This isn't fun anymore!

[WaltR]

This isn't intended to be a bash but it is intended to recommend a change in direction. I have had Holster since it's inception and have never encountered a problem worth speaking of until the release of 4.00. I have experienced many of the problems that have been discussed in this forum with the 4.** releases and I am a little uneasy about expecting 4.06 to finally end all the frustration. I don't do shows very often anymore but wouldn't you know now that I have one scheduled for next week, I am very nervous about doing the show with any version from 4.00 to 4.05. I know I can use 3.40 or try to go back to an older version, but I for one am burned out spending hours trying this and trying that. I purchased a product that I expected to work without encountering all of the mess that has occured with 4.**. Again, this isn't meant to me a bash to MTU. I know they have done a great job in the past and will eventually get things ironed out. My wish is that since these problems seem to be related to getting this program to run with Vista, and MTU has recommended in the past to stick with XP, why not offer a release that has nothing to do with Vista for the many of us that have stuck with XP. I know this may be extra work for MTU but it would seperate the problems with Vista and XP users until the Vista problems can be resolved. At the rate it is going it may be nearly a year from the release fo 4.00 until the features we were expecting is encorporated into the final working version. I believe offering an XP and Vista version would better serve MTU's customer base and keep a higher level of confidence until the Vista problems are resolved. I hope i haven't offended anyone by stating my opinion.

Walt

[ddouglass]

There aren't that many who are having problems in XP with the latest release. What problems are you still having?

Unfortunately a lot of the changes to Hoster have also involved all of us having to get our computers more up-to-date because of the increased demands by all of those nice features everyone has wanted. There is a sigificantly increased memory demand, video memory demand and more current versions of Internet Explorer, .net Framework and Windows Media Player just to name a few. Version 4 has been a massive change for them and a lot of code has had to be totally rewritten to accomidate all these additions. When you do that it takes a lot of time and not everything is going to be right from the beginning.
A separate release for XP and Vista would not solve anything as you would still be waiting for more of those new features to be added because they would still be spending a greta deal of time getting the Vista version working right. Hoster currently recognizes whether you are using XP or Vista and uses code required for that OS, so within on setup you have both capabilities.
If you are still having some problems with 4.05 then let us know here so we can guide you to get them fixed or tell you if it is fixed in 4.06 which should be out soon.

[laddie]

I am an xp user and must admit that I had problems with the early 4.xx versions. But 4.05 is very stable. Any problems are minor. What kind of problems are you encountering with 4.05

[billyo]

i am runnng xp and i have yet to experienced all the problems people are having ( except for the garbled artist/ title at the beginning /end of some disc brands), i have suggested a while back to have a separate downloads for xp and vista, but i was told that they have thought of it but then it was scrapped, since most of of the problems are computer related..but i hope they will give it a second thought, so that way they could pin point what ( i think ) works and doesn't work with diff. os..

[Metalgodz]

Bravo

[WDEWDAD7]

I run my karaoke with XP, I do not have Vista, and I am not looking forward eventually having to go to Vista. However, a friend of mine told me he looked up Microsoft online and found (right away) a site by Microsoft, that tells you which program and how to turn off there programs, background, I assume, so that your computer runs better, and you have less problems with Vista. He said he did that and has had NO problems with his computer. Just thought I would pass this along. Daryl.

[sleflar]

Hoster 4 series has created numerous problems for us in the market not to mention office labor. I have several offices in Northern CA. The vast majority of our computers (both Laptop & Desktop) are Vista. We supply entertainment both live & non live.

I sent out the instructions to all of our DJ/KJ's from your website on the procederures to install 4.06. Twenty Three of them do not have the understanding enough to perform the list for the install. I instructed them all to stick with 4.03, which is the only version that seems to have the least problems. I don't hire them for there computer knowledge.

We don't use XP because using Virtual DJ and Hoster together, the XP OS doesn't handle the music videos very well compared to Vista. (freezing etc)

Using Hoster is a great selling tool at clubs and has served us well in the past. With the 4 series I ask all my people to use 3.40 until the problems are sorted out.

What I'd like to see is the old version 3 series offered on the website at the old price for those of us that just don't trust the 4 series.

Thanks guys.

www.northbayentertainment.com
www.starsoundsproductions.com

[ddouglass]

Are you saying they can't folow the step by step instructions included with the installation on what to change in Vista to make Hoster 4 work correctly? MTU has made the instructions as easy to follow as they can be. How do they remember what they have to do to log in to the computer? It is just as simple. Sounds like you need to hire an IT tech to set up and maintain your computers.
And 4.06 has fixed a lot of items that were not working correctly in the previous versions.
I don't think they are going to offer version 3 for sale anymore, so if you want to go back to that either have them use the 3.4 (which is 3.321) or re-install your previous version 3 installs.

[Robster]

Hi sleflar my comment are an observation and please do not take them as personal criticism.

Hoster is a computer based program any one using any computer based program has to have at least a little bit of computer knowledge .

The car driving test in the UK didn't have any questions about how a car works and what fluids etc you put in the engine but has the test has been revised as knowing a little how something works has great benifits on how you use and operate that thing.

