Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Thanks so much

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

I have recently come back to doing karaoke shows after a long illness. I have posted many times about problems I am having with Hoster 4.32. Mainly Hoster shutting itself off when it first starts up, and then randomly when it finishes a song. I have been accused of bantering Dale, and insulting the Hoster name.
I have been a MTU customer for 8 years. A lot of my frustration comes from my own lack of computer savvy, and not having the know how to fix many of the problems. For the record I would like to state, Dale has been my savior on many, many occasions. He has even called me at home to help me out . Also I have spoken to David Cox on the phone and I think he is an upstanding guy. Fortunately for both of you, it looks like I will not be bothering you very much in the future. You see after tonight, I am just going back to being retired. I was hired to do karaoke at a local country club, for very good $$$$. Well tonight was my first night there. I have been preparing for this night for 6 weeks, new speakers, 4 new microphones , new speaker stands. Completely rebuilt computer. I sure was styling, (looking' feeling' good) Crazycarl was getting his life back. Only one problem, when Hoster shut itself off, for the 3rd time in 2 1/2 hours. The club manager walks to my table picks up a microphone, apologizes to the crowd. Then He turns to me and says he isn't paying me to fix my computer, I should have done that before I started the Job. and then he sent me home. You see when a karaoke host is having problems with any of his programs, It makes it look like he is incompetent, That He is too cheap to replace aging equipment. You can have all top of the line equipment, brand new out of the box, and if you have a couple computer hick-ups, or program bugs, the Host looks like a fool. I was never so embarrassed as a karaoke host in my 12 years as I was tonight. I still think Hoster is the best program available, and the people on the forum bend over backwards to help. My last question to David, Dale is when you knew my program was shutting down, why did you not suggest me downgrading to 4.1?, 4.2? Or whichever is the most stable of them all. I would have gladly traded less features, for more stability??
Thank you All for what you have done for me in the past.
Dale, David I still love Ya
Crazycarl

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

I guess I don't understand- why would you accept the paying job knowing that you had not resolved the problems you were having with Hoster shutting down? I do multiple run-throughs for days before I have a party- and that's just for invited friends.

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Deeter I accepted the job about 5 weeks ago, and the pay was $250 a night, dinner and a $50 bar tap. The rest gets complicated. At the time I accepted it, I thought i had a good version. a month ago my computer acted up, got a blue sceen, had computer completely rebuilt, downloaded a hoster upgrade. They rest of the story is written in the forum. I accept alot of the blame because I did not save a copy of my previous program. So I had to upgrade. A lesson learned, if you have a stable version of Hoster thaat works great for you save it on a disc!!!!!!
Crazycarl

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Sorry to hear it- what version did you have that worked for you?

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

I had 4.08, I liked that version because it let you keep 3.32 as a backup in your computer. It was security, if 4.008 failed I could open 3.32 and stay up and running. Not as many frills, but rock solid.
crazycarl

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Carl,
I really hate to hear that you lost your job because of only 3 shutdowns.:e I have had more than that on the job while getting Vista to run Hoster properly, but since it only takes a couple minutes even to reboot the computer (and even less time to restart Hoster), no one had to wait that long to sing again. I always carry a separate player too so that singers with disks can continue the Show when I have a lot of people waiting.
You seem to have forgotten that I sent you 2 private messages (more than a week before your Show), both of which you replied to. I told you that I still have most of the older Hoster.exe files & offered to e-mail it to you. Even though you answered, you never told me which Version you had or that you wanted. In your last e-mail you just said you'd get back to me & let me know, but you never did.:?
I DID TRY!!!!!!!!!!:r

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

I am sorry for not getting back to you, but I found my disc with 3.32 on it and downloaded it on to a used back up computer. the backup the lyrics were delayed and audio would cut out. There are only so many hours in a day, I did what I could. Didn't have enuf time to get the bugs out of every thing, I tried and failed. I know that it is impossable, but I wish Mtu had a version of Hoster for Xp another for Vista, and another for Windows 7. but not being a programer, heck I can hardly spell the word. I was very tempted to buy a new computer, but without an s=video i don't know how to hook tv's up or weather my screen would look normal, ie Hoster on my screen and lyrics on tv. I can't imagine where you would get duel display. But that is my ignorence again. I wish mtu would go into more detail about that, pics of screen and everything you need to hook it up.
I guess it was not meant to be, I was really looking foward to going back to work. Maybe Walmart is hiring.
Crazycarl

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

You did give me an Idea, Maybe if it is not too big a problem, Mtu could sell the discontuined versions on disc, for dumb people like me, who lost or never saved their copy. Maybe $25.00 free shipping.
Crazycarl

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Besides the expense of a new computer, having S-Video is important to me also, so I can keep hooking up the same way. In fact, I only recently stopped using an RF Modulator and Coax cables.
Yes, understanding computers takes a lot of time & commitment and more than just a basic understanding to be able to run a Karaoke Show. I know several KJs that continue to carry disks & run their Shows the old-fashioned way, simply because of all the work involved in switching.

