Lock In Prices Before Aug 15

Got an email confirming that Aug 15 was the critical date to lock in the introductory rate before they double the price of Proclaim. Yes I know its not technically doubling the price since they are just canceling the "introuctory rate" but the result is users will still be paying double after the 15th what they'd pay before the 15th. The only way to not call that doubling is to get elected to Congress.

I digress.

I'm worried that I will lock in a price and then get strung along with key upgrades still necesary to make this a competitive package. I love the convenience of syncing work on home, laptop and office to sanctuary computer running both Windows and Mac. I also like some of the features of Proclaim, but I think Proclaim desperately needs the following before we can call it a full featured worship presentation tool on par with other programs.

DVD clip display
YouTube display
User created templates that I can use repeated for Bibles, Lyrics and more
Better integration of images, bible, video and text slides in a sermon part of the presentation (I hate the way I can't load all my images and then put a bible verse between two images or a video)
Better organization of uploaded media files to make them easier to find

I wonder if anyone at Logos will comment to say they plan these features and will likely get them soon (end of year).

I doubt they will but I'm giving the powers that be a chance to keep my money.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

mike

also Vimeo support.

Bob Pritchett

We continue to work on Proclaim, and plan many improvements. Our big priority earlier this year was getting it as absolutely stable as possible. It's in pretty good shape now, and it is now instrumented with automatic crash detection. The rare remaining crashes are tracked, and we proactively try to solve the problems even when they haven't been reported by the user. (In some cases the problem is an old computer and/or video driver -- if you're still seeing crashes, that's a likely reason!)

We're now moving ahead on new features and other improvements.

DVD clip display

Not planned for the short-term. On the long-term wish list.

YouTube display

I believe you can do this now via a web page service item. YouTube isn't really designed for 'downloading' videos -- they want to play them in their page/viewer. I'm sure there are 'hacky' solutions; if you have a favorite way this is done I'd love your input.

User created templates that I can use repeated for Bibles, Lyrics and more

Improvements are coming in this area. First, more 'PowerPoint-like' slide editing (simpler customization). Then, template support.

Better integration of images, bible, video and text slides in a sermon part of the presentation (I hate the way I can't load all my images and then put a bible verse between two images or a video)

We made some small improvements here already -- the [[John 3:16]] syntax in a sermon service item for inserting a Bible verse slide in the middle of a sermon sequence. I'd like to know more about what you want to do with image sequences and verses, etc.

More dramatic Bible verse support is coming, too.

Better organization of uploaded media files to make them easier to find

Very significant changes to the 'store' and media archive are planned and high-priority.

We're also starting a pass through all our Smart Media and the Graceway media to make it 'smarter' by default, with better colors, box positions, etc.

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/512855#Comment_512855

DVD clip display

Not planned for the short-term. On the long-term wish list.

This is a real shame since I remember someone with the blue logo promising this was coming. This is a huge oversight and makes Logos a second tier worship presentation app all by itself. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "Can you show the clip of this DVD we made of our youth group..." or some other kind of DVD. Having the rip the DVD and then edit it down and then import takes hours for what should only take about five minutes.

I'd like to hear from other users if this is a top priority need. If not, then I'll shut up and move on.

YouTube display

I believe you can do this now via a web page service item. YouTube isn't really designed for 'downloading' videos -- they want to play them in their page/viewer. I'm sure there are 'hacky' solutions; if you have a favorite way this is done I'd love your input.

This makes us look very amateurish. It's also distracting to see the other page content. Presently, WordPress blogs implement embedding youtube videos simply by pasting the link from the Share line under every YouTube video. It doesn't seem like it should be that hard to implement if a blogging platform can do it.

At present we use Keepvid.com to get videos, but like above, this takes a lot longer than it should have to take.

Glad to hear there are as you say big improvements coming to address other concerns. I just hope they actually do come unlike the DVD thing.

As for crashes, we had one this AM. Created a presentation at home yesterday and it never showed up at church. When I got home after church I looked for it here too and it wasn't here either. Just gone! I posted about it and someone looked and only found the presentation I made this AM at church to replace the one I made yesterday at home. Also the app crashed on launch so you will get one of those crash reports.

I'm really torn because I'd like to lock in the present price, but my frustration grows with Proclaim.

You asked what I'd like to see happen with sermon presentation. Here's it.

I'd like to upload all of my picture files. Sometimes that's 3 or 4 images and sometimes its 10-20 images. Then I'd like to be able to put a Bible verse after say the 2nd image. The way we must add images now, we have to upload to the library and then put them in the presentation. Problem is the organization and search features are so horrible that I can't always find a file even if I just uploaded it. That happened today. I had a looping video that I used in four different places as background to some text, a verse and by itself. I had to use the input File from computer all three times because search wouldn't display the video even though I searched using the exact file name one time and a couple of the tags I put on the file. All it took me twice as long to create a sermon presentation with only 8 elements or so because of this. I was pressed for time due to the fact that Proclaim ate my first presentation.

