DiyLightAnimation
Software => Light Show Pro => Topic started by: ptone on August 07, 2012,
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http://www.lightshowpro.com/blogs/admin/93-minleon-purchase-industry-s-premier-rgb-light-show-pro-software.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=lsp_sync
Can't say I'm not dubious about what this means for the future of the software...
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and I was just about to spend the $150 and upgrade to the 32k version before my year was up....
dunno now
Myk
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I wonder if it has something to do with the website forums being broken for some time know and the reason I can not get anyone to answer support requests.
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What is this? Stimulus III? Ugh.
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Before anybody goes off speculating anything I recommend that we all patiently await the transition.
Not even the Beta group was advised about the purchase. If it was some kind of stock purchase there are a lot of rules and governmental regulations that control when and what can be said during such a transaction. The SEC is not an agencey to mess with.
Hey we buy lights from China all the time.
I'm going to take a wait and see attitude for now.
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I wonder if it has something to do with the website forums being broken for some time know and the reason I can not get anyone to answer support requests.
REALLY??????
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WOW!!! Talk about the rug being pulled out from under you!!!!!!! While I am EXTREMELY happy for David, this really S***S (can I say that here?) for us LSP and DIY users!!!!!
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That would explain why he pulled the sale, Just would have been nice to explain it to everyone
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REALLY??????
Yep, 2 weeks trying to get into the support area of the forum and three e-mails sent directly with no reply. My web account is can not access areas of the site now (it had no problems in the past). Someone did resend the activation code I already had after the second e-mail. But no offer of support yet... This is a definite change from my experience in the past, which was ALWAYS positive. It likely has nothing to do with the buyout, but I can tell the that something has definitely changed.
All in all, I am happy for David, as he built a successful product that has been a benefit to us all and think he should be praised for his contribution to our hobby.
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Minleon makes most of the dimmable retrofit c9,s and c7's our vendors use. I saw a test strand of an rgb string running at the Academy made by Minleon I believe.
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Before anybody goes off speculating anything I recommend that we all patiently await the transition.
Not even the Beta group was advised about the purchase. If it was some kind of stock purchase there are a lot of rules and governmental regulations that control when and what can be said during such a transaction. The SEC is not an agencey to mess with.
Hey we buy lights from China all the time.
I'm going to take a wait and see attitude for now.
Agreed!!!!!!!
Let this play out.( quote of the week <fp.) It's business. I hope the support for the flexibility of protocol's will continue and not become a prioritized software. If the support stays in place. Support will go up and this may all work out for the better for everyone. Congradulations David!!!!! <res.
animal
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Congratulations David!
West Tawakoni, TX
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REALLY??????
Yep, 2 weeks trying to get into the support area of the forum and three e-mails sent directly with no reply. My web account is can not access areas of the site now (it had no problems in the past). Someone did resend the activation code I already had after the second e-mail. But no offer of support yet... This is a definite change from my experience in the past, which was ALWAYS positive. It likely has nothing to do with the buyout, but I can tell the that something has definitely changed.
All in all, I am happy for David, as he built a successful product that has been a benefit to us all and think he should be praised for his contribution to our hobby.
Support for??????
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Before anybody goes off speculating anything I recommend that we all patiently await the transition.
Not even the Beta group was advised about the purchase. If it was some kind of stock purchase there are a lot of rules and governmental regulations that control when and what can be said during such a transaction. The SEC is not an agencey to mess with.
Hey we buy lights from China all the time.
I'm going to take a wait and see attitude for now.
Agreed!!!!!!!
Let this play out.( quote of the week <fp.) It's business. I hope the support for the flexibility of protocol's will continue and not become a prioritized software. If the support stays in place. Support will go up and this may all work out for the better for everyone. Congradulations David!!!!! <res.
animal
Sorry, I certainly hope I am wrong on this, but I can't see a company that makes LED lighting and products(controllers!) being user friendly toward DIY equipment that mainly uses another manufacturers lighting products. It may work out that we have a new supplier of product, but I just don't know about that..........
George
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+1
Sent from my Charge by Tapatalk
RJ
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urthegman,
I can only hope you are correct on the additional supplier, perhaps competition will push prices on RGB lights down some.
It will just depend what role David continues to play in LSP.
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+1
Sent from my Charge by Tapatalk
RJ
WOW! To be plus oned by RJ, is like receiving the highest honor EVERRRRRR!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D LOL
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I think we need to wait and see what their plans are. The questions like who will be the creative person going forward will probably be made clearer.
