News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

May 2, 2007

software

Roxio previews Crunch, I experience deja vu

Posted May. 2, ’07, 7:44 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Software

Roxio Crunch I, for the most part, like Roxio’s products. They’re generally feature rich, even if a tad on the expensive side. Right now I own copies of both Toast 8 and Popcorn 2. Toast 8 is a superset of Popcorn 2, but for what it does, Popcorn is an excellent tool that I use regularly. Imagine my surprise when I found out that they’re previewing a new product named Crunch. Let’s review the features:

  • Converts video for Apple TV, iPod, and the iPhone
  • Converts to DivX
  • Take unprotected DVDs and Video_TS folders as input
  • Automatically adds to iTunes for syncing
  • Priced at $50

When I read that, and looked at the screenshots, I couldn’t shake this overwhelming feeling of déjà vu. Where have I seen an application like this before? The preference screenshot even feels familiar. I had to coax my brain with chocolate, but it eventually gave up the answer. This is what Popcorn 2 does. Of course, it was developed before the advent of Apple TV or the iPhone (and the new app can’t burn DVDs).

Roxio/Sonic/whatever, let me give you some free advice: stop nickel and diming your customers. Stop creating products that all share common functions. Take it like a man and update Popcorn. Charge a modest upgrade fee for all I care. Making a new product just so you can stick it to customers is a scumbag move. Toast is already on the pricey side. Popcorn users shouldn’t have to buy a brand new product to do something that they should be able to do with Popcorn.

Show us a little respect. Please.


5 Comments

42 said:

or you could buy VisualHub and download Handbrake and be done with the Roxio nonsense.

May 2, 2007 8:29 AM
john said:

I totally agree. Roxio nickel and dimes people do death and there rebate firm they use tries to cheat you out of your rebates too. I had to put in 4 help tickets to Roxio and threaten to sue them get my rebates which I filled out correctly. Everytime I bought the product through Roxio's own online store and everytime the rebate company would come back and say my rebate was not acceptable.

May 2, 2007 9:33 AM
Craig said:

Now if only they can add MPEG2 editing to Toast 8 I will be happy. How stupid is it that you can import Tivo files into Toast but you can't edit out the commercials because it is in MPEG2 format???

May 2, 2007 1:11 PM
Patrick Nugent said:

I'm the Product Manager for Roxio Crunch. Roxio Crunch is a derivative of Popcorn with a specific focus on extending the capability of the Apple TV by allowing users to import video content from sources which are otherwise not supported. Crunch shares common functionality with Popcorn 2 but it is not targeted at existing Toast 8 and Popcorn 2 customers since as you note those products already have the ability to export video for Apple TV. Our web site’s Crunch product page will contain information highlighting differences between Popcorn 2 and Crunch. We will also post a Knowledge Base article on how to export content for Apple TV using Toast 8 and Popcorn 2. We believe there’s an opportunity to reach Mac and Windows users who want to move video content to their Apple TV without the need for optical disc burning and all the other features offered by Popcorn 2 and Toast 8. That’s who Crunch is for. We’re also working on a Windows version which will be released within a quarter. Thanks - Patrick Nugent, Roxio

May 2, 2007 3:56 PM
Walt Basil said:

So let me get this straight…

Crunch is for users who want the capabilities of Popcorn without the optical burning capabilities. Yet it costs just as much, if not more. Current price check on Roxio’s site is List Price $59.99, for you, $49.99 – you gotta love that – I’m special, I get a $10 price break… oh wait… that’s for everyone, so technically, that is the new List Price. Or… I could pay just as much as get not as much.

I would have named the topic of this post “Roxio previews Crunch, I involuntarily expel my stomach contents.”

YAFORU. Can you figure out what that means?

May 3, 2007 8:18 AM

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