Appleinsider claims that due to major corporate restructuring at Discreet, the company may not continue with its Cleaner Video Application -- which was undergoing new version development before layoffs hit the Mac Cleaner Development team
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Mac Cleaner to Halt Development?
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If true, it has been coming for a long time. Discreet has never been a completely Apple friendly company and Cleaner's development has been at a crawl ever since they bought out Terran Interactive. Unfortunately there really isn't another app that does all that cleaner can do.
The vast majority of Apple's own QuickTime movies are compressed with Cleaner I doubt they'd let this app just fade away. It wouldn't surprise me to see Apple pick this one up.
The vast majority of Apple's own QuickTime movies are compressed with Cleaner I doubt they'd let this app just fade away. It wouldn't surprise me to see Apple pick this one up.
Apple - Recently you said you'd look at further acquisitions if they were good for the company. Well this is good for the company. Open up them purse strings and see what you can do.
Compressor is good but a Compressor/Clearner hybrid would even better.
Compressor is good but a Compressor/Clearner hybrid would even better.
Wow. If Cleaner goes that is some serious bad news. Even w/Compressor and Sorenson Squeeze there is still a gap that, currently, only Cleaner fills.
Lethal
Lethal
Wow, if Discreet is making decisions like this they really don't understand the market they're in, and as such is probably not long for the world. Beancounters and lawyers are really good at killing companies with good tech.
There's no reason that this shouldn't be part of QuickTime 8 Pro, though. Really, Cleaner is just making up for QuickTime's inadequacy.
Maybe Discreet really just wants Apple to buy their tech, and this is their way of saying so.
Any moles seen Discreet VP's around Cupertino recently? Maybe they already pitched and were rejected so now they're being babies (as beancounters are wont to do).
There's no reason that this shouldn't be part of QuickTime 8 Pro, though. Really, Cleaner is just making up for QuickTime's inadequacy.
Maybe Discreet really just wants Apple to buy their tech, and this is their way of saying so.
Any moles seen Discreet VP's around Cupertino recently? Maybe they already pitched and were rejected so now they're being babies (as beancounters are wont to do).
Cleaner for Mac sucks anyway
Believe it or not there are quite a few computers out there running Windows Media 9, and Cleaner 6 for Mac is unable to produce Windows Media 9 video!
That's right, they've had the SDK since early 03 from Microsoft and have yet to release a version that can produce this type of content.
The main excuse on Discreets Cleaner forum, from a couple of the developers who ever bothered to reply to direct questions from users, was that they were waiting for Microsoft to release Windows Media 9 for Mac.
That's a valid excuse seeing as you need the codec to be able to produce the content, but the problem is that it was released over a month ago - and still no update!
The problems actually began a few years ago, when Terran sold out to Discreet, owned by Autodesk - a rabidly anti-mac company. Zero Mac products from those guys.
Word at one trade conference after the acquisition was that Autodesk was using their new found leverage to try and force Mac users to switch to their PC version of Cleaner, which is always up to date with new codec releases.
Didn't work out that way though - yet!
Believe it or not there are quite a few computers out there running Windows Media 9, and Cleaner 6 for Mac is unable to produce Windows Media 9 video!
That's right, they've had the SDK since early 03 from Microsoft and have yet to release a version that can produce this type of content.
The main excuse on Discreets Cleaner forum, from a couple of the developers who ever bothered to reply to direct questions from users, was that they were waiting for Microsoft to release Windows Media 9 for Mac.
That's a valid excuse seeing as you need the codec to be able to produce the content, but the problem is that it was released over a month ago - and still no update!
The problems actually began a few years ago, when Terran sold out to Discreet, owned by Autodesk - a rabidly anti-mac company. Zero Mac products from those guys.
Word at one trade conference after the acquisition was that Autodesk was using their new found leverage to try and force Mac users to switch to their PC version of Cleaner, which is always up to date with new codec releases.
Didn't work out that way though - yet!
I wonder if Discreet's mac version of Combustion will follow this path. Also, this probably kill any hope for a mac version of 3d studio max.
oh this is so not good
Ok, I do not mind compressor, but I can't do alternates in that program nor can I do sorenson 2-pass VBR. I live by Cleaner.
This would be a very dark day if Cleaner packed up and left.
