Lost me at Premium

[epayson85 72]

Like, I think this would be a lot simpler if you would just rebrand the new Emby Theater to something else.

Right now too many people think you're taking something away from them and from a business perspective it's a very muddled approach to mix your products names. Actually it's a capital No-No in marketing.

It's still early enough in the development cycle to do it. Just call it Emby Premium or something like that.

Taking something away?? From who? Non paying customers? Bwahahahahaha from a business perspective that's not business at all lol. Also they didn't take anything away. The old free version is still available for those of you that think you shouldn't have to support these guys. Again though... It's only $100!!! Edited August 14, 2016 by epayson85

[dimitrik 12]

Taking something away?? From who? Non paying customers? Bwahahahahaha from a business perspective that's not business at all lol. Also they didn't take anything away. The old free version is still available for those of you that think you shouldn't have to support these guys. Again though... It's only $100!!!

Actually, from a business perspective, I would note that:

 

1) non-paying customers are a pool of potential future paying customers to be converted, which you cannot do if they distrust you.

 

2) it's clear that many people are upset and you cannot deal with upset people by trying to convince them that they're idiots (which most of the people posting on this thread are trying to do)

 

So, it's a better idea to act, rather than ignore the problem and hope it goes away.

 

Also, I have to say that I always find it deeply offensive when someone says "it's only $100". You seem to have no idea how hard some people work for $100, especially outside the US, so please try not to spit in their face.

Edited August 15, 2016 by dimitrik

[speechles 1929]

It isnt $100 though. It is a monthly fee, or a yearly fee, or $100.

 

1) paying customers are a pool of potential future revenue by renewing their monthly and yearly tiers.

 

2) its clear lots of people understand, and stick with what can be had for free and have no complaints.

 

Realize, people only post when they have problems. So perhaps 100% of the people who participate in this thread have problems? The answer there is obviously "No", but 100% did have an issue at one time hence their registering here and posting.

 

You can say $100 is alot. I am not arguing about that. It is what it is though. You have to put it into the perspective of reality. People drive used cars, several years old. I dont complain to the bridges I cross in my used car it is too much to pay $5 an axle to cross. For me that is $10 everytime I cross that bridge going south. Stupid golden gate bridge toll.

 

But the reality is, I dont have to go to San Francisco then, but I want to. So I suck it up, pay the toll, go see my buddies in SF. It is easy for me to cry poor, and not go see them and just skype them.

 

But my reality is, things cost money. It is okay to contribute to a products or services success by helping them financially. It is okay also to not to. You have choice. Continuing to play the "holy shit $100 is too much" card is ignorant. Try to rationalize the different tiers offered. You can dip your toe, try monthly.

 

To keep bringing it back to the economics of its pricing is just a ploy to cry, whine, and make it about poor 'ol you. Instead do as I do when I cross that damned bridge. Suck it up.

 

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Edited August 15, 2016 by speechles

[AgileHumor 123]

@dimitrik Suggestions on [similiar] names, freemium, "future potential customers" revenue are all factored in to the very smart team whom runs this community.

 

Your talking at marketing 101 ideas in the digital age...where Emby and the developer team are at leading edge.   

 

So, your ideas are heard in many threads...and sadly the new model that has been chosen by the Emby team may not give everyone premium features (when they want them) or their preferred ala carte package.

 

I'm sure they'll change it as they have time and an ECONOMIC argument is made on how it makes real money (and not potential future money's paid by customers accustomed [even demanding] things be free).

[dimitrik 12]

@dimitrik [/size]Suggestions on [similiar] names, freemium, "future potential customers" revenue are all factored in to the very smart team whom runs this community.[/size]

 

Your talking at marketing 101 ideas in the digital age...where Emby and the developer team are at leading edge.    [/size]

 

So, your ideas are heard in many threads...and sadly the new model that has been chosen by the Emby team may not give everyone premium features (when they want them) or their preferred ala carte package.

 

I'm sure they'll change it as they have time and an ECONOMIC argument is made on how it makes real money (and not potential future money's paid by customers accustomed [even demanding] things be free).

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you just said, I couldn't make heads or tails out of your syntax.

 

Also, about my marketing 101 ideas? You don't know me, or what I do for a living, so don't be so quick to make comments on my expertise. Make your own arguments instead.

[AgileHumor 123]

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you just said, I couldn't make heads or tails out of your syntax.

 

  

@dimitrik, Your ideas are basic and have no economic model tied to them. 

