Summary:
This product never functioned to any degree since I received it. Numerous contacts with the company's Technical Support failed to even remotely solve the problem of complete inoperability. Time spent trying to resolve the issue with Technical Support exceeded the 15 day time limit the company imposes for returns. The responses received from technical Support were misleading and designed to lure consumers into believing operability problems could be solved.instead responses from technical Support were clearly aimed at expending the 15 day return/refund period such that the consumer is left with a $400 item which doesn't work and no recourse.
Chronology
2/9/02 purchased Formac product "Studio" (FS 1042-0) via the Formac web site (www.formac.com) for $399, plus $21.65 shipping Order No. 200142900 (invoice no. 00012883). Received email confirming purchase.
2/11/02 received email from Formac stating the product was out of stock and the order had been back-ordered.
2/17/02 I emailed Formac to get status of order.
2/19/02 Formac advised by return email the order would be shipped February 23-24th.
2/22/02 received email confirmation order had been shipped.
2/25/02 received product.
3/1/02 unpacked product and installed hardware and software. Noticed immediately the unit did not function in Mac operating system 9.2.2.
3/4/02 downloaded software update from Formac web site for Mac system OS X.installed software.
3/5/02 using OS X version of software was able to get unit to record a 30 second stream of analog video. TV reception and FM reception function not working.
3/12/02 submitted first request to Formac Technical Support via web site form. Copy as follows:
Information on your problem
Your Formac Product: ProTV Studio
Purchase Date: 2 from Formac
Serial Number: 200113718
Software: ProTV 263
Problem description: When my G$ [sic] starts up the ProTV codec extension appears but is crossed out with a red "x". When I try and launch ProTV I get an error indicating the "ProTV Card cannot be found. The application will quit". Have reinstalled ProTV twice to no effect. Have tried the OSX version but find it clunky and feature-less. Have generated the "ProTVSysInfo. Txt" file for diagnostics, but cannot send it via a web form (ever thought about a real support email address)? Please reply - either with an answer or with an return authorization number.
3/12/02 received the following reply as follows:
Mr. [G],
Please try a different PCI slot in your computer, after which, please completely uninstall and then reinstall ProTV (please remember to delete preference and extension files before reinstalling). Then restart your computer. Does it work?
Thank you,
Formac help
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