The current Juice Boxes are tops!

My first Jumpbacks came in shiny plastic cases the size of the New York City Yellow Pages... Now they come in slim, beautiful packages, mmm... :O)

I must agree... the FCP Studio packaging, user manuals, etc... is pretty impressive. But I bet it costs a fortune to ship.

I wouldn't know, I am an Amazon Prime Member. I get free 2-Day Shipping or $1.99-$3.99 for Overnight... :O)

God, I love it!

(And the FCS1 -> FCS2 upgrade is only $449 there, that's the best price I've seen).

Sync,
I just ordered the packaged set only, no download. It came as a disc in a paper sleeve, 2 manuals & keyboard shortcut guides; No box! YMMV

Recieved mine and no box. Has anyone recieved a box?

I recently purchased the "packaged" SoundForge 9 upgrade, and received no box... just the contents in bubblewrap.

Kind of irritating, as I prefer having the boxes, but I can live with it. Considering how much shipping cost me for Canada, though, it should've been the full-sized box, lol.

I think Sony should re-consider this practice. I'd like to receive boxes for the next upgrades to SF10 and V9.

A box is nice if you have the space to waste , but it used to serve as a container for the massive manuals you received with the software. Not just talking about Sony here. Sometimes there were two or more boxes to hold all the printed material that went with the discs. (This is going back a few years.)

A printed manual is a bonus, but why waste all the shelf space with the spacers in a box when the manual and disc don't even consume the volume of the box.

Fo me, it was a big disapointment when I would purchase software in a box 2.5 X 8 X 9.5 and only receive a CD or 2 with the manual in a pdf file.

I would need a storage unit to house all the software "In Boxes" that I purchased in the past 19 years if they were all "BOXED".

My $ 0.02 worth.

Tom

Received my package in the mail today... a Clear Plastic Bag in a Manila Envelope.
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Even after my extensive talk w/ Customer Service... a Clear Plastic Bag in a Manila Envelope.
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After having some Idiot at Sony explain the difference between the choices and assuring me that we/he chose the right option... a Clear Plastic Bag in a Manila Envelope.
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After sitting on Sony Customer Service Live Chat today for 2hours because all of a sudden my MPG Import/Export gives an error saying it is EXPIRED... and still NOT getting it fixed... a Clear Plastic Bag in a Manila Envelope.
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Looks like everyone that comes into the Studio will think we edit on FCP, Premiere Pro, & Avid since their pretty boxes are viewable... but noone will see the Vegas box since its Ugly Manila Envelope will be hidden in a drawer.

oh...puhleeeze!

ROFLOL -- you guys are too much!

Anyone who's stupid enough to come in our studio asking to see boxes, we simply tell them, "Boxes? We ain't got no boxes. We don't need no boxes! I don't have to show you any stinkin' boxes!"

I don't know where the 'People asking to see boxes came from.'
(Actually, I did see someone mention it in an earlier post to this thread.)

Personally I have never had anyone ask to see a Box but then again, I don't know the relationship others are building with their clients or the conversations they are having. I would probably just laugh and make a smart a$$ comment if someone did ask to see the box.

The reason I like to have the box is so that I can display it on my shelf. It doesn't have a Flashing Arrow saying 'Heah, look at me!'... but is more-so a quiet statement that says 'I use Professional Grade Products and that's why I deliver Professional Grade Results.'

Today, EVERYONE is a Video Editor... just look at these forums.
When it comes to making a living I like to set myself apart from the Amateurs or Hobbyists. I, like a lot of other Professionals have a lot of time, education, money, etc. tied up into this Profession. I am NOT an Amateur or Hobbyist... this IS how I make my living.

I have Avid, FCP Studio, Adobe Production Studio, Boris RED, and many others on my shelf. I've had people tell me that they've talked to other Studios that do NOT have what I have... simply because they saw it on my shelf and took it upon themselves to ask the next guy about it. With that, I won a client that otherwise would have gone elsewhere.

When people are nickel & diming to get jobs, have NOT made the investment I have, or deliver the same quality I do; I want to be able to simply point to a shelf and say, "Ask yourself, can your nephew and his 'Movie Maker Software' or Bob down the street compete with this arsenal?"

It's a lot easier to show equity in your prices when you can back them up with your Degree/Diploma on the wall, Awards displayed, proven Quality, and can show the Time and Money you have invested.

Now, Why would you spend $2500 w/ me instead of $500 with him?
-proven Equity.

A box may seem minuscule to some but not to others. Why can't we respect that?

It's the same as when someone asks:
"What does Lower Field first mean?"
"What is a CoDec?"
"How do I use Color Bars?"
etc.

To me, most of the questions asked here are Common Knowledge to the Video Professional, but I try not to laugh or make smart a$$ remarks, and I help when I can.