Ok, I do not mind compressor, but I can't do alternates in that program nor can I do sorenson 2-pass VBR. I live by Cleaner.
This would be a very dark day if Cleaner packed up and left.
Did Discreet's merger with Avid ever go through? Avid has a pretty large mac presence, and it would definitely not be their style to pull out of the mac business. Otherwise, if this never occurred, I think Discreet would be a great acquisition for Apple. By porting all of the big name pro apps like Fire and Smoke to the G5 with an XRAID or something, Apple would gain even more credibility in the production industry.
I've used Cleaner Xl
I've used Cleaner Xl for Windows. That app is a mess. NOTHING like Cleaner 6 for Mac. The interface is confusing, and there are NO buttons to do anything, just all these info windows. You are forced to go digging through the menus to find a way to even import a file, let alone to choose a codec for export. I was amazed at how bad it was, and as for what it can actually do, there were maybe 6-8 presets, nowhere NEAR the stuff in the Mac version. It looks like the little brother. If they drop it, I sure hope Apple adds Mpeg1 and Sorenson 2-pass VBR to Compressor as those are two things you can't do at ALL in Compressor right now.
I've used Cleaner Xl for Windows. That app is a mess. NOTHING like Cleaner 6 for Mac. The interface is confusing, and there are NO buttons to do anything, just all these info windows. You are forced to go digging through the menus to find a way to even import a file, let alone to choose a codec for export. I was amazed at how bad it was, and as for what it can actually do, there were maybe 6-8 presets, nowhere NEAR the stuff in the Mac version. It looks like the little brother. If they drop it, I sure hope Apple adds Mpeg1 and Sorenson 2-pass VBR to Compressor as those are two things you can't do at ALL in Compressor right now.
No. Discreet is still owned by AutoDesk. Most of Discreet's stuff is about hardware sales (turnkey solutions) so I don't see the G5/XRAID idea taking off. I think only Combustion, Cleaner, and 3dStudioMax were/are the only products sold as software (without hardware.)
I don't think Discreet is targeting the prosumer level at all (or the FCP user.) Their hardware solutions (the majority of their products) fall far higher that the budgets of most of those types of users. Also, some of their best products compete (though at a whole different price range) directly against FCP and Shake.
talked to a guy from Discreet last week
talked to a guy from Discreet last week-
here is what is going to happen-
because of the major differences in codecs the cleaner team will split into 2 teams, mac/pc
-they will have relase date off set by 6 months
- expect the next big mac release at at macexpo in Jan
-will have wmv 9 support and much much more
- they will be around for a while
-very commited to the mac
-this came from very high up
bs
talked to a guy from Discreet last week-
here is what is going to happen-
because of the major differences in codecs the cleaner team will split into 2 teams, mac/pc
-they will have relase date off set by 6 months
- expect the next big mac release at at macexpo in Jan
-will have wmv 9 support and much much more
- they will be around for a while
-very commited to the mac
-this came from very high up
bs
Mmm. Discreet.
Wouldn't it be nice to see Discreet's Smoke and Flame systems running on a G5? I see it as a viable option, as Discreet is moving away from the sinking ship known as SGI.
Not sure what effect that'd have on sales of Apple's Shake. So nevermind.
Wouldn't it be nice to see Discreet's Smoke and Flame systems running on a G5? I see it as a viable option, as Discreet is moving away from the sinking ship known as SGI.
Not sure what effect that'd have on sales of Apple's Shake. So nevermind.
Still Unclear
Is just the Mac version on the chopping block, or is the entire product headed for its end? I've never liked Autodesk because of their diehard windows stance, I wonder if that parent company is pushing this because of its own proclivities?
If the worst happens, Apple will hopefully fill the gap with a product of its own. This will only work to strengthen Apple in the video market in the long term, perhaps even pushing the windows platform entirely out over time. Let's hope!
Is just the Mac version on the chopping block, or is the entire product headed for its end? I've never liked Autodesk because of their diehard windows stance, I wonder if that parent company is pushing this because of its own proclivities?
If the worst happens, Apple will hopefully fill the gap with a product of its own. This will only work to strengthen Apple in the video market in the long term, perhaps even pushing the windows platform entirely out over time. Let's hope!