You might want to check with Sonic Foundry's sales department. The "Free" CD is actually part ot the higher price you pay for the boxed version. They may consider it a perq only for those who have paid the extra price.

I think you'll find that they're the same price.

I recall it being a shipping issue. I think you need to pay them shipping costs. Thats why I just went to the downloadable version. They still might let you buy it for shipping and handling fees. I was also told the packaged version was 2.0 not 2.0c, so the sales rep pushed the downloadable version... the_ripper

Another vote for a downloadable ISO image. Make it available only to registered owners if you must, but a downloadable option should be available. Shipping costs to Canada are simply too high. Or take a tip from AOL on how to ship CDs cheap ;)

Have been following this thread.... So is there going to be a downloadable version or not? Your right with broadband and compression, would not be such a chore to download. Maybe someone needs to make it available on one of the file sharing services.

For what it's worth, the current purchase screens on the Sonic Foundry site give you the option of having the CD shipped for an extra "nominal charge", even if you are buying the downloadable version of the product itself. I don't know what the "nomimal charge" is, but I walked far enough through the process since I was curious about the issue.

That aside, I agree that making it downloadable would be the best option... that's why I pay for DSL!

Hi all,

I too am very interested in purchasing VideoFactory and would like to take
advantage of the free contents CD also available with the downloadable version.
Since I am in Canada, it would cost me $25us (or $40cdn) to have this CD
shipped! This hardly makes it "free" anymore...

I have contacted the sales department at sofo about getting access to the contents
CD by FTP (I have DSL at home, it wouldn't take that long to download...) and have not gotten any answer yet... (last night)

Has anybody worked out some way to make this CD available on the 'net anywhere? Since it's "free" from sofo when VF is purchased, they shouldn't have any objections... :)

Thanks,
Daniel Born

"Free" does not equal "Public Domain". It's possible that SonicFoundry still licenses the content on the CD and "purchasing" it for free grants you usage rights that you wouldn't have if you obtained the content elsewhere.

The disc is quite full, probably close to 650MB. I have an 1860Kbps cable connection. Even with the best rate possible it would still take me nearly an hour and a half to download that much. That's a pretty massive download.

That shipping charge does seem rather high though. I know you're in Canada, but shipping rates to Canada aren't that much higher than within the USA. I recently ordered the content disc with Vegas 4 and was only charged $5 extra for shipping.

Come on SoFo - Some input please !!!!

Hi,
I agree with you and I wasn't trying to get it without first actually purchasing VF... I was just hoping to avoid those astronomical shipping charges!
I know you could probably send it out using the US mail service for $3.65 but if you go to the SoFo site's purchasing page for VF and select the "download s/w" but ship the free CD, for Canada there is just one choice: "UPS International Express [$25.00]"

Anyway, it's not a problem for me anymore, I've bought the downloadable version of VF and sent the CD to relatives spending the winter in Florida! So I'll have the free CD in april or I'll have them mail it to me!

Thanks,
Daniel

I too live in Canada not far from the border with the States and the delivery was $38.94 Canadian for courier delivery. Prior to getting it I had called Sonic's customer service to ask if it could be mailed. They said no, it was the policy to send it via courier. It arrived in an envelope small enough to be letter mailed. I wasn't very pleased.
The content. There is basically Music, Sound effects, Still images and Video effects. Some of the videos don't work, others the only way to see them is to manually move them across the screen, if you try playing them they go from start to finish you see nothing! Sound effects seem to be repetitious, 8 witch cackles were so similar it was hardly worth putting the other 7 in. Apart from the witches just about all the human sound effects were males - not a female to be found!
Everything considered, if you live in the States and are getting it free it might be worth your while to get it, though I doubt if you'll ever use it much. Unless Sonic change their (ridiculous) policy and mail the 'free' CD to anywhere else on the planet which surely couldn't cost them (and their customers) more than $3 to $4, I would reccomend you save your money.
Joby