TempGenc 3.0 Activation

[pepegot1]

I emailed TempGenc regarding my disdain for their XP like installation system. Below is their reply and my rejoinder.

TempGenc reply:

Thank you for your mail.

For years wa have provided software of good quality and wish to continue
to do so. Do you imagine the feeling of a developer seeing his work
cracked, and distributed for free over the Net without any possibility
to be rewarded. Working here is not being on the keyboard in the morning
at 10, having a break at 12, finish at 17 and be at home 30 minutes
later to kiss wife and children, it is working more than 12 hours a day,
week-end included. This is why our software are good. You may call it
paranoid idea, we call it survival (and avoiding cracking already helps
us to offer a certified Dolby encoder/decoder at low price...).

We designed a system much more secure, privacy respectfull and justified
than what Microsoft proposed. Furthermore it is more flexible than what
you mean, even if you cannot reactivate on time their a long delay
before you really have to.

Yours Sincerely,

My Rejoinder:

<<I understand- the situation is grave for all vendors because of the unscruplous practice of some individuals.
Other vendors have unlock keys, etc.. I do mind a rigorous installation process to insure your product, but one that does not have this time limit thing and drags on. Let's get it over with in the beginning.

Intuit, who makes Income Tax software, had such a system the year before last. The public reaction was so strong that they had to change back or lose customers. I fear this may happen to you. I have been a loyal and respectful user of your software for several years. I hope you can find a better way to protect your product than this one.
If I install and new HD, or video card-even just update the drivers, I have to reactivate with Microsoft. To have this situation occur with a software package is something I will not endure and I am sure I am not alone in this regard. If MainConcept continues to provide a key, I will switch over to them even if the cost is high. I can still use Version 2.5 for lots of things.
I wish you well as I know you work hard and it is a difficult situation.
I will continue to monitor your situation and should it change-I will return.>>


Just imagine if all vendors did this. We will be activated up the gazoo. I know some will agree and some will disagree. "What a revoltin development this is!"




--

[BJ_M]

If I install and new HD, or video card-even just update the drivers, I have to reactivate with Microsoft.

you know ive changed just about everything in some of my systems (including the system hard drive via cloning a new one) , and ive never had to reactivate with MS yet ..

the only thing remaining constant is the motherboards..

they are all legal systems also -- and not corp key.

I dont blame tmpgenc at all -- vegas 5 does this also (and so far - i think , hasn't been cracked) and a lot of other companies ..
That inuit thing was some other crazy scheme i believe, which people really hated ..

i really dont find it a big deal or intrusive what tmpgenc has done - as long as there is not a "check" each time i start a program (as not connected to outside net on many machines for accual operation) .

[accountwiz]

I bought the big bundle from TMPGEnc yesterday and activated it smoothly wheen I got home last night. I also make constant changes to my hardware config without ever having triggered an 'activation' from Microsoft. But, if I somehow do in the future I will just deal with it. Piracy is pretty vile in my eyes and I'm happy to indulge the software creators if it helps protect their revenue streams.

The good news is that early results using 3.0 are excellent. Speed relative to other encoders, remains an issue. I generally batch-encode overnight anyway. The batching function is simple and very useful, and the editing module has everything I need.

Quality on my 4 sample encodes from last evening was as good as any encoder I've used, including ProCoder. My one real issue involves demultiplexing a DVD-RAM stream recorded by my Panny E-80. That did not recognize multiple shows recorded on the disc. Only shows the first, and that is frustrating.

I bet they do some nice things with this package before it's over, though. Itt has excellent potential, imo.

[jtoolman2000]

I dont blame tmpgenc at all -- vegas 5 does this also (and so far - i think , hasn't been cracked) and a lot of other companies ..

