Hoster 4.00 is Different

[KaraokeJohn25]

I just bought and installed Hoster 4.0 and I hate it! I guess I am used to version 3.108 which is what I have been using, very successfully. The Singer screen on 4.0 is to fully of garbage. If anyone asks I tell them the name of the software, and company and even give them the website address. I don't need a little message going across the screen to distract them. Many of my folks are newbies to Karaoke or at least doing it sober. Also It doesn't list the name of the song they are singing. Anyway I just hate it and reinstalled my trusty version 3.108. Hopefully My data bases didn't get messed up in the process. I ran the build data bases again. Noticed that the song list I was on when I reinstalled older version was messed up with gobbly gook. But other song lists such as my personal practice list for me was intact. I just have to tell you too that 4.0 would not recognize your certified Cdg player that I bought. I doubt if it will work with 3.108 but there is always hope If not maybe it will work with Microstudio.
John

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by KaraokeJohn25

I just bought and installed Hoster 4.0 and I hate it! I guess I am used to version 3.108 which is what I have been using, very successfully. The Singer screen on 4.0 is to fully of garbage. If anyone asks I tell them the name of the software, and company and even give them the website address. I don't need a little message going across the screen to distract them.

John you might try reading the manual to see what that "Garbage" on the Singer screen is all about and for that matter to find out how to control those new items. The Marquee you see scrolling across the top with MTU's information is only a default if Marquee is not hidden and no entries have been added to the Marquee settings. It can be hidden so it doesn't even show.

Originally Posted by KaraokeJohn25

Many of my folks are newbies to Karaoke or at least doing it sober. Also It doesn't list the name of the song they are singing. Anyway I just hate it and reinstalled my trusty version 3.108.

Again this depends on the settings you use for the Show Display. Not only can you show the their name and the song title, but you can also show approxamately how long before they are up!

Originally Posted by KaraokeJohn25

Hopefully My data bases didn't get messed up in the process. I ran the build data bases again. Noticed that the song list I was on when I reinstalled older version was messed up with gobbly gook. But other song lists such as my personal practice list for me was intact.

Only change to the database files would be to add a couple additional fields that should be ignored by the older version so no they should be fine.

Originally Posted by KaraokeJohn25

I just have to tell you too that 4.0 would not recognize your certified Cdg player that I bought. I doubt if it will work with 3.108 but there is always hope If not maybe it will work with Microstudio.
John

When did you buy the drive and what brand/model is it?
When did you buy the new Hoster? If it was before today, late then you need to download the free update (4.03) that was released today, install it and read the manual.
By the way there is included with version 4 at least temporarily a previous version that will be very similar to what you have been using. It is a file in C:\Program Files\Micro Technology Unlimited\Hoster called Hoster34.exe. Create a shortcut to it and put it on your desktop. You can then use it to run your shows while you play with 4.03 at home to get used to it and get it set up the way you want it.

[admin]

I split this out as it was off topic for that Thread.

Originally Posted by KaraokeJohn25

I just bought and installed Hoster 4.0 and I hate it! I guess I am used to version 3.108 which is what I have been using, very successfully. The Singer screen on 4.0 is to fully of garbage. If anyone asks I tell them the name of the software, and company and even give them the website address. I don't need a little message going across the screen to distract them. Many of my folks are newbies to Karaoke or at least doing it sober. Also It doesn't list the name of the song they are singing. Anyway I just hate it and reinstalled my trusty version 3.108. Hopefully My data bases didn't get messed up in the process. I ran the build data bases again. Noticed that the song list I was on when I reinstalled older version was messed up with gobbly gook. But other song lists such as my personal practice list for me was intact. I just have to tell you too that 4.0 would not recognize your certified Cdg player that I bought. I doubt if it will work with 3.108 but there is always hope If not maybe it will work with Microstudio.
John

John, as Ddouglass pointed out, you should read the manual on the SHOW DISPLAY features. There are 71 new features and changes in 4.00. We added what our customers have asked for. All Show Display features have a "hide" check box in case you don't want to use some of them. Maybe we should ship with everything hidden so folks aren't upset by them, as you were. I'll take that under serious consideration for 4.04 release. Thank you for lettking us know it upset you. That is important to us.

As to your drive, if you bought it from MTU, it will work with Hoster 4 and the CURRENT Microstudio 4 versions. The technology for interfacing to drives changed several years ago, and MTU was FORCED to convert to the new drive interfacing. It took us 3 calendar years to get all the kinks out, and write our own Software Error Correction (SEC) as the new drives DO NOT have the hardware error correction that CDG capable drives used in the past.

IMPORTING tracks from CDG discs in both Microstudio and Hoster uses our SEC code, which has been proven to be the best available. We downloaded competitors demos and bought their products where we had to and proved it ourselves also. There is a significant reduction in errors... anyway, I don't want to bother you with details...