As an aside, i was contacted by this company two months ago. They wanted to talk about taking Nutcracker and using it to make effects for something that i would describe as a Mr Christmas II. It was not a very good match and i politely declined.
David was the visionary and architect for LSP. He was missing the group whose job is to increase stability and improve response time to tickets. Maybe this will work out for better. If this company invests some programming dollars.
just need to wait and see.
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Minleon makes most of the dimmable retrofit c9,s and c7's our vendors use. I saw a test strand of an rgb string running at the Academy made by Minleon I believe.
Yes, Keith that was from Minleon. Talked to Jeff T about them, cost was around $300 for the string of 100, I think. Nice for a roof border but the spacing was to long for mega tree.
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Got this back....
Hi - thank you for the correspondance of below. We at Minleon look forward working with you and the other users of LSP. Please be assured that all licenses, upgrade periods, and the like will remain in tact as the business transitions to Minleon, that is Minleon has made a full committment to honor all existing obligations of LSP as they relate to user contracts. Regarding V2.5, the transition of ownership to Minleon will not delay its release, please stand by for further information as we progress towards its release. THX Dean, Minleon USA.
> Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2012 02:00:15 -0600
> From: xxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx
> To: minleonusa@live.com
> Subject: License
>
> I am a current registered user of LightShow Pro V2 - now that this
> company has been sold to you - what is the status of all our licenses,
> and upgrades periods that were purchased from David?
Myk
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Great Myk,
I just sent this out to them. Waiting for a respose. <pop.. (all will be good)
animal
Congratulations to your resent acquisition of Light Show Pro. Please understand that I am not affiliated with LSP, but am a avid user and supporter. I hope the future you have planned for this product will continue to support the DIY community by supporting the flexibility with in the protocols and variety of controllers this software supports. I know during this time of transition is critical for you, but if some sort of statement can be communicated even emailed back to me a statement , so I may share with the DIY format.
Thank you, and again congratulations on your venture,
Bill
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I was a little more blunt ;D. I sent them this: Here is a little information for you as the new owners of LSP, I for one will NOT be forced, persuaded, or tricked into using any of your products just because you are the new owners of the program. If the program even hints at not being able to support any of the current protocols or equipment, I simply will no longer use it. I am not a litigious kind of person, but push me the wrong way and ........... >:D
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:) This was my message to them...
To: minleonusa@live.com
Subject: LightShow Pro announcement
I received word today that LightShow Pro was purchased by your company.
As a current customer of LightShow Pro, I look forward to continuing with LSP as my preferred sequencing software.
I have been pleased with the past approach of LSP as a SOFTWARE solution -- which attempts to unify hardware solutions from many vendors.
I have developed software for Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Sun and Microsoft and I have found (in my experience) that software can be a successful product in its own right. It can help sell hardware by making your hardware products work great with that software... but you are able to bring people to your software and sometimes prevent others from filling this need... by working well with your competitor's hardware as well.
Best of luck with your purchase!
Steve Gase (DIY hobbiest AND influencer for others coming to the hobby)
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I was a little more blunt ;D. I sent them this: Here is a little information for you as the new owners of LSP, I for one will NOT be forced, persuaded, or tricked into using any of your products just because you are the new owners of the program. If the program even hints at not being able to support any of the current protocols or equipment, I simply will no longer use it. I am not a litigious kind of person, but push me the wrong way and ........... >:D
That seems a little harsh until I see any evidence of it occuring. While this is scary, my hope is they will continue supporting us DIYers and it is still too early to assume they wont. Perhaps this could be the reason David had to drop out of the Academy but wasn't allowed to explain why. Non-disclosures and such.
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I hope they stand behind all of LSP's purchase agreements and don't screw us on updates, additional charges, etc.
Good time for LOR to step up to the plate.
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Ok guys. Here's the response. Don't for get to start at the bottom.
animal <rtt..
Dean,
Thank you for the support.
Bill
From: Dean - Minleon USA
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2012 11:59 AM
To: wildbillfl@verizon.net
Subject: RE: Light Show Pro Acquisition
Hi Bill - thank you for the correspondence of below, it is appreciated. We at Minleon look forward working with you and the other users of LSP.
Regarding your items of below, Minleon understands the importance of a 'robust' relationship with the DIY community and does plan on continuing to support the DIY community, including the flexibility with the protocols and the variety of controllers the software supports.
