William Demeritt

Charge them for the cables what you know your cables are worth.

Let them go bankrupt when their POS is kicked off every reasonable set with a budget.

You keep on keepin' on, and everything will run it's course.

I usually refer to the whole copyright claim as "the nuclear option": once you use it, there's no going back. Make certain that you know how serious your claim is when you make it, and follow through on it. While it does serious damage, in my opinion, it also strikes a fear of god into the minds of clients who are often far too cavalier with their dealings with cameramen.

I've had to use "the nuclear option" three times now. Here's a copy of a portion of the email I sent the production company that failed to pay me per the terms of my deal memo. I was told this was forwarded to the individuals up the stream who were dragging their feet or withholding payment from the production company with whom I was working, and payment was remitted within 24 hours:

 

...

I am given the impression that the agency or [COMPANY WITHHELD] (or both) have failed to fulfill their financial obligation to you, which results in failure to pay [my 1st AC] or myself. I don't feel comfortable continuing to delay the terms of our agreement for the work performed over a month ago. I honestly do hope that [COMPANY WITHHELD] or [COMPANY WITHHELD] was legitimately delayed for simple reasons, and by next week this will all be water under the bridge.

However, I feel obligated at this point to make clear my intentions.

If by Friday, January 17, 2014, I don't have some material assurance that my payment is en route, I'll have no choice but to draft a cease and desist letter to [COMPANY WITHHELD] as well as [COMPANY WITHHELD] for failure to pay resulting in copyright infringement, namely all footage I shot used on [COMPANY WITHHELD]'s current marketing campaign.

My cease and desist order will be accompanied by takedown notices at YouTube for the relevant videos currently on the [COMPANY WITHHELD] channel, which collectively have close to 200,000 views.

Please don't misinterpret this as anything personal. The last thing I want to do is sour a blossoming relationship with two people I enjoy working with professionally and personally. I don't like the situation we're in, and I tried to avoid it...

I hope this serves as ammo with which you tell [COMPANY WITHHELD] that payment needs to be made, OR [COMPANY WITHHELD] needs to make other arrangements to fulfill the obligation to [my 1st AC] and I so you can continue to pursue [COMPANY WITHHELD] and [COMPANY WITHHELD] as necessary how you see fit. Only satisfactory completion of the terms of our employment will avert this action, requiring some material assurance of payment to be made by Friday, January 17, 2014.

Best regards

The moral of the story: having a lawyer draft a cease and desist letter is expensive. Threatening to have someone ready to write a cease and desist order and send it to whatever purchasing agent they may be discussing distribution possibilities with works great too! When negotiating the distribution, the property carrying debt and potential copyright liabilities can drive down the purchase price.

Aaaaanyway, please don't use my email as a template. That was a very friendly version of what I've threatened elsewhere to companies which I had no allegiance, personal or professional. The importance is conveying 1) you're right, and 2) you're serious. Until you're satisfied, they don't have property to sell, and that's a very unstable position.

The cost of a copyright action is EXPENSIVE, and it's a slam dunk for you. They have every reason to just pay you what you're owed, which is definitely cheaper than the lawsuit.

In the words of Joe Pesci: "F**k you, pay me."

Even fewer have the collection of Tommy Bahama shirts he has, nor can they match him round for round!

I tried once. I'm still looking for the black box for some recollection of that night.

So decimator 2 on the back of the Cinetronic and HDMI into the Cinetronic?

That's what I've done. PTAP from the Anton Bauer battery plate on the Cinetronic Gen 2 into the Decimator 2. SDI into Decimator 2 and HDMI into the monitor.

This should be a working solution for everybody that has the issue and does not want to down-convert to SD NTSC/Pal.

Decimator 2 scaling from SDI to HDMI also fixes PsF and gives HD.

I can't without a proper signal compatibility.

 

It is a must for me and will decide future purchases.

It already has impacted my purchase decisions now and in the future.

Chris can check me on this?

