bandit Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 (edited) the situation is that i have only one shot; my budget right now allows me to choose only one with the titles below. i can't decide between cmivfx vex dvd1 and 3dbuzz houdini tech effects dvd. which one should i choose? your opinions please. Edited August 15, 2008 by bandit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 the vex dvd is very good..but VERY specific... depending on your current experience with Houdini I'd go with the Buzz DVD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit Posted August 16, 2008 Author Share Posted August 16, 2008 michael thank you. i'll try to force the limits,so there might be a little chance to buy both of them .i can't sleep otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitallysane Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 There's a HUGE problem with the CMI materials and that's their delivery method. They allow you to watch their videos ONLY online, in their VOD flash video player. In repeated instances when I made myself time for watching the videos I couldn't do it because there was some problem with my internet connection or because their player doesn't work well on Ubuntu or I'm on a laptop with a crappy (or not at all) connection etc. The videos themselves are good and useful, too bad that I can't make use of them as I wish. I won't buy from CMI anymore until they offer an alternative method of downloading vids locally. Dragos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kumpa Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 (edited) I agree with Dragos, no more cmi videos for me till they devise some better method of copy-protection. Watermarks (like 3d buzz) are quite nice method. Not to mention absence of flash on 64bit linux, but that is another story... Edited August 16, 2008 by kumpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit Posted August 16, 2008 Author Share Posted August 16, 2008 thank you guys. what attracted me with cmi was(actualy still is) pay and watch instantly. i read on 3dbuzz forums that, delivery in some cases reaches up to 2 weeks(and i am aware this is nothing to do with buzz). and thats not a good thing. and it is very suprising cmi has some playback issues. they should have fixed it. whatever. i attended this renderman to the max course as well. before they give you the link,they watermark it in couple of seconds. and you download your material.i hope it works,while buzz is talking abaout (if i'don't misunderstood it),i takes 2 days to watermark the video. piracy is a big issue i understand them. but that level of untrust is not healty imho(cmi). but the content is gorgeous. i have nothing to do but to go with them. so what do you thing. trying to learn renderman,can make me understand mantra better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitallysane Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 thank you guys. what attracted me with cmi was(actualy still is) pay and watch instantly. The same is true for Digital Tutors. You pay, download your videos instantly and then watch them according to your convenience. It's true 3D Buzz delivery times are disappointing, I don't know why they bother to burn DVD's and send them by post (which takes long and can get lost). As I said, the problem with CMI is not only playback issue, but the fact that you can't watch the videos if no (good) internet connection is available. there are LOTS of cases when I'd like to watch my videos and an internet connection is not available. Dragos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altbighead Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 same here. no more cmi videos for me.I like to support in producing more houdini VTMs but cmivfx delivering method is unacceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit Posted August 16, 2008 Author Share Posted August 16, 2008 but those free videos don't seem to make a problem with me. it is fluent. maybe you guys talking abaout a problem,on try of going forwards and backwards. but you are true on what you say abaout delivery method.it should have something more elastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegro Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 (edited) I'm glad that I bought my two Lsystem dvd's from cmi before they ceased that method of distribution. Edited August 16, 2008 by Allegro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiLa Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 You can download Cmi videos, but...here is quote from the mail that i recived from Cmi: "...NOTE: MOST URGENT All downloadable videos are hard encoded with your personal information hidden inside. Only our cmi Custom Software application can decode this hidden noise algorithm. We track many different pirate websites, forums, and custom flavors of FTP, HOTLINE and KDX servers to prevent piracy of our videos. Any reselling, trading, or sharing of a cmiVFX video is a direct EULA violation and is punishable by international law. We have videos done for FTP transfer or torrent distribution. Its based on the exact dvd image that you would get except you can start downloading them right away. DVD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitallysane Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 All downloadable videos are hard encoded with your personal information hidden inside. Only our cmi Custom Software application can decode this hidden noise algorithm. We track many different pirate websites, forums, and custom flavors of FTP, HOTLINE and KDX servers to prevent piracy of our videos. Any reselling, trading, or sharing of a cmiVFX video is a direct EULA violation and is punishable by international law. We have videos