Regarding the 'plans' going forward. David and Minleon plan a 'seemless' transition, including continuing the current v2.5 'beta process' to its previously planned end. The transfer of the business to Minleon will not effect its process, or David's participation thereof. Further, the process will not be delayed. Further, we expect no major changes, operationally or pricing-wise, as we move forward.
In closing, I will be issuing a 'follow-up' statement this evening on the LSP website assuring all current user of this, but please feel free to share with the DIY community immediately as you see fit. And again, thank you for your comments/suggestions!
Dean of Minleon USA.
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From: wildbillfl@verizon.net
To: minleonusa@live.com
Subject: Light Show Pro Acquisition
Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2012 11:18:47 -0400
Congratulations to your resent acquisition of Light Show Pro. Please understand that I am not affiliated with LSP, but am a avid user and supporter. I hope the future you have planned for this product will continue to support the DIY community by supporting the flexibility with in the protocols and variety of controllers this software supports. I know during this time of transition is critical for you, but if some sort of statement can be communicated even emailed back to me a statement , so I may share with the DIY format.
Thank you, and again congratulations on your venture,
Bill
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I was a little more blunt ;D. I sent them this: Here is a little information for you as the new owners of LSP, I for one will NOT be forced, persuaded, or tricked into using any of your products just because you are the new owners of the program. If the program even hints at not being able to support any of the current protocols or equipment, I simply will no longer use it. I am not a litigious kind of person, but push me the wrong way and ........... >:D
That seems a little harsh until I see any evidence of it occuring. While this is scary, my hope is they will continue supporting us DIYers and it is still too early to assume they wont. Perhaps this could be the reason David had to drop out of the Academy but wasn't allowed to explain why. Non-disclosures and such.
My way of saying "Don't even THINK about it" and "Forewarned is Forearmed", in the meantime, I've converted all my .msq files to .lms files, just in case. And thanks Animal, I can breathe again ::)!!!!
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The response...
Hi Steve - thank you for the correspondence of below, it is valuable and appreciated. We at Minleon look forward working with you and the other users of LSP.
Going forward, Minleon understands the importance of a 'robust' relationship with the DIY community and does plan on continuing to support the DIY community, including the flexibility with the protocols and the variety of controllers the software supports.
Again, THX for the comments, and i look forward in working with you.
Dean of Minleon USA.
:) This was my message to them...
To: minleonusa@live.com
Subject: LightShow Pro announcement
I received word today that LightShow Pro was purchased by your company.
As a current customer of LightShow Pro, I look forward to continuing with LSP as my preferred sequencing software.
I have been pleased with the past approach of LSP as a SOFTWARE solution -- which attempts to unify hardware solutions from many vendors.
I have developed software for Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Sun and Microsoft and I have found (in my experience) that software can be a successful product in its own right. It can help sell hardware by making your hardware products work great with that software... but you are able to bring people to your software and sometimes prevent others from filling this need... by working well with your competitor's hardware as well.
Best of luck with your purchase!
Steve Gase (DIY hobbiest AND influencer for others coming to the hobby)
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I agree with MrChristmass2000. We should wait to see what will happen. So far lps has produced a good product. And he is right in saying most if not all of the lights we buy are from China.
Who knows, maybe we'll see faster development in the program and give us more to look forward to. The industry is and will change faster then we can sometimes keep up with. Change sometimes is a good thing.
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Support for??????
The title of the thread says LSP, so that should give you a clue.... ;D
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<la..
I was tempeted to use the <rtt..
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Support for??????
The title of the thread says LSP, so that should give you a clue.... ;D
You can be as vague as you like, but searching over at LSP all I could see from the grand total of 5 posts(as a guest) over there is that you built two controller boards and wanted/expected to use a protocol that you also wrote yourself with LSP and that you wanted the demo period extended. So now I know exactly what you didn't get support for and understand why, thanks.
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You can be as vague as you like, but searching over at LSP all I could see from the grand total of 5 posts(as a guest) over there is that you built two controller boards and wanted/expected to use a protocol that you also wrote yourself with LSP and that you wanted the demo period extended. So now I know exactly what you didn't get support for and understand why, thanks.
Wow...
Since this is a hobby focused towards the happiness and good-will of the holiday season, I will take the high road and ignore the fact that you are calling me a liar. I have never met you in person, so I will also refrain from forming any character judgements about you.
To clarify your understanding, it may help if you did a few things....
1. Look at the date of the posts you mentioned, they happened back at the time I when I indicated that I had good support.
