New DC-MP3 Showtime Director questions

[Orville]

I currently own the original {Gen 1?} DC-MP3 Showtime Director and I see it is being replaced by a new model {although I can't find where I saw the actual new version of it} that has an RED L,E.D. display on it.

 

I also see it won't be available until December, so I'm guessing that is December 2013?

 

But what I'd like to know is what are the new features of this DC-MP3 Showtime Director compared to the older version {the one I have is in the metal casing, not in with a controller}.

 

So I'm thinking of buying the new updated DC-MP3 Showtime Director, but would really like to know what the differences between the two are.

Will the L,E,D. display now also display the time from the internal real time clock?

Will the L,E,D, display show what day of the week it is?

Just what will the new digital L,E,D, display actually display on it and is it, will it be user selectable or hardcoded?

 

I'm hoping one of the LOR Tech guys or someone from LOR that knows about the new DC-MP3 Showtime Director unit {again, not the one in a controller} will fill me in as to wether or not I really need to upgrade my old DC-MP3 Showtime Director to the new unit by giving me a comparison of the new features so I can decide wether or not I want to purchase the new unit.

 

Thanks to any of the LOR folks that can offer some input on the new standalone DC-MP3 Showtime Director unit.  Just wish it would be available before October as I'd want to set it up and use it during my Halloween display as well as Christmas.

 

 

[Don]

Unless I have unknown time travel ability, it's out now. Used it last Christmas for a few projects.

 

If you want someone from LOR to answer your question, I would suggest a help desk ticket. Not sure the LOR folks will see question here.

[Orville]

Unless I have unknown time travel ability, it's out now. Used it last Christmas for a few projects.

 

If you want someone from LOR to answer your question, I would suggest a help desk ticket. Not sure the LOR folks will see question here.

Interesting because when I click on the current one that is the same one I have it says not available and the new one will be out in December, but no year is shown, so that's why I figured it is not available yet.    Don't see any way to purchase one and can't find it listed on the LOR website, I keep looking so I could see what the differences are, but can't locate it anywhere.

 

Is there an url where I can go and read what the new ones features are and what the differences are aside from the Digital display?   And is there an url where one could buy the new one?    When I click on the old version photo of the one I have, it says not available and none gets put in the basket, I tried to see if I could buy one anytime soon, but had no luck.

 

Hence why I asked the questions posted in my OP and why they were geared more toward the LOR folk because, again, I didn't see the new one for sale anywhere, I know I saw a photo of it with very little info not too long ago, but couldn't relocate it earlier when I was looking for it.

 

But since you have the newest one, what are the features compared to the older one I have?  If you have any knowledge between the two.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Don]

store.lightorama.com -> Light Controllers -> G3-MP3 Director

 

Docs -> Look for "G3-MP3"

 

Again, the LOR folks may not have time to view every single post. If you want a quick response from them, I would strongly suggest the help desk.
 

[Surfing4Dough]

Not sure what is hard about finding the link to the actual device:

 

http://store.lightorama.com/g3mp3director.html

 

Plus the data sheet is clearly labeled on the support Datasheet page:

 

http://www.lightorama.com/Documents/G3-MP3.pdf

 

Along with the manual:

http://www.lightorama.com/Documents/G3-MP3_Man_Web.pdf

[Orville]

Not sure what is hard about finding the link to the actual device:

 

http://store.lightorama.com/g3mp3director.html

 

Plus the data sheet is clearly labeled on the support Datasheet page:

 

http://www.lightorama.com/Documents/G3-MP3.pdf

 

Along with the manual:

http://www.lightorama.com/Documents/G3-MP3_Man_Web.pdf

 

Because I did look and this is what I get:

 

Went to this page first from Website link at top of forum pages:

http://www.lightorama.com/index.html

 

Then clicked on Accessories drop down menu and selected "Show Directors {Standalone}" and got this page:

http://www.lightorama.com/ShowtimeDirector.html

 

 

Then when I go to the above page url and scroll down to the photo of the DC-MP3 Showtime Director it is the ONE I currently own {not the new Gen 3 one}.

 

Then when I click on Datasheet, I get this:

http://www.lightorama.com/PDF/DC-MP3.pdf

{same data sheet I have for mine, again, NOT G3!}

 

And when I click on Manual I get this:

http://www.lightorama.com/PDF/DC-MP3_Man_Web.pdf

{same manual I have for mine, again, NOT G3!}

 

And every one of those pages DO NOT REFLECT, Nor did any of them even direct me to the newer DC-MP3 Showtime Director, they all refer to MY CURRENT DC-MP3 Showtime Director, and if you click on BUY IT, it states NOT AVAILABLE, NOR does it give a link to the newer version of this unit, but says available in December {no year}.  So what I am to think, I'm going to think it is NOT AVAILABLE at this time.

