From the Avid DS support site on Jun 10, 2010 4:30:00 PM
"Avid Media Composer and Symphony 5 are not tested or
qualified with Avid DS."

Hmmm...

...drifting apart seem to be a common reason for divorce.

Well, with the below (or above) Survey-thread in mind,
let's hope that it's like the old saying "that it has to
get worse before it gets better".

//mike

We're working on testing Media Composer 5 with DS.  We always wait for the general release and 30-90 days out we'll announce support.  Sometimes we need to change a few things in DS to make the two products compatible.

Dave

While I think I understand what you are saying, look at it from the perpective of the DS owner / user:

"We're working on testing Media Composer 5 with DS."

To me that sounds as if the great folks in Montreal just got MC5 when it was released to the public!!

I would have HOPED that they were involved in updating / upgrading DS in parellel with MC development from the planning stages.  The way I read you message is that "We'll see what breaks after the software is released by that other company and then fix what we have to."

Now I am sure - well I hope - that is NOT what you meant.  But I hope you see my point and understand why DS users feel like the unwanted guest at the party (or any other saying you care to choose here).

Warily,

Jef

jef:

While I think I understand what you are saying, look at it from the perpective of the DS owner / user:

Come on now.  It's not like they're gonna unilaterally change something in the MC5 code and ship it that would have any affect on DS's ability to do things like, I dunno, conform titles, right?

Oh, wait..

Nope, doesn't work that way.  We need to lock down the code on Media Composer, then start testing DS.  If we change something is Media Composer we need to start the DS testing all over again.  It's the way aoftware development works.  Sorry, no conspiracy here, just plain old software development methods.  Many things have changed with MC including new audio tracks, RTAS Audio FX, RGB and Mix and Match enhancements.  We also released a new ISIS and Interplay version so the testing is extensive.  It just takes time.

Jeff,

I don't see your point at all.  We lock down the Media Composer code, test this with DS.  The DEV teams meet to make sure we have all the engineering taken care of so we know what to develop on both products.  That's it.

Hi Dave,

My point is one of coordination.  I guess is a matter of sequence and timing.  If the event you speak of in your third sentence - "The DEV teams meet to make sure we have all the engineering taken care of so we know what to develop on both products." - occurs early on at the begginning of the software design process then I am happy.  It lets us know that DS development goes on hand in hand with MC development.  There is give and take, co-ordination of planning and implementation.

But if that meeting happens AFTER MC 5 (for example) is locked, then I am not so happy.  This tells me that there is no long term view of how to make the two products well integrated.

I understand you don't want to waste time testing DS on MC code that is in flux.  That makes obvious sense. 

But the point that I must not have made clear is that from your first response in this thread, it seemed like the second scenario.  That DS development was reactionary, not co-ordinated.  Your most recent response is a little clearer (to me anyway) but still a bit ambiguous.

Not trying to be harsh, just trying to understand.  Trying to read the tea leaves about the future of DS.

Does that clear up my point or just make it muddier?

Jef - with one f

Simple question.

Does a version of media composer need to be locked down before it is tested with Unity or ISIS?

You're not getting any reading into the DS roadmap from me.  What I am telling you is that this is the way we have always developed products.  The same product architects work on Media Composer and DS and make sure we have a plan to ensure that we're going in the right direction.  We bundle up Media Composer then we move onto DS, that's it.

Really depends on where Media Composer, DS, ISIS and Interplay are with their development cycle.  It so happens that ISIS and Media Composer shipped at the same time so we can do a full testing cycle.

Dave

Dave Avid PM:

Really depends on where Media Composer, DS, ISIS and Interplay are with their development cycle.  It so happens that ISIS and Media Composer shipped at the same time so we can do a full testing cycle.

?????

I just understood that MC needed to be locked down before compatibility testing will be done with DS. Now you write that it depends on their development cycle. Can you explain a bit more?

Dave Avid PM:

What I am telling you is that this is the way we have always...

Yeah, right, so maybe it's time for some "new thinking"...

//mike

This is reasonable but unfortunate because an Avid competitor who has a faster development cycle is in position to offer a better solution to complement Media Composer. This fact challenges vertical integration of Avid products.

Sometimes on the finishing side of things we start finishing shows before the offline edit is not locked yet. We do this in order to be more competitive, please a client and meet a tight deadline. I suppose software development is vastly more complicated.

Dave Avid PM:

We're working on testing Media Composer 5 with DS.  We always wait for the general release and 30-90 days out we'll announce support.  Sometimes we need to change a few things in DS to make the two products compatible.

 

Dave

Yes, what I said is still true.  We waited to lock the code down so we could finish the DS qual. Guys, what is the issue here?

It certainly can be as complicated.