 

Your fake assertions that the Emby team did anything disingenuous,...so you can benefit by getting software you want for free...is horrendous waste of the developer (and communities) time.

 

Your ideas/arguments have been heard. They we're heard 10 years ago with any internet based software development that I'm sure was factored into a real business model...and I'm sure factored into the decision process the Emby team has made.   Everything has pros and cons, and the Emby team really doesn't have to answer to YOU for every decision they make.

 

Simple Answer: Your sill not getting Emby Theater...unless your a premiere member.   Sorry.    

 

PS - Did you have any other information that you would like to share that you think the Emby team hasn't considered?  For example:

• How you would name the product
• How you would price the product
• How you would develop the product
• How you would market the product
• How you would fund the product
• How you would convert non paying customers

If you do, I'd then take all that feedback and go develop your own product, for free.

[swhitmore 781]

Guys, lets keep these discussions civil. Posts containing personal attacks will be removed. This is obviously a heated topic, but after locking it once already, we allowed it to continue on the basis that everyone remains respectful of others opinions.

[AgileHumor 123]

Sorry Dimitrik for getting personal.

 

My frustration is more with other past posts...you just were the most recent. Again, my apologies for attacking you and not the idea.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[dimitrik 12]

Sorry Dimitrik for getting personal.

My frustration is more with other past posts...you just were the most recent. Again, my apologies for attacking you and not the idea.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

No problem. As an Emby supporter myself, I understand getting emotional in defense of a good team who do great work. I also think the complaints are in fact not reasonable and Emby is clearly worth the price of admission.

 

I've only made suggestions to help them deal with people complaining, not to suggest they did something wrong.

Anyway, we can all be friends here so let's forget it.

[cptlores 23]

Just registered to give some feedback. I have no special interest or long history with Emby. For me it's just a tool that lets me index some media that I ChromeCast to a TV in my workshop. And once in a blue moon I might use the web interface to remotely watch something while traveling. That's all my needs covered, I don't need any of the premium features.

 

But when the Premium sales pitch spilled over into the free part it became a nuisance. I have no problem with the concept of paying for premium features. That is an established open-source payment model used by many. But adding artificial limitations/nag screens back into the already established free functionality is not nice. So when the 15 seconds countdown timer was added, it became the last straw for me that made me disable auto updates and script-fu out the nonsense.

Edited February 15, 2017 by cptlores

[Rumbaar 13]

Damn, thread necro go me. 

 

Edited February 18, 2017 by Rumbaar

[chiller77 0]

I downloaded the server today, then a couple clients to check out a media server that claims to be competition for Plex. Plex is very elegant. The database on Embry is compiling now. As I added a client on my Android tv, I noticed a message flash very quickly at the bottom saying this is a trial. Now I am confused. I like the layout. I think the server is sufficient. I even like the only thing that Embry has that Plex doesn’t (Grouping movies together like trilogies). Well, I went through the server and client side. It is obviously a copy of Plex that includes no extra features and you are charging for it? You are charging people for access to free databases? Tvdb is free for anyone to access. IMDb Is fee for anyone to access. What exactly are you guys charging for? With Plex you get everything Emby has to offer for free. You can stream to any tv device for free. Free art, free info, free everything except mobile devices for $5. I don’t understand why anybody would pay for a blatant ripoff of Plex, when Plex is free and better. As for grouping trilogies and such together, you can just create playlists with Plex and have the same effect. I gotta say I was impressed for about 5 minutes. Now I feel like I just wasted an hour of my life adding movies to a scandalous program that was stolen from A free program that has twice the features for free. I have worked with Plex for 3 years. Paying for less is completely illogical. I’ve written many programs with a donate button on my website. I think until you guys can come up with something to offer for the fees, you shouldn’t be charging for this. All of the years of my life I put into psychostats, I never charged for anything. I didn’t copy some else’s program either. Does tvdb and imbd know you are charging rent for their free database access? I guess I’ll just rewrite this a bit and give it away for free. I am going to return to Plex, but knowing people are getting taken advantage of is motivation enough for me to modify your files and hand them out. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve done this many times to people, just to keep dishonest dollars out of their pockets.

[Jdiesel 1114]

If you aren't paying for the product you are the product

[Luke 37238]

Actually we give away several features that they charge for. 