 

If it did refer me to the newer G3 Director unit and pages, do you think I would have been asking questions about it here? And then wondering if it was Dec. 2013?  No!, I would not, but since I could not find the link and searching the site did not help, I just got a page full of urls that had NOTHING to do with the NEW DC-MP3 Showtime Director, just references back to the forum on the older one I have, so I did the only reasonable other thing I knew, I asked about it here in the LOR Forums.

 

But as par for the course on this forum, people want to act like someone didn't bother to look before they asked or posted their questions here and that just needs to stop, because that is not always true.   Because I did look, I did try to locate the info from the LOR website url that is posted directly at the top of this forums pages, it did not return results I was seeking, so I asked here in the forums, but it seems when folks ask questions here because they may have tried to find something or get answers, it's a cardinal sin to do so.

 

So yes, that is what is "hard about finding a link" to things on the LOR site!  Sometimes they just can not be found readily or as easily as some may think from the LOR website pages where one would hope to find such information.

 

And yes, I appreciate the links to the new DC-MP3 Showtime Director so I can check it out, but when I read through what I had found a while back, there wasn't much in the way of comparing the two to see what major differences and changes are between them, so, again, why I asked here in the forums.

 

It would be nice if LOR would do what they did with the software page, show a side by side comparison, but instead of software difference, show the differences between an older hardware version with the newer version of hardware, then I think that would help folks understand the differences, see the differences, and help them decide if they want to buy a new one, and then maybe sell off their old one that someone else may want that is just starting out, and doesn't require all the advantages, or disadvantages offered by a new LOR Hardware device.   

 

I even think the DC-MP3 Showtime Directors should also show up in the LOR Hardware Utility so you can see at a glance what firmware is in it, after all, it is a controller of sorts, it controls the entire display without the use of a computer, so why doesn't it show up as a controller in the HWU where you can actually know what firmware is installed in it?   If the new one does, I don't know, but the MP3 tab doesn't give any option to "read the firmware" in the DC-MP3 Showtime Director, at least not the one I own.

Edited February 12, 2013 by Orville

[Orville]

store.lightorama.com -> Light Controllers -> G3-MP3 Director

 

Docs -> Look for "G3-MP3"

 

Again, the LOR folks may not have time to view every single post. If you want a quick response from them, I would strongly suggest the help desk.

 

Wasn't looking for a quick response Don.   Just trying to gather info to see if when my tax refund gets here if I want to go ahead and buy the newer DC-MP3 Showtime Director, although I'm thinking of buying the controller/director unit combination, just have not decided which route I want to go yet.   So was just trying to locate the info on it, but was having no luck in finding the new unit, only the older one I currently own.

[LightORamaDan]

The store can be confusing and is on the todo list this year to get it into better shape. As mentioned the Gen3 MP3 director is available both as a seperate unit and as part of a LOR1602Wg3MP3

 

Dan

[Orville]

Thanks for the update Dan.  

 

Now having read everything I could find on it, will more than likely just go with the standalone G3 DC-MP3 Showtime Director/   Now since I know my current license does not support the LOR 3.9.x software and I know I will need the upgrade to use all features of the new G3 Director, if I buy a SuperStar license for 2 CCR's, that will also upgrade my current license for the LOR software 3.9.x, is that correct? Or does that need to be a seperate upgrade?   This one is still confusing to me to know how I should handle this upgrade, as well as know which upgrade to go with where I can use everything available in any new hardware I may acquire{sp?}

 

p.s. now just have to wait for my tax refund to get here to order what I'll need.

Edited February 12, 2013 by Orville

[LightORamaDan]

Just some generic information for everyone: The LOR software license is good to a particular version (such as 3.9.x) OR any version that comes out withing 1 year of purchase. After that, the software will continue to operate however you will not be able to move to a newer version outside the constraints of the license. There is a thing called a License Renewal ($29.95) that applies to any LOR software license that you own. If you get a License Renewal it is as if you just made a purchase of your license on that date. So I recommend that if you do decide to get a license renewal that you wait as long as possible because you get at least a year of updates from the date of purchase. 

 

Now anytime you upgrade your license (say move from Basic to Basic Plus) or add Super Star or upgrade Super Star ( for example: move from the 2CCR version of Super Star to the 4CCR version)... Any type of license update to a higher level, you get a free license renewal.

 

So lets say you have the Basic License. You would not want to do a license renewal because it is cheaper to upgrade from Basic to Basic Plus ($20 for the upgrade vs $29.95 for the license renewal) You get a free $29.95 renewal for the cost of the $20 upgrade. If you did pay the $29.95 you would still have the Basic license.... 

 

It can be confusing but the rules are fairly straight forward. (A license renewal updates the purchase date of your existing license) and (If you upgrade to a higher level or add a new service such as superstar you get a free license renewal). We see a percentage of people who make mistakes, ( A common one is to get the license renewal and get super star)... When we see such things in the store (and we catch the mistake) we just charge for what is necessary so in this example we would not charge for the license renewal. 

