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Blackmagic Support In the Toilet


Adam Smith

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I like to update people from time to time on the support that is received or not received from the many companies we shovel money to for their products.

After all what good is it to sell a product if the company doesn't back it up or offer a repair service?

 

Yesterday I purchased a used Blackmagic Hyperdeck Shuttle from another local Op that was hard-wire modded for 4 pin XLR power. He told me that the SDI IN was non-functional so I figured I could call the company, send it in for repair and have a back up recording option on my sled for demo recording purposes. I already own one and it works great.

 

So after my inquiry to Blackmagic this is the reply I received about 5 minutes later:

 

"Hello Adam,

Thank you for contacting us. We do not have any diagnostic repair services. If the port isn't physically broken off there really isn't anything that we can offer as far as diagnosing the issue and repairing.

All the Best,
XXXXXXXXX
Technical Support Representative
Blackmagic Design Inc. "

 

I know its only a few hundred dollars to buy another recorder but seriously what good is the company if they offer no solution to your problem? I have also heard horror stories as to BMCC owners and issues with their cameras and the horrible service they received if they received any service at all.

 

As for any future purchases with this company I was ever considering, I think we all know the answer to that.

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Seriously though, it wasn't that long ago when a HD Recording deck would cost $80,000. These things cost as much as a lemo cable. There is just no sense in paying an engineer to repair things that cost this little. Blackmagic products are student or hobbyist priced products that give amazing results for the price.

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I agree Karl. Its not the price point I'm focusing on here, the recorder is only a $300 item. But if you buy a $300 LEMO and it crapps out in 6 months are you going to go back to that same guy or company to buy again? Its the reputation of the company across different product lines. I wouldn't have made the post if there weren't other people in worse scenarios. I have heard horror stories with their cameras in which the company has basically said go f yourself (Oh I know, they only run $3k so what am I complaining about for a 4k camera at that price). I will take my business elsewhere, and that is the point of the post. Too many companies are not standing behind their products (Cinetronics as of late, and there seems to be a growing number of others). These companies need to be held accountable whether it is a $300 product or an $80,000 product. The point is that we have choices, and making the public or community in which we are involved with aware of the choices that the companies decide to make with us is a way to keep them accountable whether their products are affordable or not.

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Repair support is one thing to be disappointed in, but I find the lack of honesty about upgrades to come to be more an issue with this company. The BM shuttle was released with the promise of more features to come down the road. The display button that would make the unit more user friendly and easy to navigate reminds me of the hope I once had for this little recorder. It's presently gathering dust in my basement and I'll never buy another BM product as a result. I'm sure they'll continue to sell to a certain market but it does make one wonder why they wouldn't try harder to maintain a better image?

 

iB

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I agree with you all.

 

here is another example of mine

 

Black magic is in the same market as Atomos, but last time my $295 dollar HDMI to SDI convertor was broken Atomos immediately send me a return shipping label and replaced me a new one (I only sent back the unit itself, but Atomos sent me a brand new in box with another set of accessories).

 

yeah, true that there is no point for repair for a $295 worth of toy, but Atomos did this customer service in a complete different manner than BM.

 

I even have a friend who owns Ninja 2, it got beat up in a year and Atomos replaced the unit with no cost.

 

so

 

eventho these toys gets replaced once every 2 years and there is no way to upgrade them, but at least Atomos did prove BM service is in the toilet.

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