What's gone wrong with DivX and the Connected product?
I've been using this product since 2007, have 3 of them and have been a positive proponent of it since it's launch. I bought into its ease of use, wonderful GUI, and believed that time would provide a strong development trajectory in making this the number 1 streamer on the market.
However, I can't hide my frustration at the current state of affairs. In particular, the lack of communication, lack of updates and lack of development on the part of DivX has already been echoed by many. I appreciate that economic difficulties and the challenge in recruiting additional hardware partners other than D-Link hasn't helped in the continued support or advancement of the product. However, one must judge the player on its own merits. To this end, some of my general disappointments include:
- COMMUNICATION - We simply don't hear a word from DivX these days except for the odd technical glitch. It's a sad contrast to back in 2007/early 2008 when DivX had a great presence on these forums and where firmware/feature suggestions got feedback etc...
- DEVELOPMENT - Development over the 18 month life of this product (MKV support apart) has been slow and ultimately disappointing. Some features have been warmly welcomed but honestly, some of these eg 'music sorting/recently added' could have been implemented 12 months ago. Native transcoding should also have been done at the beginning as codec support was the 330's major weakness. Even now, some audio codecs eg DTS/AAC still can't be played (with the exception of Kamiwa's hack).
- Failure to implement some of the most common and prominent user requests & misjudging user requirements. For example, this overemphasis on plug-ins vs. video/music features. Look at the competition, the emphasis and development is the other way around and their products to date are more succesful eg TVix, PopCorn..
- Sadly, this forum seems to be fading (in contrast to the active communities from some of the competition eg PCH). I see some users changing to other streaming devices and this is unfortunate. I do hope its not a reflection of the product's future outlook.
With that in mind, I hate to be overly negative, if nothing but for potential customers who may be viewing this forum. The 330 remains a superb device. All that was good about it remains intact and i would still recommend it for the average user (certainly above a lot of the competition). Still, it's hard not to feel that by now, it could have been so much more. Here's hoping that it will yet fulfill the potential we all believed in.
I'm going to have to agree. I'm pretty bummed out that I chose the Divx Connected over the PopcornHour box. I was wowed by the menus and plugins, and now am extremely disappointed with the lack of 1080p support and terrible mkv performance. I'll eventually replace it with the PCH box in the near future and probably give the Divx box away to a family member. Its useful, but definitely not the best product out there for the price (you can get the PCH for pretty much the same price).
-Kacy
I checked the forums in the beginning everyday. Looked if i can get everything running. But well i was annoyed. It wasn't easy to find the correct firmware. That took some time. Later then the inactivity here from Divx... Didn't saw an answer in some time.
Then in February(i think it was) a DivX man said: "Next Update comes in the end of July" So i thought: "wtf 5months" and then on the list are 5 fixes and 2 dont work. (as it is atm) Nice...
So i thought i just sell my Connected and go to another device with support. Choosed the Popcorn Hour and really iam happy with it.
A User asked me to compare the Divx Connected with the Popcorn Hour(short: PCH). But really its not fair to compare this 2 devices. DivX is a streaming device. PCH can play via USB and a internal HDD too. And can stream via wireless with the "Popcorn Hour WN-100" Stick. A Draft N stick. The update works wireless or via cable over the internet. Thats now so easy for me!
DivX Connected is as it is now really too expensive. Not because of missing support of audio/video formats. Its about bugs in the firmware and the divx connected software itself. And not to forget about missing supporters from DivX itself. Just spend more money on the PCH and i guarantee you will be happy!
DSM-330= 179€
PCH= 219€
Just 40€ more for really muuuuuuch more! (Germany price)
DivX had a very good potential as a streaming device but DivX just didn't care.
*thumbs down*
Greetings Firbel
Like everyone else I would like to echo your views and sentiments.
When I purchased the box one of the reasons was the tremendous forum, it was almost a direct line to the developers.
I'm the same as Schwarz and presumably many others - I check the forum every day.
I'm not considering other products because it does what I want it to do but it would be nice to see more development, communication, feedback etc
The last time this type of subject came up I suggested that it would be nice to hear a (any) response from DivX. But of course there was no response
DivX?
I could not agree more. One and half years ago I bought myself a DSM-330 and I was impressed by the potential of this device. The connunity forum started and somebody posted a wishlist for future development. It was an active community of enthusiastic users.
One year later nearly none of this wishes were fullfilled and the the wishes of us users became smaller. The main thing: fix the bugs (like track sorting, music stutter etc.). A member of divx posted a poll at that time with the title "How should DivX Connected improve?". Many users responded and new hope was in the air.
