato features that can be used NOW, like Dolby TrueHD,DTS MA, good HDMI 1080p(which is very cool that Emo will upgrade to 1.4 to users later on so that 3D passthru will be available) switchers, 7.1 channels(which have been around for years, but the studios are just now starting to release some 7.1 encoded material, even though the vast majority is still 5.1), a good onboard xover/EQ function(which the Emo has one of the best out there)good onboard DACs,manual user presets etc.

When I look at some of these new 9.1/9.2/11.2 AVR's and processors I just scratch my head. In reality lots of these features will never really be used and the equipment will become outdated by the time some of the features really become plausible(if even at all).

Thanks for the opinion.. and explanation. Your statement... "I feel that alot of these post processing features are just tossed in to help sell units. Because who is going to want to buy the new years AV gear if its literally identical to last years minus a model # change? No one really. AV companies have to toss in new features if they want to keep sales high." ... is probably right on!

The real concern here for Emotiva, then, may be the potential loss of the under-educated, and therefore unappreciative - like me. I see all the "new" features, and don't want to be "left" out. However, there is also the concern of sacrificing quality for quantity.

Your response has given me something to consider.

Respectfully,
Bill

Bill, good thing to look at is what the studios themselves are doing in terms of encoding. Like right now the big thing is lossless audio in 5.1 and 7.1 surround formats(TrueHD/DTS MA). Most lossless formats are still going to be encoded 5.1 for the next few years with 7.1 slowly starting to filter in. The next big thing thats coming along as you may probably know is "3D". New spec processors and AVR's will need 1.4 HDMI spec to pass thru a 3D video signal. 3D is probably 2-3 years away at least before significant titles are released on Blu. Thankfully, people who buy the UMC-1 one now, will be able to send their units in for a swapout of the HDMI switcher within the next year, and the XMC-1 I guess will come with it right off the bat when its released.

So if you want a good high quality processor "where it counts" that will play all the mainstream meat in the next 4-5 years make sure it has:

A. DTS MA/ Dolby TrueHD in 5.1/7.1 channels
B. 1080p HDMI switcher with 1.4spec for 3D video
C. Good quality decoding DACs for HT(THe UMC-1 has good solid units for theatre)
D. A high quality EQ/Xover function per individual channel to get the most from your speakers(The UMC-1 has one of the best functions here period, especially the Xover)with preferrably a few manual presets.

The rest of the features that you find floating(specifically post processing functions like PLIIz,DSX,extra channels like 9.2/11.2 etc)around really are not needed.

Think about buying a performance car. What really matters is whats under the hood. All the extra add on features like cup holders, electric door locks, heated seats etc really dont make it go any faster or add anything to the performance.

[BillBauman]

Apr 1, 2010 21:51:35 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Think about buying a performance car. What really matters is whats under the hood. All the extra add on features like cup holders, electric door locks, heated seats etc really dont make it go any faster or add anything to the performance.

I think this point highlights it all best. You're a purist. You want a performance car to be fast, everything else is secondary. You want your audio to sound the way it was produced, not with any modifications. That's all fine.

Every "pure" performance car ever intended to be sold to Americans in volume has failed. The BMW M-series lineup is loaded with heavy, drag-inducing sunroofs, air conditioning, multi-disc players, heated/cooled/electric/100-way seats, etc., etc.

If you want to ensure that you can guarantee sales to <1% of the market, build the purist product. If you want to open yourself up to >90% of the market, start adding "worthless" features, you might be surprised at how many people find worthless things useful. Especially considering that most of the "performance" audio devices aren't often used for pure performance, but rather, enjoyment. And I don't care how fast I'm going through the desert with the cabin at 160 degrees, only race car drivers - and purists - do.

[ntrain42]

Apr 2, 2010 0:08:12 GMT -5 BillBauman said:

Apr 1, 2010 21:51:35 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Think about buying a performance car. What really matters is whats under the hood. All the extra add on features like cup holders, electric door locks, heated seats etc really dont make it go any faster or add anything to the performance.

