jlames
Well-known member
Nothing pleased me more than to come back from a weekend shoot and relate the real-world results of field-testing the IDX batteries under real-world shooting (see previous post). IDX's Michelle was wonderful to provide us loaners to use which worked great... but now the bad news. The program leaves alot to be desired.
We purchased a total of 5 JVCs from EVS taking delivery of the last ones on 2-7-06. That's about $25,000 for what is, in our opinion, a great camera and precisely what we need for the next 18 months. BUT, today is 2-16-06 and we have still not received the certificates from EVS mainly because EVS has not received them from JVC; certificates which do noting more than provide us the opportunity to complete them, attach sales receipts and box cut-outs to them and mail them into JVC. And that's noyt for a lack of trying on EVS' part. Rush is on the phone daily with absolutely no results. So that's a total so far of 10 days that the cameras would have been siting idle save for outside power which is a complete hassle on the location shoots requiring lines to be run from inverters by juicers who cost us extra money when they could be used sewtting lighting. Even if the certificates get there by tomorrow, we're informed that we'll have to wait another 6-8 weeks for the paperwork to be processed and the batteries and mounting hardware to be delivered.
So here's the final analysis. I'm really sad to say that, no matter how good the camera is, no matter how well the IDX batteries perform, the IDX / JVC deal serves absolutely no purpose what so ever. For us, we'll wind up buying batteries and mounting hardware this week because we have serious, 4-camera location shoots coming up next week in distant Arizona and the following week in Nevada. We'd rent them but the cost would be about the same as buying them so we might as well just bite the bullet now and have the extras gathering dust in the truck. Besides, we can't find them to rent anyway from EVS... they don't have any. If they did, I'm sure they' loan them to us. So, for us, it's a needless expenditure of money that can't be recovered to buy equipment that'll eventually, probably find its way to us months from now. But for the serious independent who doesn't have our financial resources and needs to shoot footage now, it's a complete bummer for a company to raise expectations by advertising this "great deal" and then say, "Well, you'll have to use the junk batteries until we get around to fulfilling our promise" ... and that just stinks. The original JVC batteries are not of sufficient strength to carry a day's production for anyone so, in the end, the camera is basically useless unless you have the deep pockets to afford to buy or rent the IDX setup to get you through until the "great deal" arrives some 2-months later if then. Then you 're stuck with extra setups that shooters couldn't afford in the first place. I can't tell you how disappointing this whole deal is.
Now I know some of you are saying, "Hey, B&H or XYZ Company got me my cert in a couple of days." and "Well it only took a week for me to get mine." and that's all well and good. But the fact of the matter is that if that's the case, JVC and IDX should treat every retailer equally. At Blue Line Cinema and Hawkfeather Productions, we believe in loyalty and spending our money with people we trust and EVS is, for better or worse, our supplier of choice. We've already dropped about $30,000 with them since January and will probably spend the bulk of a $300,000 budget this year with them because 9 out of 10 times they come through. And if they can't come through because JVC or IDX isn't getting them the certificates or battery systems they need to get to us, we're not going to penalize them for that. Buyer beware is all I can say.
If I'd have known that 10-days after buying 5 cameras and taking delivery on 4 of them I wouldn't have the power I need to run them, I'd still have bought the cameras but I wouldn't have any great expectations of some great deal; ideas that have only been dashed and led to disappointment and this rant against JVC and IDX.
You know, I was going to apologize here for going off on this rant when normally I try to sit down each evening after the production day's over and review the forums I know about and lend constructive help and advice to people where I can ... and also read the postings of people like Barry Green and Jared Land and others who have forgotten more than I'll ever know; postings that serve to open my eyes, educate me and make me a better producer for my distributors and the audiences our work serves. But you know what? I'm not going to apologize. My rage is appropriate given the fact that this Board is dedicated to spreading the word between people who pay JVC's and IDX's employees' payrolls and I really hope that they read this. And to them I say, "For those of us who buy your equipment because it's the best we can find for the job we do, you're not helping us at all when those very cameras sit idle, not making us any money and in fact costing us money, while you get your paperwork together."
In another forum or maybe this one, I forget, a guy in South America, gustavotg I think his username is, just the other day blew up his new JVC, tried to contact JVC Customer Service and when he got nowhere, turned to this forum for help. I responded giving him the e-mail of the only person I knew who could help him and told him to contact me if there was no response from JVC. Why? Because I've been where he was and I have an unopened JVCHD 100 in my office. I was going to send him that new camera if JVC didn't respond to his needs. Now I know that's easy to say but Rush will back me up on this when I told him about my offer and he wondered what would happen if I never got my camera back? Well, I knew I would because members of this Board helps other members and if I have a way to help with a new camera I'm not using yet, I'll do it. Fortunately, in that post I read that a JVC Executive Vice President took care of the matter for the gentleman and I hope he's now completing his work down there. So to that Vice President I say, if you're reading this, "Do something about this program because as it stands, it stinks." I'd also say, honestly, "Don't worry, I'll still buy your cameras because I need 4 more in the next month but having to buy power systems for the ones I just bought to get my crew through until you figure out your paperwork is working a needless hardship on us. But then again, what's the downside for you and IDX? You're making a profit off of my situation and anyone else who buys the JVC and needs it right now so I guess your shareholders are happy. And besides, people who read this will forget about the issue in due time anyway. N o harm...no foul, Right?" That's what I'd say to you Mr. Executive Vice President. Oh, wait, I just did.
And finally, to emanuel I think, who once posted, "He sure likes to hear himself talk, doesn't he?"... I say, "This time I'm guilty as charged, but I sure feel better." I simply think that if you set, purposely or inadvertantly, expectations, you should hit the mark. We shouldn't have to, "Read the Fine Print."