Again 6 months later (today), it seems that nobody at divx ever read that poll. No response, no changes towards the users wishes. And the poll itself is not even in the poll section of this forum. So nobody can find it. Is this the interest of divx in their users opinion? (If you want to see the poll: http://labs.divx.com/node/7599)
If a company ignores their customers in such a consistent way, it's no wonder that the customers go on to another company. You can see it in this forum, only 10 posts in two weeks in this section. That means only one thing, your customers are gone.
I was one of those enthusiastic user who believed in the potential of the device and I already think it's the device with the best ui experience on the market. But after all waiting (f.e. the really annoying music stutter bug was first reported nearly a year ago and is already not fixed) I, like many others, lost the faith in the development and switched to another device.
It's a shame that a product with such potential is killed in such a way.
Hi fkm
I'm sharing your opinion - from time to time I catch myself thinking about a Windows 7 Media Center in my living room. But I would realy appreciate beeing able to stay with Divx Connected.
Carsten
Incredibly, I still visit this forum every day to see if there is anything of interest, but there NEVER is! Have DivX given up on this product? Is there anyone still working on Connected??
I simply do not comprehend why DivX don't spend more effort on making this a better product. It's good but it could be brilliant. It could be THE product.
Come on DivX!
I'm with you fkm.
I've finally given up on connected as DivX has.
While it's potential is true, DivX is seeing it as a failure.
If they could just get an HD device out (native 1080p h.264 support) they could leverage the DivX 7 codec license (maybe....).
However, there DivX 7 / plus is losing aswell.
No multiple audio streams, subtitle support or decent encoder (converter is, and has allways been crap!).
What is needed has been said over and over again, so i'm not going to waste my time repeating it all.
(If anyone at divx still doesn't know, they can contact me. But as i know they're not reading any of this, they will not)
In it's current state i'll be walking away from this product.
Maybe you should too........
a very common thread is being repeated here but in different words and ever more RECENT voices following on from past themes.
I'll start out and summarize firstly try this, the Connected Jukebox plugin
http://labs.divx.com/node/7635
firstly forget the economic downturn, innovative tangible goods should support a major part of the economy, if the platform was developed it stood a chance but a a difficult chance of then convincing top tier manufacturers that integration of divx connected was worth the money - bosses of telly companies dont appear to catch on as quick as enthusiasts, and that is what we are.
anyway in response to an earlier post, i can understand divx concentrating on plugins; i'm guessing they were hoping for mass user support [the origin of divx in the first place community support?], sorry i mean development/input to take the platform off the ground but it shouldn't have been such a one or the other approach and divx staff should have encouraged momentum by regular updates/fixes to requests.
in terms of user development, i dont care too much about plugins that give me access to random rss feeds and collection of remote videos that i'm not too concerned with. I want development to enrich my local experience and utilize my local content in all its glory; "Connected Jukebox" is a classic example of a user developed plugin that enhances your OWN media collection and one which should be followed. there have also been attempts at movie database plugins but these have not been developed enough; all these plugins should have been taken onboard and supported by the DIVX development team in a more proactive manner.
divx's customers [i thought] are still here, even though many of the community voice their discern many are still here waiting patiently updates [me for one]; i often browse the forums to see what developments there are [but, yes i also get disheartened by the lack of posts]. Although i must say it comes as a blow to see Schwarz's final dispair [i know he's been holding out from saying those words]
i too wonder about development and how this platform will progress and how divx staff expect it to progress without developement and encouragement from themselves. i still for the time being hold out hope...but i'm glad my livelihood doesnt depend on it.
maybe one day say in two years time when the platform is dead/moved on their will be true development for this little box and a few gems of well programmed plugins emerge.
dont get me wrong i still think this platform has hope. I was drawn to it by its fast UI and adaptability.
It's a real shame DivX don't pass any comment here (though I see in another thread a new release is forthcoming - more language support and bug fixes. Hardly revolutionary development of the product. It looks like we are simply in maintenance mode here.
It's sad considering the product emerged with a wave of user enthusiasm.
Schwarz, a good presence on these forums, took the time a while back to draw up a great list of functional improvements which could be implemented (particuarly the quick-wins) but again, nothing much has come of that.
Keroliukas started a really great wishlist at Connunity a long time ago but sadly not much has come from it either.
The DivX poll, a glimmer of hope for those who thought consensus would finally influence development, ended up being a complete shambles. The 5 proposed 'areas of development' were so high level incl 'bug fixes' and the strategic 'Get Connected on more network devices' that really nothing of any value could have been gained. The features that had been asked by the majority on this forum were conspicuous by their absence. The fact the poll was not even made a sticky etc shows just how important DivX views their user opinions in prioritising development.
People simply lose interest if their well-intentioned suggestions and ideas, particularly those voiced by a majority, fail to ever be reflected in the development of the product.