done for FTP transfer or torrent distribution. I don't remember receiving such email and I asked Chris about the possibility of downloading (2 weeks ago) and he answered that they do VOD to stop piracy and that they are thinking of something for the future. I'm waiting to see. Are you sure this is not something about their services before the current VOD systems, when they used to sell DVDs and downloadable videos? Dragos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swann Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 You can download Cmi videos, but...here is quote from the mail that i recived from Cmi:"...NOTE: MOST URGENT All downloadable videos are hard encoded with your personal information hidden inside. Only our cmi Custom Software application can decode this hidden noise algorithm. We track many different pirate websites, forums, and custom flavors of FTP, HOTLINE and KDX servers to prevent piracy of our videos. Any reselling, trading, or sharing of a cmiVFX video is a direct EULA violation and is punishable by international law. We have videos done for FTP transfer or torrent distribution. Its based on the exact dvd image that you would get except you can start downloading them right away. DVD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangi Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 hi there , seeing there is some advise going on with this topic. I would appriciate it if someone could help me on this to. these 2 video tuts from cmivfx Houdini VEX / VOPs 1 Houdini VEX / VOPs 2 I am not a programer , at what point should anyone how is into houdini learn anything about vex builder. can one survive without this , i mean the vop and vex, or is some basics worth it, thanks mangi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit Posted February 18, 2009 Author Share Posted February 18, 2009 i attended this renderman to the max course as well. before they give you the link,they watermark it in couple of seconds. and you download your material. what a big mistake i have done. those guys are on shades at the moment. i loose my faith on such systems. i pay it and you sent me the whole content physicaly or let me download it all in once. thats the way i will go from now on. and personaly i am on a mood that,i don't trust anybody anymore,as they may disappear anytime without even saying "oops we are sorry". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Chua Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 what a big mistake i have done. those guys are on shades at the moment. i loose my faith on such systems. i pay it and you sent me the whole content physicaly or let me download it all in once. thats the way i will go from now on. and personaly i am on a mood that,i don't trust anybody anymore,as they may disappear anytime without even saying "oops we are sorry". hey bandit, I too is considering 3dbuzz video. So far I like what I see on 3dbuzz but I am weighing the pros and cons like the budget. Wow, I did not know that cmivfx's system seem so bad. I too would prefer to get the dvd or download. Online Streaming is way too inconvenient and internet/technical issues is ruining the learning experience. regards, -ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit Posted February 18, 2009 Author Share Posted February 18, 2009 hey ray; i don't mention anything abaout cmi or 3dbuzz. i don't say anything that,they are canditates of this kind of cheating. but we are in a global crysis at the moment and god knows what tmorrow will bring to us. it happened to me at BINARYDIVINITY,and in my personal opinion only, i won't choose any longterm trainings which are downloadable each week,nor your content will be available for years and years in our server thing(and trying to get cmi a side because i have no conflict with them in the past couple of shoppings.which are all phsical by the way,and don't have any idea how their current sytem is,so i can't say anything to them). all i am trying to say is. i pay,you give the material.if you don't there is no busines than. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 my understanding is that, with cmi, they have paid for their server for 5 years - so even if they go out of business today you would still have access to the videos for 5 years...and I believe there is an option to have the videos on dvd...check their site for details...personally I've bought 5 or 6 of the cmi vids and I've never had any issues watching them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitallysane Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 personally I've bought 5 or 6 of the cmi vids and I've never had any issues watching them... Having issues or not depends a lot on one's lifestyle and schedule. I use to watch tutorials for example on trains (and there are lots of parts of the world where WiFi is not available in trains) or when I go with my laptop in some remote area to "read" or "learn". That is, in areas where internet is not available. Dragos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranxerox Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I agree it's not ideal, but in this highly specialized market with rampant copyright violation this may be their only option to stay viable. I personally like it because it precludes me from having to keep track of dvds. my 2 cents. -ranxx Having issues or not depends a lot on one's lifestyle and schedule. I use to watch tutorials for example on trains (and there are lots of parts of the world where WiFi is not available in trains) or when I go with my laptop in some remote area to "read" or "learn". That is, in areas where internet is not available.Dragos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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