OK, back to constructive stuff. Does anyone know where the spell check feature went?
We purchased a total of 5 JVCs from EVS taking delivery of the last ones on 2-7-06. That's about $25,000 for what is, in our opinion, a great camera and precisely what we need for the next 18 months. BUT, today is 2-16-06 and we have still not received the certificates from EVS mainly because EVS has not received them from JVC; certificates which do noting more than provide us the opportunity to complete them, attach sales receipts and box cut-outs to them and mail them into JVC. And that's noyt for a lack of trying on EVS' part. Rush is on the phone daily with absolutely no results. So that's a total so far of 10 days that the cameras would have been siting idle save for outside power which is a complete hassle on the location shoots requiring lines to be run from inverters by juicers who cost us extra money when they could be used sewtting lighting. Even if the certificates get there by tomorrow, we're informed that we'll have to wait another 6-8 weeks for the paperwork to be processed and the batteries and mounting hardware to be delivered.
So here's the final analysis. I'm really sad to say that, no matter how good the camera is, no matter how well the IDX batteries perform, the IDX / JVC deal serves absolutely no purpose what so ever. For us, we'll wind up buying batteries and mounting hardware this week because we have serious, 4-camera location shoots coming up next week in distant Arizona and the following week in Nevada. We'd rent them but the cost would be about the same as buying them so we might as well just bite the bullet now and have the extras gathering dust in the truck. Besides, we can't find them to rent anyway from EVS... they don't have any. If they did, I'm sure they' loan them to us. So, for us, it's a needless expenditure of money that can't be recovered to buy equipment that'll eventually, probably find its way to us months from now. But for the serious independent who doesn't have our financial resources and needs to shoot footage now, it's a complete bummer for a company to raise expectations by advertising this "great deal" and then say, "Well, you'll have to use the junk batteries until we get around to fulfilling our promise" ... and that just stinks. The original JVC batteries are not of sufficient strength to carry a day's production for anyone so, in the end, the camera is basically useless unless you have the deep pockets to afford to buy or rent the IDX setup to get you through until the "great deal" arrives some 2-months later if then. Then you 're stuck with extra setups that shooters couldn't afford in the first place. I can't tell you how disappointing this whole deal is.
Now I know some of you are saying, "Hey, B&H or XYZ Company got me my cert in a couple of days." and "Well it only took a week for me to get mine." and that's all well and good. But the fact of the matter is that if that's the case, JVC and IDX should treat every retailer equally. At Blue Line Cinema and Hawkfeather Productions, we believe in loyalty and spending our money with people we trust and EVS is, for better or worse, our supplier of choice. We've already dropped about $30,000 with them since January and will probably spend the bulk of a $300,000 budget this year with them because 9 out of 10 times they come through. And if they can't come through because JVC or IDX isn't getting them the certificates or battery systems they need to get to us, we're not going to penalize them for that. Buyer beware is all I can say.
If I'd have known that 10-days after buying 5 cameras and taking delivery on 4 of them I wouldn't have the power I need to run them, I'd still have bought the cameras but I wouldn't have any great expectations of some great deal; ideas that have only been dashed and led to disappointment and this rant against JVC and IDX.
You know, I was going to apologize here for going off on this rant when normally I try to sit down each evening after the production day's over and review the forums I know about and lend constructive help and advice to people where I can ... and also read the postings of people like Barry Green and Jared Land and others who have forgotten more than I'll ever know; postings that serve to open my eyes, educate me and make me a better producer for my distributors and the audiences our work serves. But you know what? I'm not going to apologize. My rage is appropriate given the fact that this Board is dedicated to spreading the word between people who pay JVC's and IDX's employees' payrolls and I really hope that they read this. And to them I say, "For those of us who buy your equipment because it's the best we can find for the job we do, you're not helping us at all when those very cameras sit idle, not making us any money and in fact costing us money, while you get your paperwork together."
In another forum or maybe this one, I forget, a guy in South America, gustavotg I think his username is, just the other day blew up his new JVC, tried to contact JVC Customer Service and when he got nowhere, turned to this forum for help. I responded giving him the e-mail of the only person I knew who could help him and told him to contact me if there was no response from JVC. Why? Because I've been where he was and I have an unopened JVCHD 100 in my office. I was going to send him that new camera if JVC didn't respond to his needs. Now I know that's easy to say but Rush will back me up on this when I told him about my offer and he wondered what would happen if I never got my camera back? Well, I knew I would because members of this Board helps other members and if I have a way to help with a new camera I'm not using yet, I'll do it. Fortunately, in that post I read that a JVC Executive Vice President took care of the matter for the gentleman and I hope he's now completing his work down there. So to that Vice President I say, if you're reading this, "Do something about this program because as it stands, it stinks." I'd also say, honestly, "Don't worry, I'll still buy your cameras because I need 4 more in the next month but having to buy power systems for the ones I just bought to get my crew through until you figure out your paperwork is working a needless hardship on us. But then again, what's the downside for you and IDX? You're making a profit off of my situation and anyone else who buys the JVC and needs it right now so I guess your shareholders are happy. And besides, people who read this will forget about the issue in due time anyway. N o harm...no foul, Right?" That's what I'd say to you Mr. Executive Vice President. Oh, wait, I just did.
And finally, to emanuel I think, who once posted, "He sure likes to hear himself talk, doesn't he?"... I say, "This time I'm guilty as charged, but I sure feel better." I simply think that if you set, purposely or inadvertantly, expectations, you should hit the mark. We shouldn't have to, "Read the Fine Print."
OK, back to constructive stuff. Does anyone know where the spell check feature went?