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Besides the fact that Hoster is a fantastic program when it works properly. I have 3681 discs, it would take me 10 to 12 weeks at 8hrs a day to download them into another program. So i am commited to Hoster by loyalty, and downloading again I would rather shot myself. I am too old now and much too weak to carry discs.
Crazycarl

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

[. Maybe Walmart is hiring.
Crazycarl[/quote]


i'm sorry to hear about you losing that gig,and i hope this is not your main source of income..i know how it feels ( i also lost my gig when the owner decided to moved his restaurant to Miami ) luckily this is just a hobby for me.. but anyway there's gotta be more places where you can do karaoke besides the country club, or maybe you can do some djing, since you said you got all brand new gears..that's what i've been doing since i lost my karaoke gig. i've been doing private parties etc, and i also play at at a country club every other sunday..but anyway since you're in idle right now, maybe this would be a good time to kinda start tinkering on your laptop to find out what's wrong..and start from scrathed, i.e see if you missed something on necessary requirements to run Hoster, do updates on wmp, directx etc.and also this might be a good time to re-import those disc..these are just suggestions ...

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

what version are you looking for carl?

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Beavis
Thanks for the reply, I am not looking for any. I am done, it is over. I tried to make a come back but the Gods were against it. Before i got sick I had 4.08, it had a few problems but it let me keep 3.??, that was my security blanket. I cant critize MTU anymore, I just wish they had not sold me an upgrade 4.32 that they new had this flaw on some customers computers. When I complained on the forum, I feel they should have guided me to one of their versions that didnt shut off. But that is life. Buy the way Beavis I did all my upgrades.

Thanks buddy
If the whole world didn't SUCK, we might just fall off.

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

9 out of 10 times its really your computer.

microsoft sucks !

i wish MTU would make a stand alone machine.

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Carl,

You invested all that time and money without running a mock show? Even putting up a couple of hrs worth of songs should have given you an idea what problems, if any, that you may have incurred prior to your paid engagement... pitty, since you seem to have done everything right, except keeping a prior version of Hoster, that could have been reloaded, just for the reasons, that all the responders with your problems have faced...I would be the first to say it is your computer that could have been tweaked, in order to make the program run. Don't know who you had rebuild it, but they may have been able to help you diagnose the problems that your were having with the various settings.

I hate to see a fellow Arizonan having your difficulties with the program, and to be coming back from health problems, wish I could have buzzed up to your house and consulted, but I figured that support could have diagnosed your problem(s) faster than I could have, and didn't even consider it... sorry!
Where are you located? I'm on the Mexican border, in Nogales, Az... will be happy to make time, if you decide to go forward with Karaoke at a later date... Just P.M. me, and we can decide what would be best for your future needs!

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Crazycarl,
You could still could go back using Hoster 3.21 or Hoster 3.4 that comes with the hoster 4.+ version. My show computer still had 3.21 which is 5 years old desktop that I built for the owner (which has S-video output). Never had a major shut down for 5 years, Just be carefull on clicking to fast on your mouse. hoster doesn't want to fast of an action. i could open 4+ different hoster playlist, so if it happens that you click too fast on that playlist and causes it to freezed just go to the other playlist and play the next song on your rotation on the next playlist, before the next singer sing his song go back to the frozen playlist hit(Ctrl+del) close the frozen playlist close the task manager and re-open the playlist (that was Frozen make sure of the playlist name) and your up and running again No downtime.

This is the main reason why show computer still has 3.21/3.4. I also have the upgrade version with the latest 4.32 but just used twice only for the last 5 years when my main show computer was out for maintenance. You don't need a powerful computer wiht 3.21/3.4.

I don't use the other features of 4.32 except the insta-button but I used a different laptop for this (Back-up computer will serve the purpose) and my songs database for reference.

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Hoster is easy to use for karaoke purpose and users friendly. Don't make it too complicated!!!

It is nice and beautiful to have those other features Hoster have to offer but if it doesn't behave properly I don't used it. The Only reason I have upgraded to Hoster 4.3+ version because I thought they could incorporate the tempo feature in it but did not make it. I still have to wait till it happen on Hoster 5.0.
Other features I was able to use was the Video mpeg (VCD) incorporated to songs database was and was given BookID so I could use just the BookId to enter it in the playlist. But 4.32 still has some problems and for me it's kind of slow for my show. I don't have the money to pay for so powerful computer for the newest version and this the reason I hang around in Hoster 3.21.

Still Hoping that the future versions will serve our purpose by not being broke.
I happy and contended with a simple and easy to operate Karaoke software and Hoster serves the purpose, and that is the main reason why i used it and will continue to used it be it 3.21 or the newest version as long it doesn't give me headaches and my customers were all happy singing.

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

Ricki

I did a few mock runs, that is where this thread starts. It would shut off after finishing a song. A few time a session. There is nothing Mtu could or would do for me. As Admin stated earlier it is a bug with Hoster 4.32 and should be fixed in 5.0. I had no choice but to run with what I had. But thank you for caring. MtU knew about my problems a week or more before the show, and offered no solution.
crazycarl

Re: Hoster 4.32 first run
 

You might want to have your computer checked out again. I had one that was doing almost exactly as you described - random crashes and shut downs, computer was less than a year old - turns out the hard drive AND mother board was going out. Had those fixed and haven't had any issues since. It's possible it did not get rebuilt correctly.