2. Realize that I just purchased an upgrade to LSP v2.0, advanced license, and that I might need support for importing my existing Vixen sequences. (See my signature... I have been using Vixen).
3. Re-read my first post to this thread which indicates that I am having problems accessing the LSP website.
4. Ask yourself how it would be possible for me to make a new post to the LSP forums, if my account complains about having insufficient permissions?
5. Ask yourself why my account account worked fine in the past but does not now?
6. Ask yourself what a reasonable amount of time to wait for an admin or someone from LSP is to answer an e-mail requesting support to fix my account.
7. Ask yourself what may have changed at LSP?
This is my final post on this subject as these types of flame posts are not really in the spirit of what this hobby is all about I prefer to keep things positive. You can PM me if you feel the need to discuss further...
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I have an interesting question why did they buy it?
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I have an interesting question why did they buy it?
i can only speculate. This company contacted me 2-3 months ago wanting to use the nutcracker. I dont know if they still have the same vision but we were talking about something like a Mr Christmas on Steroids. Consumer picks various hardware (sold by them) that will be driven by a controller and turn all of this into a wonderful christmas display. They have a nationwide distribution channel and factories back in china. i think they see an opportunity to expand into the consumer market. They wanted to use nutcracker to sequence their hardware, i told them nutcracker was not really the right vehicle. they needed something that is a sequencer more like vixen or lsp.
this may have nothing to do with what they want
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Hi folks,
Please keep all comments on a friendly level or topic can be locked. :)
If you feel upset by something then please take a short break and come back happy.
Thanks
Rick R.
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Put yourself in Davids shoes, you create a specialty piece of software that hundreds of people like and buy but not enough to allow you to quit your day job. So now your work a eight hour day and then have to work another six to eight hours on programming and taking care of customers. Then along comes a company that offers to buy your program but wants to keep you in charge of programming and development. This allows you to hand over all the day to day to stuff to someone else and you just have to do the programming plus get paid for your time. Like RJ is doing with the commercial version of the express this could be a good thing and what I have seen from Minleon USA regarding the purchase I don't see anything to worry about, but time will tell. Also as to the sale in most cases in this type of business transaction there is nothing (news wise) released from either company to the sale is finalized.
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Companies do not buy other companies for the joy of it. There was something in LSP that they wanted to use to improve their current situation. Lets be honest about all this. LSP is a niche company, (and a very good one at that), but a very small niche. And since LSP doesn't have the distribution channels, some patent, or some other technology that is not unique to this market. We can only assume that Minleon wanted the rights to use the code from LSP to better their equipment or to introduce a new product. Purchasing LSP was the best advantage for them whether is was due to time or money, but they felt that the LSP code would be their best choice. This is solely based on my experience in the corporate buy outs and the small companies being bought out by larger ones. Minleon did not buy LSP to continue to sell it to hobbyist and to do business as usual. I doubt their CEOs sat around and said Lets get into the lighting software business and take on LOR. They wanted the code to use in their existing products and/or to build new ones that can benefit from Daves code.
I'm sure for the next several years we can count on LSP v2.5 to be around and supported. We can only hope that in the mid term, 3 or more yrs down the road, that Minion does not decide to kill the LightShow Pro product as a stand alone application and that they continue to make it available to end users. Only time will tell. But we can be sure that the LSP code, in whole or in part, will be used in other products manufactured by Minleon. Minleon bought LSP for their benefit, not ours. I'v seen too many good software packages be striped and used in other products and the original application die. Its up to us now to remind Minleon of how important this software is to the lighting community and encourage them not to let the stand alone software program to die over the years. And who knows maybe Minleon will get into the software business and improve and continue to grow LightShow Pro as a hobbyist light control software.
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Well said.
I think the good part is the LSP already has support of more hardware and protocols than anything else on the market and even if they add proprietary minleon support going forward, the foundation to support us is already there.
They might even opt to split the software into a professional product that competes with Madrix, etc ... and then the existing LSP product which ranges from entry level to pro-sumer grade depending on license.
Who knows. I just know as has already been mentioned that David hasn't had much of payday for all the years and hours he's put into this. They guy needs to pay the bills like the rest of us ... and he either sells it and finally gets a payday worth remembering ... or he continues to struggle with the real job and doing LSP on the side and never quite getting the critical mass due to limited market here. I give David credit for finally addressing the core issues of LSP the last couple years and having a real test team involved to fix the things which were tainting the software previously.