I think this point highlights it all best. You're a purist. You want a performance car to be fast, everything else is secondary. You want your audio to sound the way it was produced, not with any modifications. That's all fine.

Every "pure" performance car ever intended to be sold to Americans in volume has failed. The BMW M-series lineup is loaded with heavy, drag-inducing sunroofs, air conditioning, multi-disc players, heated/cooled/electric/100-way seats, etc., etc.

If you want to ensure that you can guarantee sales to <1% of the market, build the purist product. If you want to open yourself up to >90% of the market, start adding "worthless" features, you might be surprised at how many people find worthless things useful. Especially considering that most of the "performance" audio devices aren't often used for pure performance, but rather, enjoyment. And I don't care how fast I'm going through the desert with the cabin at 160 degrees, only race car drivers - and purists - do.

Hehe, trust me, the UMC-1 has quite a few "A/C" features as well. But it packs it where it counts and then some.

[NorthStar]

^ My man!

[bootman]

People are now getting emails that their UMC are ready to ship.
Assuming these have the new firmware, where is the download for current users?

[threxx]

Apr 2, 2010 7:50:36 GMT -5 bootman said:

People are now getting emails that their UMC are ready to ship.
Assuming these have the new firmware, where is the download for current users?

I fear the opposite scenario. The new firmware is so far away that they've given up on holding back shipments.

[lonewolf]

Apr 2, 2010 8:07:26 GMT -5 threxx said:

Apr 2, 2010 7:50:36 GMT -5 bootman said:

People are now getting emails that their UMC are ready to ship.
Assuming these have the new firmware, where is the download for current users?

I fear the opposite scenario. The new firmware is so far away that they've given up on holding back shipments.

Ye of little faith.

[billmac]

Apr 2, 2010 7:50:36 GMT -5 bootman said:

People are now getting emails that their UMC are ready to ship.
Assuming these have the new firmware, where is the download for current users?

Maybe the people that are getting e-mails made the choice to get units that have the current FW. If I recall that was an option given by Emotiva to get a UMC-1 sooner than waiting for the updated FW.

Bill

[1derbar]

Apr 2, 2010 9:06:18 GMT -5 billmac said:

Apr 2, 2010 7:50:36 GMT -5 bootman said:

People are now getting emails that their UMC are ready to ship.
Assuming these have the new firmware, where is the download for current users?

Maybe the people that are getting e-mails made the choice to get units that have the current FW. If I recall that was an option given by Emotiva to get a UMC-1 sooner than waiting for the updated FW.

Bill

This isn't the case for me, at least. I got the email telling me my UMC-1 would be shipping shortly and asking for my credit card number, and I was never presented with any option to get the UMC-1 before or after any FW update.

[BillBauman]

Apr 2, 2010 0:25:16 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Hehe, trust me, the UMC-1 has quite a few "A/C" features as well. But it packs it where it counts and then some.

It is a generally, overall, excellent balance, yes.

[visiter555]

Apr 2, 2010 7:50:36 GMT -5 bootman said:

People are now getting emails that their UMC are ready to ship.
Assuming these have the new firmware, where is the download for current users?

I am not at all sure, but if it was with new firmware we certainly would have heard it loud and clear.

I suspect the shipping may have started again due more to cashflow issues than anything else.

[raylock]

Apr 2, 2010 12:15:36 GMT -5 visiter555 said:

I suspect the shipping may have started again due more to cashflow issues than anything else.

Well, maybe, but I suspect their main cash cow is the amp business. Fortunately those continue to be high quality and very marketable products. Plus they just started shipping subwoofers. I'm sure that the UMC's are affecting cash flow but I am not worried about that aspect of their business (but, of course this is pure speculation since I don't have any direct knowledge about their business).

[hemster]

Yes, of course it's all speculation and conjecture since none of us really know what's going on with their business finances. That's not any of our business anyway. I'm sure that they're financially sound as a business entity.

I fail to see how this Henny-penny, the sky is falling! attitude really helps matters..