1. Close the FlashUpgraderCinetronic.exe program and leave it closed.
2. While pressing the menu button, press the power button for a moment and then release. The screen backlight should turn on, but the screen is black.
3. Remove your finger from the Menu button. The screen should stay black.
4. Connect the USB cable to the computer. When connected, you should see a notice that a USB device has connected.
5. Open the Device Manager (I don't have Windows in front of me, so go find it) and go through the list. Probably under USB devices, there should be a device that says something like "Philips". So long as you don't see any items with an icon of an exclamation point, you can assume it's connected properly (if you did all the other steps).
6. NOW, open FlashUpgraderCinetronic.exe. Program launches. Select the file, and then hit "Flash". If the flash starts successfully, the bar above "Flash" should fill up with blue and a bit count of data transferred should appear. It will upload both files, which should take less than 60 seconds. After which, the system will give NO indication that it is doing anything. Just let it do it's thing, and eventually the monitor will reboot, flash the logo, and get to the blue screen.
7. Boom, you're upgraded.

I've got my laptop set up with Parallels and the Cinetronic stuff, so if anyone needs their monitor upgraded in the LA area, I can probably help. However, I know you're in NYC, so I can't help you. Sorry!

Do you have access to a Windows computer? I posted a walkthrough somewhere, I can probably find it, but it was the process for installing the driver and then flashing the firmware. If you have a Mac, the process does work if you have a virtualization app installed like VMWare or Parallels running Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Nice price, amazing capability, almost too good to be true... so dare I ask: FCC approval?

I only ask because I see you're a Canadian company, and was curious if the device is permitted for use in the USA?

I have found that HDMI is not enabled by default with Decimator 2's. Plug it into a USB on a computer, load the control panel and make sure it's set to scaling and turned on.

EDIT: sorry, just read you already verified HDMI out is enabled. I'll leave this post as a monument to my reading comprehension failures, and a reminder to others to enable HDMI scaling.

I bought one a few weeks ago, and so far I've enjoyed my time using it. I need a better mounting system for it (right now it's secured to the back of the "Monitor" battery position on my PRO2 battery hanger, and the LED display is velcroed to my monitor).

I don't have an extremely strong opinion about it, but it was available and I have been satisfied with it so far. One thing I'd like to change is the Hirose connector that goes to the LED: would be nice if it was 90 degree instead of straight push. Just would be nice if the connectors took up a bit less "mandatory space".

The "zero" function works well, I usually put a physical bubble level on my PRO sled Lower Junction Box, get the sled to show as "level", then zero it. Takes like 3 seconds, after which it is zeroed.

The LED readout is bright, would be nice if it was twice as bright (or otherwise didn't require a sunshade). However, a tiny shade goes a long way with making it effective in daylight.

The acceleration dampening seems to work well enough. Again, haven't run into any situations that really made me sorry about the fidelity of the reading.

My next mounting iteration will be replacing my video recorder mount for my PRO 2 battery, and then just mounting it to that.

Call me. Don't even care if it's Sepultura without the Cavaleras!

911 Paul Gardner, get in here.

You guys are lushes

If you ask nicely, someone will probably make you a Panarita Box.

Would you consider selling just the cases without the cart? What are the dimensions of the cases?

From the Cinetronic forum:

 

This firmware adds a factory reset option at startup. To perform a factor reset, hold the left button down, and power on the monitor. Keep the left button pressed through the whole boot process until the image comes up. (about 2-3 seconds after the Cinetronic Logo)

wuts ur r8 d00d?

Raising Cain

http://www.steadishots.org/shots_detail.cfm?shotID=199

Pictures, please. I fear what I'm about to see, but pictures please.

So you know: arm post goes into the D bracket, and the D bracket should have a short rod (4" length) with a removable flight pin. That rod goes into your gimbal arm, the pin prevents it sliding out, and the 5/32 Allen screw tightens to that rod.

On the arm side, the D bracket is 90 degrees, and on the gimbal side, the D bracket is 90 degrees. In no configuration should the gimbal arm be 90 degrees to the arm (or 90 degrees from the usual operating position).

