Farewell...
by Mike Stroven
on
Apr 20, 2007 at 1:28:38 pm
Following is a copy of a posting I made in the AJA Io forum:
I'm assuming that the posting will be pulled from there, but I believe Ron will let it stand here in this forum. Call it a brief synopsis of my experience working watching Apple after almost 10 years of developing video editing solutions for Macintosh, and a farewell to this community.
The list of 3rd party hardware developers that Apple has screwed is long. When they pick a partner to "get in bed with", they end up kicking them to the curb within a year or two.
Start with Matrox and FCP 1.0 in OS9. Matrox was chosen to help Apple achieve RT processing. Once Apple had a good handle on the process, they sucked in into FCP 2.0, obsoleting the "RTMac" product overnight.
Pinnacle was next with their "Cinewave". Apple implemented countless Pinnacle-specific functions and enabler tags into FCP, and didn't document them. When other manufacturers had trouble with implementation, they received cryptic references to tags with no descriptions.
Then there was the "Apple Pro Io"... Since Apple developed the Io and its driver (the driver is part of FCP), you'd think that all of the competing 3rd party hardware suppliers would have variants. Instead, Apple picked AJA to partner with, and gave them exclusive rights to the uncompressed-over-firewire protocol, as well as millions of dollars of free advertising. When other 3rd party manufacturers attempted to reverse-engineer the protocol they were met with threats from Apple. Anyone here remember the one day that ProMax was showing their Io-type product. It was pulled from their site the next day. I wonder why? Couldn't be because they are one of the largest independent Apple dealers, and Apple has some influence on whether they keep that status....
When the movie, "Cold Mountain" was released, the various video and storage companies involved went to Apple for help with a joint marketing campaign, but instead were met with another slap in the face. Apple was running a two-page ad with Cold Mountain featured on the screen of a system including an AJA Io, and an Apple RAID. Apple representatives told these companies to "just drop it."
Even though starting strong that year, Aurora Video Systems had their lowest sales year in their 7 year history. The decision was made to never again have a majority of their business tied to the whim of Apple Computer. Sadly, being the only exclusively-Macintosh provider in the market, hurt Aurora the worst. Their loyalty to Apple products and Apple customers left them destitute from trying to compete with Apple directly. When the layoffs were over, and the owner's investment completely dried up, they left to pursue other interests, and to try to again build up a cash base for retirement.
Today, with yet another example of Apple favoring one hardware maker over the others, you have the IoHD. Great box. However, if Apple truly wanted a broad range of competitive suppliers (the lip-service they always had for Aurora), they wouldn't do these "exclusive" partnerships. It's unfair, it's anti-competitive, and it sucks. I'm sooo glad I'm no longer in that business. The sad thing is that Aurora led that market in features and technology for years, and Apple was always clueless about it. They still don't have a clue what a film workflow looks like. Last time I checked, FCP still couldn't handle a QT timecode input correctly.. The ability to output a video stream with an alpha channel was a request that Aurora made to Apple engineers. Funny how a year later AJA was shipping such a feature...
Everyone loves being an Apple user, but being an Apple developer is a totally different gig. Even AJA hedged their bets by developing Windoze drivers for their stuff, and by supporting open-source stuff like the RaveHD.
Apple is just small enough that these practices go unnoticed, but these are the types of behavior that Microsoft has been slapped down for on numerous occassions... That's what I meant.
For the record, I am no longer with Aurora, and am still a somewhat loyal user of Apple products, but this will be my farewell to all my friends in this ever-changing video market.
Re: Farewell... by Edward G Downie on Apr 20, 2007 at 4:26:01 pm
Are you the Mike from Aurora, I have baught three Aurora product and they were great product. I have gotten technical support from you several time and it was a pleasure to have working with you. You allways solve the problems and I hope I meet you at a trade show or some thing like that some day and all the best in whatever you continue to do one love.
As to the Apple issue we are living in a era of roothless Capitalism where smaller company are crush by the larger company. If you notice there is a all out war from Apple to crush Adobe and Avid and they are suceding to and extend. And even though I have benefit at times from these rapacious behavour things like these put company in trouble and cause the working class much ecconomics chaos, the big power such as wallmart and other distributor have export over 20 million job that have payed American working class from $15.00 to $30.00 per hour and replace them with jobs at $8.00 to $10 per hour.
I am very proud of a brother like you who have come foreward to educate us about the true story about Aurora because they were a good company that I was loyal to just like how I am loyal to Apple. My two daughter are in high school and although window pc are less expensive I spend the extra funds and buy them Apple products.
Apple need to know that they are on top and the same people they pass going up to the top will be the same people they pass on the way back down. The folks that help build Apple in the video and broadcast world such as Aurora and onthers, Apple should know they have to help them survive and help them to weather the bad times because these guys bring great skills to the table and loyal followering.
You've earned teh right to say all of these things. I know you to be a great professional and my dealings with you have been excellent. After the "Cold Mountain" Incident and the move to OSX, I know that Aurora went through some tough times.
As a company the decision to support your user base was a responsible and admirable one, even as the market became drenched with cards and competition. Someone was going to pay the price and it was Aurora.
Both my Aurora products are still working as well as they did on day one, and I truely blieve that the Pipe Studio, feature for feature is the best SD card around, because it was designed with the idea of transitioning from analog to digital formats.
Thanks for posting here and I think the COW looses a great mind in your depature from these forums.
Re: Farewell... by Ken Zukin on Apr 20, 2007 at 9:33:25 pm
Thanks to Mike Stroven for patiently answering the same stupid questions - many from me - day after day after day.
Reading your comments on Apple were pretty sobering. I guess there really aren't any heroes anymore.
Good luck, Mike, you're a talented guy.
Re: Farewell... by Mark on May 26, 2007 at 11:57:34 pm
I too had a great experience with Aurora. Customer service was top notch, Product performance beyond expectations. Back in 99 when I was buying my edit suite I had
to make a decision on a capture card and I went with Aurora Ignitor. To this day I do
not reqret my decision for it is better to have worked and supported great people and
a superior product then to follow the heard... Good luck in your lifes endeavors.
Re: Farewell... by Randall M on Jun 18, 2007 at 5:25:49 am
Wow. Mike what a sobering story indeed.
It's kind of like a story you suspicion to be true- but don't really want to believe when it's told. I'm truly sorry that it turned out this way for Aurora because my igniterX was/is outstanding. In fact even though I purchased the original in 2001, upgraded along the way- I just captured 10 bit uncompressed the other day- flawlessly and it looked beautiful. I finally figured out it was my medea raid drives holding me back from working with 10 bit, that was after I purchased a caldigit drive.
Thanks for helping me become a better non-linear editor and best wishes going forward with your endeavors.