Originally Posted by sleflar

Twenty Three of them do not have the understanding enough to perform the list for the install

a little training will help them feel far more comfortable and may even help them out of a tricky situation

Originally Posted by sleflar

I don't hire them for there computer knowledge

But you do ask them to operate a computer and software

Originally Posted by sleflar

using Virtual DJ and Hoster together

If they can work both virtual DJ and hoster at the same time they are more than capable than doing the small tweeks that are needed for 4.06 IMHO.

I genuinely hope you sort this out i am just a fellow hoster user and have had problems too until i upgraded to 4.06 (after doing the vista set up requirements)

Rob

[sleflar]

Thank you for your comments.

Our entertainers are all over NV & CA. There is no other programs we use that requires you to change settings on your compter for it to operate properly. They didn't have to have the knowledge to change settings before 4xx to have a flawless show.

They have all spent months of labor hours converting there discs to KMA. I sold them all on the Hoster program because I felt it was the best in the market place and see no reason to hire an additional person just for one program.

Let's face reality, Vista is here to stay. I used to be an exec for ITT and understand R&D. It's tough and exspensive. We'll stick with 4.03 for now.

[marklwood]

Originally Posted by sleflar

Thank you for your comments.

Our entertainers are all over NV & CA. There is no other programs we use that requires you to change settings on your compter for it to operate properly. They didn't have to have the knowledge to change settings before 4xx to have a flawless show.

They have all spent months of labor hours converting there discs to KMA. I sold them all on the Hoster program because I felt it was the best in the market place and see no reason to hire an additional person just for one program.

Let's face reality, Vista is here to stay. I used to be an exec for ITT and understand R&D. It's tough and exspensive. We'll stick with 4.03 for now.

I feel your pain, I used to have a DJ that every single time we did an outside gig, I had to go to the venue and show him how to hook up the video to whatever display system was at the location. He worked for me for 8 years and NEVER got it. I finally started charging him for every time I had to go and help him out. Lo and behold, he figured it out!!!

In the Hoster testimonials, I recently posted about teaching someone to run a show in a couple of minutes. The ease of Hoster is what made that possible.

I don't know of anyone who doesn't have a brother-in-law that is capable of making the minor changes to Vista to make this thing run well. It is only a one-time job and is a small price to pay for all the new features.

[bryant]

Originally Posted by Robster

If they can work both virtual DJ and hoster at the same time they are more than capable than doing the small tweeks that are needed for 4.06 IMHO.
Rob

When VDJ did their major upgrade two years ago, they listed hundreds of tweaks in order for their program to run smoothly. Other programs do this too in fact, esp. those using intensive video resources, require a number of helpful tweaks. Those that ignored the tweaks had it rough for quite some time. THE TWEAKING SIMPLY PUTS MOST MACHINES AT THE SAME LEVEL (or more nearly, I should say) ALLOWING THE forum members to help solve the glitches better.

You cannot explain to someone over the phone how to get their car started if they forgot to put in gas. If everybody starts out with gas, oil, and a few basics they are more equivalent, you might say, and problems can be identified easier, instead of being attributed to a large combination of things. JMO

[OneEskalera]

Let's all admit this, Hoster 4.xx series is a great product for those who needed those extra featuress included who needed to use it. But for those just doing great karaoke shows that does not need those extra features H3.4 or H3.321 were really great karaoke software with great reliability. My show computer still has H3.315 in it and up to this time works flawlessly. I had H4.06 in my back-up computer and still has minor glitches, Intermitently frezzing up on video file for unknown reason and after re-starting hoster and playing the same video files everything seems to be normal again (the minor problem is little annoying but I could still use it) but it does not do that on H3.315. I know it is different code or whatsoever but till I got H4.06 100% working properly I will not upgrade that show computer. H4.06 will remain back-up for now cause I don't need those extra feature in it. I had those for the last 2 years using different software with out any problem. Integrating it in hoster is great idea if there are no conflicts or problems involved.

H4.06 is great product and the direction where it want to go is good.
Ideally, a software should install and work with minimal adjustment on users computer, I hope H4.xx series in the future will do that.
MtU Hoster still the best Karaoke software...

[karaokefun]

Hey guys,

This my first post here. I had to respond after reading this thread. In my humble opinion, you should never have to make changes to your computer settings (and definately not THAT many) to make a program work.

The anology of simply checking your car's gas and oil is WAY over simplistic. After seeing the "tweaks" required at this point to make it run right on Vista, I'd liken it more to a repairing a cracked block. Understand that it's easy if you already know it. Not everyone is computer savvy.

I'm one of those DJs who runs Hoster with a DJ program and can't do the adjustments (I also don't know how to quote someone here, as I've seen others here do)

To the guy who suggested hiring an IT guy to explain it: Are you serious?

I don't consider it "whining" or "crying" to object to having to take who knows how much time to learn, then do, all of the required changes (and all the while being nervous that I might be screwing up my laptop to perform other tasks outside of karaoke)

MTU should simply make a program that works correctly with Vista.

Thanx,
Ron