Back to what I want. I want to upload the files into the presentation and then insert a Bible verse between two of those image files. Instead I upload one picture at time. I do this because I might be uploading three images for my sermon intro and then remember that I wnated to display a verse after the second. AS it is I'd have to delete that slideshow and then re-add the two images and then the verse and then third.

Long story short - get away from slideshows. Just upload images as a single element in the presentation. Let me then drag and drop to rearrange. This would save me a ton of time.

I'm rambling and this may have become unclear. Sorry.

If you're still reading, Bob. Thanks for taking the time to care to even post here. I've never talked personally with by phone, over twitter or in a forum with the head of the other presentation software company we used to use.

David Washington

The only way to not call that doubling is to get elected to Congress.

Well, that was genuinely funny. )

I got a call from Miles informing us about the new rates and I was not particularly thrilled with the idea of being locked in because of how the software has performed. I love Proclaim and what it does...when it works with my Kindle. We decided as a church to simply pay the new rate until we make a decision about what we're going to do.

As far as YouTube display, I display them on Sundays. But you have to get YouTube Downloader HD software. Just put in the video URL and it will download the file as an FLV, MP4, or AVI, depending on your settings. Best thing is that it's free. You can download it here: YouTube Downloader HD.

My wish list would be to have audio integration and recording. Also a way for people to join without being collaborators but observers only. That way, people who are sick or out of town can still connect and be a part of the teaching virtually. At that point it wouldn't simply be presentation software but teleconferencing. But, it would be useful in a church context.

Blessings.

Andy Rambo

I have been subscribed with the promotional price since February. I don't believe I've seen anything about locking in a price. What exactly is the offer? Is it available to everyone?

Bob Pritchett

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/512884#Comment_512884

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "Can you show the clip of this DVD we made of our youth group..." or some other kind of DVD.

I'll talk this over with the team... though I have to admit, nobody has handed me a DVD in a long-time. They email me links to YouTube, Vimeo, or some other online service. I'm surprised people are still burning them for you...

How should we handle this in a cloud scenario? Let you set clip boundaries using the DVD, and then only play that service item if same DVD is in the actual presentation machine on Sunday morning? Sync time markers (and DVD id?) via the cloud, knowing that collaborators won't be able to preview it?

We're working on better image management and various other improvements.

Mike Binks

Hi Kevin

I came across the DVD clip problem recently.

By utilising spaces I set up the DVD prior to the service ready to show at the right place.

When I came to that point in the service itself I blanked the Logos display - came off air and flicked to the DVD space - at the end of the clip I reversed the process. The transition, while not pretty, took less than a second and nobody commented adversely on the presentation.

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/513695#Comment_513695

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "Can you show the clip of this DVD we made of our youth group..." or some other kind of DVD.

I'll talk this over with the team... though I have to admit, nobody has handed me a DVD in a long-time. They email me links to YouTube, Vimeo, or some other online service. I'm surprised people are still burning them for you...

How should we handle this in a cloud scenario? Let you set clip boundaries using the DVD, and then only play that service item if same DVD is in the actual presentation machine on Sunday morning? Sync time markers (and DVD id?) via the cloud, knowing that collaborators won't be able to preview it?

We're working on better image management and various other improvements.

Was asked about a DVD very recently and was about 5th time this year. Also I'd play more DVD clips if I could. Our denomination insists on sending them out with mission videos. You suggested a good way to handle it. Set markers and just blank screen if no disc in the machine. In our case that would seldom happen happen since most come in on Sunday AM.

Scott Alexander

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/512884#Comment_512884

This makes us look very amateurish. It's also distracting to see the other page content. Presently, WordPress blogs implement embedding youtube videos simply by pasting the link from the Share line under every YouTube video. It doesn't seem like it should be that hard to implement if a blogging platform can do it.

I believe what WordPress is doing is automatically converting your pasted watch link to an embed link. We should (and will) do the same for Proclaim, thanks for the suggestion! In the meantime if you manually enter the embed link I believe you'll get the functionality you desire.

normal watch link: youtube.com/watch?v= Fvw_Eubg1QE
embed link: youtube.com/embed/Fvw_Eubg1QE
embed link with auto play: youtube.com/embed/Fvw_Eubg1QE&autoplay=1

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/514233#Comment_514233

I will try that Scott. I tried it awhile back and never got the desired result. Could be working again.