It's simple... post something helpful. If a thread means nothing to you... pass it by.

I appreciate and respect the diversity of this forum.
I wish others would too.

If my reputation and my business depended on what boxes I had on my shelf, things would be oh so much simpler for me. Now, if I could put the box on the shelf that my brain came in, things might be different. LOL

I used to think that the kind of girlfriend I could attract was dependent on what kind of car I drove. Then I grew up and realized that it really depended on what kind of sexy camera I had on my shoulder. Then, I grew even further and realized that the kind of woman I was attracting really cared only about what I had...and I don't mean my...errr... head.

To each his own. I don't judge or criticize, Sync. You can be whomever you chose to be...as can I. If it works for ya...go for it, dude.

Bill,
if you think image doesn't matter, with all due respect I gotta ask, what the hell are you doing in this game?

Aren't images what we create and yes it's all a fraud of course but that's what this business is about, it really is one massive con job but anything that helps us pull off the illusion helps.

Yeah, I know, the images that we create are what the client pays for not the image that we project. Funny thing that I've learned though is the image that we project is what gets the client in the first place. This business is full of totally clueless people but they can walk the walk and talk the talk and they get the clients.

Bob.

Bob...

Yeah, I really get what you're saying. It's truth.
But, I guess, somewhere along the line I decided that I was sick of taking things on other people's terms. OK, so, I'll never be rich or famous, that's OK with me. I have pride in myself and my honesty and my product. If I give a person my word, I stand behind it. No excuses, no ifs, ands or parties of the third part. They get the best of me, box or not. Tell me who I can trust and what box on their shelf says that I can trust them. If that's not enough to make me some money, guess, I;d rather be poor. As things are working out, I'm wondering how in the world I'll pay for that Sony CineAlta. I , finally, figured out that I can rent it, I don't have to own it.

I'm happy. H-A-P-P-Y. It's really quite simple...heheheheh.

I guess I'm luckier than most. And I'm greatful, every day, that I'm NOT defined by the box on my shelf...or not on my shelf. There's a TON of people who DO judge me by that. I'm so sorry about that.

Image is everything.
Visuals are everything.

Bob's right.

Packaging is a key component of perceived value, and has a dramatic approach on everything we do in working with our customers and the products we bring to market.

For example...

I can create a 3-DVD system of 3 two-hour DVDs, in modest looking cases, for a niche product, and sell it for $95-$195 tops.

Or I can create a 6-DVD system of 6 1-hour DVDs and put them in sensational looking cases, and sell that same exact content at $595-$795.

I have done so for years, making millions. Packaging counts. Think of how models and food products and everything else, is PACKAGED.

Or picking up ladies at nightclubs (remembered from my 20s): a hottie in a great looking dress with wonderful hair, nails, smile and makeup and huge chi-chis, in a v-neck red felt dress, will definitely get me dancing with her faster than some plain-jane wallflower in the corner wearing some nondescript boring dress.

Doritos in a generic brown bag would sell for 99cents a bag tops. Doritos in air-poofed bright red and orange bags w/seethrough window, sell for $2.95. Adobe's production studio software, in a huge bright wonderful looking box, sells for $1600+. They Get it.

Get it?

I want my vegas box. Gimme. Vegas in a crappy 10cent envelope screams "this is an amatuerish NLE packaged by bean counting nimrods who are completely clueless about professional video. Which only aggravates an unfortunately true industry perception=reality.

the millionaire dvd producer,
-k

If it's workin' for ya, by all means, go for it! I'm not arguing that marketting doesn't work. Of course it does! What I am doing is offering another perspective, simply my own opinion. The very fact that this thread has had so many views is pretty indicative of the relevance of the topic, don't you think?

It's curious that some customers make decisions on such shallow evidence of quality. In my own experience, there's a ton of young Hollywood executives that don't know their axx from a hole in the ground. But, they're the ones making the financial decisions. Just look, or not, at the garbage on TV. There's some really great visuals, no doubt about it, but the subject matter is not worth the price of admission. Oh, that's right, it's free. Take CSI Miami, for example. Weak plot, weak acting, great visuals. *shrug* Juice up the visual FX with a pretty face, long legs...and people will tune in. QED

Personally, and that means strictly IMHO, I'd rather die in obscurity after having made 1 or 2 socially relevant pieces of work, than die in fame and wealth, with an emmy under my belt, for having produced 1000 meaningless TV shows. But, have we already established that I'm a nutcase?

We're discussing value systems. There is no right or wrong, no winner or loser. Beauty is in the eye of the ...yaddah yaddah. Or is it the Flying Spaghetti Monster, i forget.

By the way, do you like Pennzoil or Quaker State?