It was cracked as soon as it came out!!!! Oviously I'm not going to even discuss it here. They still use an original serial # for installation. You provide that + your computer ID found in the "help" / "About Vegas" window and Vegas mails you back the activation #. Apparently one of the easiest systems to crack to date. Don't get me wrong. I'm not sticking up for these persons who do this. We buy all our software and multi user licences ( Mega $$$$ ) but I do come accross these "methods" just by surfing around on the net. The real problems is that unlike Adobe, Microsoft and all other Huge companies who survive on corporate sales, these small groups who cater to individual users simply can't keep up with the unslaught of illegaly available downloads, keygens and other methods to defeat registration. It up to the few ( Us Included ) who know that by supporting these small companies, legally buying their $40-$70 software, they can then continue to improve and create products that can only make our hobby a lot more enjoyable. On the other hand if this keeps up, they may be forced to throw in the towel and close shop. Then we all loose.

[awlchu]

Having own the AC3 encoder from TMPG for the past three months, it has been very painless. Ninty-five percent of the time the license is checked against a file on your local machine. One ~4weeks it touches the net and revalidates the license file. The cycle repeats itself.

It's no big deal. Maybe for standalone machines TMPG needs to look into dongles...is the public willing to go back (and play extra?) for this method of protection?

Don't get mad at TMPG, be very torqued at the pirates out there.

[pepegot1]

After upgrading to CAT 4.4 from CAT 3.5, I noticed a little icon in the notification area. Upon clicking I found out that Microsoft wanted a reactivation. I just changed the drivers for God's sake! Some say they have changed out most of the computer and still no activation from MS. With XP it is "hit and miss." You don't know until you subject it to verification. Since TempGenc 3.0 is still slow, I will stick with 2.5.
I don't blame TempGenc and I know the pirates are to blame. Just an unfortunate situation and I would not like to see the XP'ing of software become a norm.,

[Robert Simandl]

At the risk of going a bit offtopic, I think I can shed some light on the XP activation thing.

The OEM version of Windows XP simply ties itself to the motherboard/CPU. You can swap out CD/DVD drives, video cards, sound cards, hard drives, whatever to your heart's content without having to reactivate. But if you sell that PC, you pretty much have to sell the copy of XP along with it, because when you build/buy a new PC, Microsoft will NOT let you reactivate that same copy of XP on a new computer, even if you tell them you uninstalled it from the old one. Microsoft will tell you "it was an OEM copy that was only licensed for that other PC." The OEM version is what comes on Dell/HP/Compaq/etc big-name PC's, and you can buy it from tigerdirect/New Egg/etc for about $100 (Home Edition).

The RETAIL version of Windows XP takes a snapshot of your entire PC, and will require reactivation if you swap out/upgrade a certain number of parts. But Microsoft WILL let you uninstall it from one PC (presumably if you're selling it) and reinstall it on another PC, as long as it's only installed on one PC at a time. So you can sell the old computer without an OS, and install that same copy of XP on a new PC. The retail version of XP Home Edition costs about $200.

At least that's how I think it all works. Somebody feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[BJ_M]

makes sense -- as i am using all OEM copies ..

[Baldrick]

I think we can discuss application activations in this forum. It has nothing to do with any conversion.

[The village idiot]

Oh yes, let's have more dongles! They are so much more secure :P

[jtommyj]

Personally I don't care one way or another but I have been to TMPGenc Bulletin boards and have seen people complain. Some folks have their "encoding" machine seperate, not even hooked up to the net for security issues or what have you and it is those people who have a real problem. And I don't think anyone else has a right to say, "Quit being paranoid and hook it up to the net." That is their choice but I guess if it is their decision to not want to hook up to the net, TMPGEnc has just lost a customer.

I say, let the masses speak, If sales plummet because of the activiation, they will get rid of it or go under. If sales increase ,they will keep it.

At this point I don't think they've "improved" the product over 2.5 enough
to get everyone that warm and fuzzy, "I have to upgrade" feeling.

Now if the trial version showed the speed of CCE and had a few more updates like more VBR passes ,etc., things people seem to like, then it may be worth it for more users.
But as it stands now, I don't know. Time will tell. Maybe they are counting on the SSE3 instruction set to become more prevalent and that will increase performance enough for some people.

People can and will speak with their dollars in the long run. Capitalism at it's finest.

Tom