[Jdiesel 1114]

Also worth mentioning that Emby did the following first:

Live TV
Live TV with m3u playlists
Kodi plugin with native Kodi DB
Hardware Transcoding
Movie Collections
Themes
CSS customization
Comprehensive encoder configuration options

Server to Client messaging

User connection/bandwidth controls

Ebook support

Audiobook support

 

 

And doesn't do the following:

Collect your personal data
Force sponsored content (News) on you
Route connections through their servers
Ignore your requests for support

Release an app on a new device then fail to update it for a year

Spam your email with advertisements under the guise of "Plex Exclusive" deals

Edited January 29, 2018 by Jdiesel

[chiller77 0]

You are paying for use of databases that are free. Emby took Plex, broke down the script, and released their own version of Plex with a different name. With Plex, everything is free except trailers that nobody wants and devices that aren’t tv based. I paid a 1 time fee for a few devices that was well worth it. The only reason I explored an alternative to Plex is because their android client doesn’t work properly. Just got android tv. I saw the free theater king for Emby. It’s a dead link. I don’t want live tv, that’s what Mobdro is for. I don’t want trailers, those might as well be pop up ads. So using Emby, the way I do, would be free with Plex. Emby is charging for artwork that comes from a free database. The only difference between just plugging in a hard drive and searching folders for movies and Emby is the free artwork that isn’t even hosted on their website. It’s free money for them.

[Luke 37238]

@@chiller77, actually we didn't break down any scripts from anybody else. Emby (formerly known as Media Browser), has been around since 2008. We have been doing this just as long as they have.

[chiller77 0]

You list of what Emby did first is bs. I’ve never got an email from Plex. Hardware transcoding was on Plex before Emby copied it. Ebook support, that’s silly. You can make your own ebook categories with Plex. The only time a Plex file plays through their website is when you select that option for your benefit. I can open both scripts and prove Emby was stolen from Plex. It’s not a bad thing. I can understand charging for certain things. Charging for the artwork is illegal and doesn’t even make sense. CSS? Lol. You can write your own css internally or write in a link for an external css with any program.

[chiller77 0]

Plex came out in 2007. That didn’t help your case at all

[Luke 37238]

Plex came out in 2007. That didn’t help your case at all

 

At that point both were in their infancy. We definitely had hardware transcoding first though, at least in experimental stages. In any event, we are not charging for artwork. The core Emby Server download is completely free. Have you noticed that?

[Luke 37238]

By the way @@chiller77, did you notice this as well:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.plexapp.android&hl=en

Playing media from your Plex library on the device running this app is limited (one minute for music and video, watermark on photos) until the app is unlocked. FOR FULL FUNCTIONALITY: Remove the playback limitations on the app with a Plex Pass enabled account -OR- make a small, one-time, in-app purchase for only app access.

Sounds very similar. So would you also say they are charging for artwork?

[speechles 1929]

@@chiller77

 

Upon reading your first post it is clear you have no idea what you are talking about. You refer to the product as "Embry"? Now sure, its probably a typo, but you do this several times in that post using the wrong name. This means you can't even get the product name right, how can you expect others to think you get any other of your points correct? 

 

If you just want to rant, well, congratulations... You did that very well. 

 

If instead you want actual facts, then just ask: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/videobrowser-devs

 

Obviously you came to emby wanting to tear it to shreds without any honesty used. Claim emby stole plex code, haw... it's the other way around... you are just too blind to see the truth. When you wake up from that dream, reality will be here wating for you.. LOL

 

ALSO, PS... Emby doesn't charge for the artwork, the scan is free that obtains this. What emby charges for is the "COVER ART TREATMENTS". These add cool little overlays to your images. If you don't understand something, don't assume. Ask a question... jeez

Edited January 29, 2018 by speechles

[Jdiesel 1114]

You list of what Emby did first is bs. I’ve never got an email from Plex. Hardware transcoding was on Plex before Emby copied it. Ebook support, that’s silly. You can make your own ebook categories with Plex. The only time a Plex file plays through their website is when you select that option for your benefit. I can open both scripts and prove Emby was stolen from Plex. It’s not a bad thing. I can understand charging for certain things. Charging for the artwork is illegal and doesn’t even make sense. CSS? Lol. You can write your own css internally or write in a link for an external css with any program.

 

You seem to be a script expert, maybe you should make your own media server software and give it away for free.

[chiller77 0]

The point is Emby charging for something that has nothing to do with them or their website. It’s like going to a gas station and them charging you for the air you breathe while you are in the store.

[Luke 37238]

The point is Emby charging for something that has nothing to do with them or their website. It’s like going to a gas station and them charging you for the air you breathe while you are in the store.

 

Why are you defending competition if they do the same thing? Shouldn't you feel the same way towards them?