Capture card dilema

[gameface]

So I ordered a capture card (name withheld for now) on 9/3/10 for $1,033.55. Ever since day one it hasn't worked as advertised. I have been able to capture and output SDI fine, it's audio monitoring I am having issues with.

There was a major decibel difference out of the card into my mixer than there should be. It was essentially pegging my board right out of the system. And, since they lock you out of system control of the audio you can't "turn it down" before it goes into the mixer. I literally had to dump my master in my FCP audio mixer down to -12db even though the timeline was peaking at -6db just so it wouldn't peak my mixer. That's -18db just so it wouldn't peak.

They said on their forums that a fix was on the way. I patiently waited. New software download comes and they said they fixed the FCP issue but in doing so they disabled core-audio. ****** perfect. I lived with that because this is my work machine so watching youtube or something stupid out of my headphones or tower wasn't a big deal compared to monitoring audio out of FCP.

Now, they release another software and firmware update claiming all is fixed, even allowing forum members to beta test it before release (something they have never done before). Now core-audio "works" again, but you can't adjust the audio using the system level controls. I also now get static every now and then watching anything on the web and occasionally in FCP. Major audio glitching in FCP as well. Many other posts about these issues including from me on their forum.

Now my question... what can I do about this???? $1k out of pocket and I have lived with a product that does not work as advertised through 3 different software patches. I am at my wits end. I have been very vocal on their forums and so much to the point they even deleted a post of mine because they though I was being too harsh. Yeah, too harsh on giving them $1k for a product that doesn't work. I'm the dope for sticking it out this long and I'm done. I'm going back to a competitor but is there anyway to recoup some loss on this thing and not by selling the POS to someone else? IS there any legal action I can threaten by delivering a product that wasn't as described and not fixing within a reasonable time? I'm usually not a sue happy person but their "just wait and we'll get to it" attitude has left a sour taste in my mouth especially as they are coming in at a lower price point than most so they are catering to the little guys who can't absorb a POS like this. Now I'm so frustrated I want to get them for money invested in the bad product and time lost due to it.

Any ideas or should I just bag it, sell it on eBay to some schmuck and buy something else.

 

[jwheeler]

gutted.

Um not sure, i assume yur american so september 2010? not 9th march? If it still doesn't work do you not have a years warranty in america (all products in the uk have a compulsory years warranty), return it and if they then can't provide you with a working product, they'll get bored of sending you new ones and just refund you? Have you even rang and asked for a refund?

 

[LethalWolfe]

If you haven't already done so my first suggestion would be to talk to someone over the phone and keep requesting to talk to someone higher up on the food chain until you get what you want. What is the manufacturer's warranty on the card? If it's still under warranty you could RMA until you get one that works or they give you a refund.

Legally I'm not sure what your options are. I know there's a principle involved here but any legal action, even small claims court, would quickly cost more than what you paid for the card.


Lethal

 

[gameface]

If you haven't already done so my first suggestion would be to talk to someone over the phone and keep requesting to talk to someone higher up on the food chain until you get what you want. What is the manufacturer's warranty on the card? If it's still under warranty you could RMA until you get one that works or they give you a refund.

It is a 3-year "free from factory defects" warranty. Unfortunately, it isn't the card or the breakout box it is the software. They haven't got it right and know that as there are tons of people still complaining about audio issues. Right now, all I want is a good working I/O card but have issues. I am slammed right now at work. I have a 1st rev pilot due Monday and 16 shows shot that need to be edited. Even getting a Kona right now after a refund will give me some downtime while setting everything up to work correctly. Basically it was my fault for waiting so long before getting into the weeds but I was honestly hoping the third time would be the charm for the fix via software as I really like the form factor and function of the card, except for my constant audio issues.

Legally I'm not sure what your options are. I know there's a principle involved here but any legal action, even small claims court, would quickly cost more than what you paid for the card.

Yeah, you're right. I was just venting and fuming mad the way customer support practically blew me off. And as busy as I am it is the last thing I want to get involved in.

Thanks

 

[martinX]

It is a 3-year "free from factory defects" warranty. Unfortunately, it isn't the card or the breakout box it is the software.

Here in Oztralya, consumers have statutory rights which means (among other things) we have certain rights that manufacturers/resellers/retailers must abide by regardless of what they think they must abide by. One if those rights is that the good must be "fit for purpose", another is "acceptable quality".

Software is required to control the hardware and the two cannot be separated out by a "free from factory defects" clause in a warranty.

You should see if your state/country has similar consumer protection.

Something like this shows an advantage to a bricks'n'mortar purchase, although that is not always practical.

 

[VideoCave]

re capture card

Im just guessing here, but If its a BlackMagic product there stuff is total ****.
I bought the "Intensity Pro Card" and since day one it's a pain to get to work at all. I use FCP also.

I called them as well and said its not working. There own software that comes with it didn't even work, while on the phone with them trying to test it. They also said "we'll you can send it back to us and we will test it on our system, and if it works on ours its not the card its your system setup" but you know they have nothing but FCP installed on their's, no plugins and any additional software that may conflict with their's. Which is not a real world setup.

Basically more words were said and finally got it to work. But till this day it randomly works.

All I can really use it for is when I need to check my safety zones on an external TV Monitor. If I can get it to work.