 

The license database is automated so transactions in the store automatically update the license with no intervention by staff. People often do not use the same email address that is associated with their license when they upgrade or renew. In that case the update is delayed until we manually adjust the license. 

 

Dan

[Orville]

Thanks for the clarification Dan.   Tells me exactly how to proceed once my tax refund shows up.

[Surfing4Dough]

Because I did look and this is what I get:

 

Went to this page first from Website link at top of forum pages:

http://www.lightorama.com/index.html

 

Then clicked on Accessories drop down menu and selected "Show Directors {Standalone}" and got this page:

http://www.lightorama.com/ShowtimeDirector.html

 

 

Then when I go to the above page url and scroll down to the photo of the DC-MP3 Showtime Director it is the ONE I currently own {not the new Gen 3 one}.

 

Then when I click on Datasheet, I get this:

http://www.lightorama.com/PDF/DC-MP3.pdf

{same data sheet I have for mine, again, NOT G3!}

 

And when I click on Manual I get this:

http://www.lightorama.com/PDF/DC-MP3_Man_Web.pdf

{same manual I have for mine, again, NOT G3!}

 

And every one of those pages DO NOT REFLECT, Nor did any of them even direct me to the newer DC-MP3 Showtime Director, they all refer to MY CURRENT DC-MP3 Showtime Director, and if you click on BUY IT, it states NOT AVAILABLE, NOR does it give a link to the newer version of this unit, but says available in December {no year}.  So what I am to think, I'm going to think it is NOT AVAILABLE at this time.

 

If it did refer me to the newer G3 Director unit and pages, do you think I would have been asking questions about it here? And then wondering if it was Dec. 2013?  No!, I would not, but since I could not find the link and searching the site did not help, I just got a page full of urls that had NOTHING to do with the NEW DC-MP3 Showtime Director, just references back to the forum on the older one I have, so I did the only reasonable other thing I knew, I asked about it here in the LOR Forums.

 

But as par for the course on this forum, people want to act like someone didn't bother to look before they asked or posted their questions here and that just needs to stop, because that is not always true.   Because I did look, I did try to locate the info from the LOR website url that is posted directly at the top of this forums pages, it did not return results I was seeking, so I asked here in the forums, but it seems when folks ask questions here because they may have tried to find something or get answers, it's a cardinal sin to do so.

 

So yes, that is what is "hard about finding a link" to things on the LOR site!  Sometimes they just can not be found readily or as easily as some may think from the LOR website pages where one would hope to find such information.

 

And yes, I appreciate the links to the new DC-MP3 Showtime Director so I can check it out, but when I read through what I had found a while back, there wasn't much in the way of comparing the two to see what major differences and changes are between them, so, again, why I asked here in the forums.

 

It would be nice if LOR would do what they did with the software page, show a side by side comparison, but instead of software difference, show the differences between an older hardware version with the newer version of hardware, then I think that would help folks understand the differences, see the differences, and help them decide if they want to buy a new one, and then maybe sell off their old one that someone else may want that is just starting out, and doesn't require all the advantages, or disadvantages offered by a new LOR Hardware device.   

 

I even think the DC-MP3 Showtime Directors should also show up in the LOR Hardware Utility so you can see at a glance what firmware is in it, after all, it is a controller of sorts, it controls the entire display without the use of a computer, so why doesn't it show up as a controller in the HWU where you can actually know what firmware is installed in it?   If the new one does, I don't know, but the MP3 tab doesn't give any option to "read the firmware" in the DC-MP3 Showtime Director, at least not the one I own.

 

Not sure why there was the need for such an angry reply when a simple "Thank you for the links" would have sufficed, especially since the info you were looking for was basically provided easily, succinctly,  and promptly for you (maybe an answer in less than 1.5 hrs wasn't quick enough).  I guess I didn't specifically compare the 2 devices for you (since I don't own either) but I figured since you own the DC-MP3 that you would easily be able to determine what features the G3-MP3 has that you presently don't have with your device.  And I guess that you did specifically ask for the "LOR folks" to reply so I should have stayed out of it and let you have the answer that Don initially provided (use a help desk ticket) since he is much closer to a "LOR folk" than I and I am sure the help desk approach would have provided something to you within a few days.   Sorry to inconvenience you Orville. 

 

(Oh, and you're welcome.)

[LightORamaDan]

This thread has run its course and most of the questions have been answered.

 

One question that I did not see answered was, how do you find the version of firmware of a MP3 player in the Hardware Utility. For the past few years, the version of firmware on the MP3 director is displayed on the LOR-MP3 tab down in the bottom right area of the screen near the "remote time" window.

 

Dan