Road Hog questions

[quote=JeffM]I do not agree with the idea that the Road Hog is a lot of console for the money.

Then you really need to do some research as to what other manufacturers are charging for a desk with "similar" capabilities. (I say similar b/c no other desk has the same capability)

[quote=JeffM]Let's look at Hog PC 2 or 3. I have just over $10k in my system and can expand it to 8 universes and can run up to 8 monitors (XP) if I so desired too. I have 20 faders (2 wings) and 1 program wing. I can network my system and expand it even further.
Now lets look at the Hog 3 software. designed to run at least 2 DP2000 or super widgets and expands with additional wings. can network.

OK...well let's get the facts straight first. H3PC software is capable of expanding to far more than 8 universes when DP-2000s are added to a system. The only limit to universes is how much data can you cram down a single Cat5 cable from the console to the network. You are limited to 8 universes ONLY WHEN using widgets. I for one would not recommmed the setup you describe to anyone over a Roadhog. Why would anyone want to hookup over 7 different USB devices most with their own power supplies as well? Roadhog has everything intergrated into one chassis...one control surface, and it will support additional mini-playback wings as well as the full X-wing if you feel you need extra Masters.

[quote=JeffM]Everyone who waited to buy the PC system until the newer widgets came out didn't have to pay for any upgrades while us early birds do.

Again, you have your facts wrong. The price point for the new H3 capable widgets went up considerably from where the previous H2-only widgets were. So it's not the same at all. If you were unaware that you would be later charged a relatively small fee to upgrade your widget, you either didn't do your homework, or someone lied to you. I knew full well that this was the case when I bought my widget when they first came out, and it didn't bother me a bit. How many free software upgrades, fixture profiles, etc. have you downloaded from HES/FPS since you bought your widgets? Think about it.

[quote=JeffM]So tell me again how the Road Hog at $12,000 ish is a lot of board for the money? I have a Hog 3 PC system that can do anything a Hog 3 console can do for less than half the money for one and have 3 touch screen monitors; all larger than the ones on any console.

Well for starters you can take a Roadhog out of the case, plug in power and DMX in a very short amount of time. Whereas hooking up al manner of external devices to a PC takes a lot longer, creates more clutter, and creates a troubleshooting nightmare as you have just created a whole bunch of uneccessary potential failure points. I call such systems "Franken-Consoles"....a whole bunch of gak thrown together never works as elegantly as an integrated system. Just because something can be done, does not mean it is necessarily a good idea.

Feel free to debate me on this if you think I am wrong.

[quote=JeffM]I do not agree with the idea that the Road Hog is a lot of console for the money.

Then you really need to do some research as to what other manufacturers are charging for a desk with "similar" capabilities. (I say similar b/c no other desk has the same capability)

[quote=JeffM]Let's look at Hog PC 2 or 3. I have just over $10k in my system and can expand it to 8 universes and can run up to 8 monitors (XP) if I so desired too. I have 20 faders (2 wings) and 1 program wing. I can network my system and expand it even further.
Now lets look at the Hog 3 software. designed to run at least 2 DP2000 or super widgets and expands with additional wings. can network.

OK...well let's get the facts straight first. H3PC software is capable of expanding to far more than 8 universes when DP-2000s are added to a system. The only limit to universes is how much data can you cram down a single Cat5 cable from the console to the network. You are limited to 8 universes ONLY WHEN using widgets. I for one would not recommmed the setup you describe to anyone over a Roadhog. Why would anyone want to hookup over 7 different USB devices most with their own power supplies as well? Roadhog has everything intergrated into one chassis...one control surface, and it will support additional mini-playback wings as well as the full X-wing if you feel you need extra Masters.

[quote=JeffM]Everyone who waited to buy the PC system until the newer widgets came out didn't have to pay for any upgrades while us early birds do.

Again, you have your facts wrong. The price point for the new H3 capable widgets went up considerably from where the previous H2-only widgets were. So it's not the same at all. If you were unaware that you would be later charged a relatively small fee to upgrade your widget, you either didn't do your homework, or someone lied to you. I knew full well that this was the case when I bought my widget when they first came out, and it didn't bother me a bit. How many free software upgrades, fixture profiles, etc. have you downloaded from HES/FPS since you bought your widgets? Think about it.

[quote=JeffM]So tell me again how the Road Hog at $12,000 ish is a lot of board for the money? I have a Hog 3 PC system that can do anything a Hog 3 console can do for less than half the money for one and have 3 touch screen monitors; all larger than the ones on any console.

Well for starters you can take a Roadhog out of the case, plug in power and DMX in a very short amount of time. Whereas hooking up al manner of external devices to a PC takes a lot longer, creates more clutter, and creates a troubleshooting nightmare as you have just created a whole bunch of uneccessary potential failure points. I call such systems "Franken-Consoles"....a whole bunch of gak thrown together never works as elegantly as an integrated system. Just because something can be done, does not mean it is necessarily a good idea.

Feel free to debate me on this if you think I am wrong.