If your drive is not recognized by MTU's current products (older versions will NOT be able to use this new technology drive), then you need help. It may be a bad cable. It may require some change to your older computer (assuming you haven't upgraded the hardware). Please make sure your Windows has all CUSTOM (not Express) updates done. If not, Hoster will not work correctly.

We will need facts, not emotions. We can't fix emotions, but we can solve problems when given the facts. If you need help, please contact MTU via phone or use our Web Email Form, which is the better way for us.

[KaraokeJohn25]

Dear Sirs: Sorry I got a little emotional on you. I guess I am so used to version 3.108 that I have used for several years now that The difference in the display screens was shocking. Here is the facts. I bought a Certified CDg drive from you at the same time that I bought the hoster 4.0. When I used the Detect Drives on hoster that drive did not even show up. It does show up on version 3.108 but says it will not read Karaoke CDG's I hope that it is just something that I am not doing. My Computer that I use Is a Sony Vaio VGN-A290 It uses a AV Docking station and has a fresh copy of Windows XP with Service pack 3 installed. It has 1 gig of ram and does work great with the older version of Hoster.
The Graphics Chip is a ATI Mobility radeon 9700 chip set with dual Display adapter. Also has Centrino 1.73 processor. As I indicated all of this worked fine with older version of Hoster and Microstudio.
Here is why I decided to switch! I am using a Plextor external DVD drive to import songs. Sometimes that drive will not read certain CD+G disks. I wanted a MTU certified CD+G drive that I hoped would take care of that.
Here is what Upset me First Hoster 4.0 did not recognize the drive yet my older version of Hoster did. Then The display Screen was divided into 3 parts. with the middle part showing the graphics on my TV. With your advertisement running at the top. The bottom had nothing. I tried sizing it to the TV a 26" Sony Flat panel but could not get everything to fit. The bottom half sticks down and covers some of the new buttons Making them unusable. I will admit that I have not read all the instructions. I installed this Just before a show and did not have time to spend hours tweaking it. I really would like it to work as everyone has indicated but I just like simple so I went back to what I knew. The show was a success. My biggest concern is The CDG drive not being recognized. If version 3.108 sees it then it is not a bad cable. Anyway I can't find a phone number for you guys there is not one on the billing statement. I would appreciate talking to a real person.
John

[laddie]

The phone no. is on the MTU Support page.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by laddie

The phone no. is on the MTU Support page.

They do not do call-in phone support anymore. That doesn't mean they will not call you on a support ticket if they feel it is necessary.

[laddie]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

They do not do call-in phone support anymore. That doesn't mean they will not call you on a support ticket if they feel it is necessary.

The number is still on the MTU support page.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by KaraokeJohn25

Dear Sirs: Sorry I got a little emotional on you. I guess I am so used to version 3.108 that I have used for several years now that The difference in the display screens was shocking. Here is the facts. I bought a Certified CDg drive from you at the same time that I bought the hoster 4.0. When I used the Detect Drives on hoster that drive did not even show up. It does show up on version 3.108 but says it will not read Karaoke CDG's I hope that it is just something that I am not doing. My Computer that I use Is a Sony Vaio VGN-A290 It uses a AV Docking station and has a fresh copy of Windows XP with Service pack 3 installed. It has 1 gig of ram and does work great with the older version of Hoster.
The Graphics Chip is a ATI Mobility radeon 9700 chip set with dual Display adapter. Also has Centrino 1.73 processor. As I indicated all of this worked fine with older version of Hoster and Microstudio.
Here is why I decided to switch! I am using a Plextor external DVD drive to import songs. Sometimes that drive will not read certain CD+G disks. I wanted a MTU certified CD+G drive that I hoped would take care of that.
Here is what Upset me First Hoster 4.0 did not recognize the drive yet my older version of Hoster did. Then The display Screen was divided into 3 parts. with the middle part showing the graphics on my TV. With your advertisement running at the top. The bottom had nothing. I tried sizing it to the TV a 26" Sony Flat panel but could not get everything to fit. The bottom half sticks down and covers some of the new buttons Making them unusable. I will admit that I have not read all the instructions. I installed this Just before a show and did not have time to spend hours tweaking it. I really would like it to work as everyone has indicated but I just like simple so I went back to what I knew. The show was a success. My biggest concern is The CDG drive not being recognized. If version 3.108 sees it then it is not a bad cable. Anyway I can't find a phone number for you guys there is not one on the billing statement. I would appreciate talking to a real person.
John

John, read the first post in the following thread and it may help you with the drive recognition problem.
http://forum.mtu.com/showthread.php?t=10482

Is your TV an HDTV? If so you will need to change the Aspect setting on the TV because the Show Display will not show correctly in the HD format. As I said read through the instructions on the Show Display and it will tell you how to adjust or hide the extra parts. I run mine with the Marquee hidden and only 1 singer name at the bottom for my Song playing. This leaves plenty of room for the Lyrics to display fully.