Respectfully, William - my product speaks for itself.

 

The concept of a demo day was to give people a hands on to brand new technology.

 

Essentially what is being asked of me is to explain how what I am selling is different from something I have never personally seen from someone I don't know.

I'll do my best to make this derail temporary, if any: your products have always spoken for themselves, but you do operate in a industry where products of similarity need to set themselves apart from other things available. While your product "speaks for itself", what's the harm in speaking and selling your product to a market of potential buyers.

I can't speak for everyone, but I don't doubt what you've achieved. I own an Arrow, and I'm very happy with it, regardless of similarities to other products on Amazon or wherever. As long as products like what Jens linked are out there, you'll have to explain how and why you're different, and why the cost is worth it.

Simply put: every time someone posts something like what Jens posted, I don't understand why those moments become moments of contention rather than a moment to sell what you're so passionate about? If someone posts a competitor or something that could be mistaken for your product, it's a SALES opportunity to engage people and get them passionate about what you've created.

Some people won't get it, but from the sounds of it, you're not looking for just sales. You're looking for passionate people to support and partner with... so why not sell us on it?

Any business that thinks their product sells itself may succeed, but certainly won't last. That's a fact.

Calm down, kids. Nobody is trolling anyone. Jens posted a product that seems to have the same guts as the Tomahawk. If it's different, I think it's in Paralinx's interest to say so, and how. If the price difference is solely accounted by future support, mounting options, a new housing, etc, then let them say it.

Contrary opinions are not bullying, presenting things that APPEAR to be the same are not trolling, nor are presentations of new technology above critique. If the criticism is valid, then speak up. Give the members of this forum enough credit to read past the posts that aren't contributing to the discussion and address the REAL questions.

Paralinx/Dan: Jens posted a piece of equipment that looks a LOT like the technology in the Tomahawk. Feel free to refute before the watchful eyes of a community of potential buyers, and be aware that failure to explain it properly could result in further discussion.

PRICE???

Rob, I'd be eager to see what the setup is that you use? I think some guys use the Sennheiser EW100 or whatever to transmit from camera to Yaesu (or whatever ham radio works), but I'd be eager to see what molded headsets you guys use or how you handle the variety (as small as it may be) of PL setups in the live world.

Specifically with the Yaesu radio, I can't talk back through it anyway. I use it mostly to listen, and the mic on camera is used for talking (if ever).

However, I have wondered about making some cables so it would work with the 5-pin XLR on the PL packs, something to give a microphone as well as use these headphones.

The headphones are pretty good, although certainly not as loud as traditional headphones. However, I do have a pair of the bluetooth ones as well for bike riding.

I found a headset setup that works pretty nicely for live stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/AfterShokz-Sportz-AS321-Headphones-Microphone/dp/B009G89ZDU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1385072936

They're bone induction headphones with a stereo mini plug. I've been using them with my Yaesu VX-3R walkie for listening to the PL. Personally, I like them over a modified noise canceling option (like the Bose ComfortQuiet sets) because I can block out all noise rather than fighting to cancel the noise. Also, noise cancellation only kills some of the noise, so I gotta turn the PL up pretty loud to still strain to hear.

These sit just in front of the ear canal, resting against your head. Your ear canal remains unblocked, and the headphones play "into your skull". If your stage is quiet, you can still talk to (and hear) your talent or people around you while also hearing the director or anything over PL. If I'm on a loud stage or loud event, I wear earplugs to block any noise coming through the ear canal. The sound bypasses the ear canal, so it actually sounds very isolated and clear.

I did a live concert (small studio) deal with earplugs and the headphones, and I was amazed how well it worked compared to other solutions. I also didn't go home deaf from cranking up the PL volume to fight the noise that still got through other headphones.

Downside is it runs off a battery, but they last 12+ hours and charge off Micro USB, so you can charge it off a PTAP with the right cable. I'm also going to try and get the microphone on the battery pack to work, but it probably won't with the Yaesu.

Regardless, if you fly with a mic on the camera to talk back, then this works as a pretty good solution.