Attention Photodex (Proshow Gold & Proshow Producer) users: If you are a user of one of these programs, this is a reminder & the official announcement from them about the future of...

DSPhoto Loc: South Carolina

If you are a user of one of these programs, this is a reminder & the official announcement from them about the future of there products:

http://www.photodex.com/shutdown.html?utm_campaign=newsletter-blog_posts-fab743e354a04068b11b505705c8330b&utm_medium=email&utm_source=seguno

Also watch this video & it will clear up some important questions you probably will have:

https://choiceslides.com/blogs/news/photodex-official-announcment?utm_campaign=newsletter-blog_posts-fab743e354a04068b11b505705c8330b&utm_medium=email&utm_source=seguno

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

DSPhoto wrote:

If you are a user of one of these programs, this i... (show quote)

Thanks for that.

Mike

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Ah, I see. It looks to me like Photodex programs are being re-branded as "Photopia" programs, with some new features and a hefty $25 a month subscription fee - that being the only was to use the programs.

Mike

DSPhoto Loc: South Carolina

Yeah, it’s kinda bitter sweet... 🤷🏻‍♀️

srt101fan

DSPhoto wrote:

If you are a user of one of these programs, this i... (show quote)

Thanks, DSPhoto. I have Proshow Gold, haven't done much with it, but have big plans for more slideshows. Sorry to see Photodex go....

Do you know any good sources for music to use legally for slideshow background?

DSPhoto Loc: South Carolina

Not right now but I guess I will be looking for some. I’m going to first look at the free ones firstly. But several months ago when I done a quick look, the Fred ones were a bit sparse & not as good quality.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

DSPhoto wrote:

Yeah, it’s kinda bitter sweet... 🤷🏻‍♀️

The programs were extremely stable and needed little in the way of tech support. Making software available for download is not difficult or expensive. Why "shut down?" What does that even mean? That made no sense.

Now we discover that "some of the same people" who ran Photodex are starting a "new" company - "Photopia." They are offering fundamentally the same software as before, but now rather than paying a couple hundred one time and having control, you pay $25 a month or $250 a year and allow them access to your machine so that they can "turn off" the software if you fail to pay.

This illustrates the problem with the subscription model. It is simply a scam for companies to make more money without being required to produce anything of value.

Mike

srt101fan

DSPhoto wrote:

Not right now but I guess I will be looking for some. I’m going to first look at the free ones firstly. But several months ago when I done a quick look, the Fred ones were a bit sparse & not as good quality.

I hear you...I'll have to do some digging and learn more about legal use and what's out there.

srt101fan

Blenheim Orange wrote:

The programs were extremely stable and needed litt... (show quote)

I hear you, Mike. I don't like the subscription model either and I think $25 a month is way more than I'm willing to pay. But I think you're being a bit harsh when you call it a "scam". Sounds to me like they're dropping the casual, amateurish users like me and going after bigger fish!?

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Well, that sucks!
My favorite slide show program....

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

srt101fan wrote:

I hear you, Mike. I don't like the subscription model either and I think $25 a month is way more than I'm willing to pay. But I think you're being a bit harsh when you call it a "scam". Sounds to me like they're dropping the casual, amateurish users like me and going after bigger fish!?

A scam is by definition a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation. That describes what these people are doing accurately, as far as I can see. They are misrepresenting what they are doing. Nothing changes except they get more money and more control for giving back nothing to you in exchange for that. The subscription model is a hustle. Software companies are operating as financial institutions, in essence, with completely open-ended loan terms. It wouldn't matter if it were $2 a month. They are not obligated to do anything for you and you are obligated to give them money every month, and they want access to your machine so they can shut the software off if you don't pay. They are providing no service. "I won't burn down your house if you pay me every month" is not a service, it is a criminal activity, an extortion racket.

Mike

srt101fan

Blenheim Orange wrote:

A scam is by definition a fraudulent or deceptive ... (show quote)

They do provide a service - they allow you to use their software to build slideshows!

DSPhoto Loc: South Carolina

FYI....
From what I have found out, if you used Photoshow Director like me, the Photopia Creator does pretty much the same thing. You would not in most of our cases, need the Photopia Director.
So don't compare Photoshow Director to Photopia Director. That makes the amount they rip you off each month would not be the $24.95/month it would be the $9.95/month. But still leaves a sour taste in my mouth....
Seems all the major software players out there are jumping on the subscription deal. I guess we will no longer own software any more the way the industry is predicting it. :(
One good thing is that I understand that you can suspend (pause) your subscription when you're not using it. If you only make a few shows that subscription may last a lot longer than a year.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

srt101fan wrote:

They do provide a service - they allow you to use their software to build slideshows!

Nice house ya got there. It'd be a shame if anything happened to it!

The customer should be the one doing the "allowing."

Mike

Sunnely Loc: Wisconsin

DSPhoto wrote:

If you are a user of one of these programs, this i... (show quote)

Dang!

Thanks for the info and the links.