Red ADMITS their own cable destroyed my EVF and now they won't fix it!

[Shawn Nelson]

ouch!

Let me say that Brent has helped me over the years and is flat out one of the most awesome customer helpers I've ever dealt with, if not THE best (or wait, he's second, his lovely wife is #1 . Talking to him, and other bomb squad reps respectfully and plainly is going to get you a million miles further then a board meltdown.

Jarred, on a positive note, I really dig the idea of a cable tester. It'd be relatively simple, it'd just have to have two female ports and send a signal and verify it gets there. I'd want to see EVF and maybe even a power checker (or maybe this device is powered via the same power lemo as Epic, so that even using it is verification that your battery plate works). An HD-SDI checker would be gravy.

 

[AnthonyFlores]

Yeesh... Remind me to never piss off Jarred.

LOL. Yah, forget the not selling you anymore gear part -- how you seen how tall the guy is? He had to stand lower in the Red Team pic to not block so many people from being in the photo

 

[Mark Phelan]

My father was a master salesman. He taught me many an important lesson, one being that you'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Making a public attack is the absolute last ditch effort and never has positive results. Coming into someone's house and trashing it to get some cookies doesn't work. Ever. But it might just get you shot in the process because of stupidity. Adding a phony name automatically makes one suspect. If you have a complaint, talk in private. If that doesn't get the results you desire, take it to the next level of management, still in private, always being polite. It's really very simple.

If you haven't learned this by now, know that public ridicule of the person you are trying to get something from never, ever works.

One more thing, I've worked with Steve Sherrick and he is a zen master. He'd make a great driving school instructor.

 

[L. Langer]

Well, he's fucked now. His IMDB page has quite a few photos of him posing with his RED gear so he's probably gonna have to sell it off to get money for whatever Canon is pooping out in the next few weeks. BTW Jarred & Brent, as someone who has been around these forums from almost the beginning, I have to compliment you on handling it well. I remember the crazy days during the RED One growing pains when complaints, problems, and barbs were dropping like bombs and I have to say that I'm very impressed that you guys have managed to keep it real and be realistic when it comes to problems and complaints. I used to be somewhat scared by some of the stuff I was seeing from the customer POV but now I'm not because I understand it much better now.

 

[Rob Gardner]

I vote that the new cable tester be called the "Eric Hurt Memorial Cable Tester".

 

[L. Langer]

I was thinking about a box with a bunch of diagnostic ports and attached tools that would be sold under the name of "The RED Hurt Locker". Too much perhaps?

 

[Jarred Land]

I was thinking about a box with a bunch of diagnostic ports and attached tools that would be sold under the name of "The RED Hurt Locker". Too much perhaps?

Heh heh heh I like it , I think we will use that to name our grown up version of this cable tester that we test the cables with in manufacturing.. it costs as much as a car and is bigger than me.

Power and Monitor are the 2 ports i think would be enough for something for the field. Looking into it.

 

[L. Langer]

Seriously, go for it. I will happily pay for such a product and you can use the name as far as I'm concerned! BTW, who do I talk to about strange PMs? I just got one that really might be an indication of a forum security breach because the user name is not one I have ever seen nor do they have a listing or profile.

 

[Ryan Barett]

It's interesting that this thread might actually end up helping to create products that help red users yet the person who started it has been silenced. Yea, his IMDB is pretty solid. Doubt it will be hard for him to get gear. Not saying it was handled correctly but it seems there was validity to his points.

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

Heh heh heh I like it , I think we will use that to name our grown up version of this cable tester that we test the cables with in manufacturing.. it costs as much as a car and is bigger than me.

Power and Monitor are the 2 ports i think would be enough for something for the field. Looking into it.

Drive cable too.

I know R1 and Red Drives are obsolete ... but they are still out there, and they, or their descendants, may need to come back in the future.

Maybe just release a separate box for drives? Or are drives not susceptible to damage because of cable issues?

 

[Jason Ramsey]

It's interesting that this thread might actually end up helping to create products that help red users yet the person who started it has been silenced. Yea, his IMDB is pretty solid. Doubt it will be hard for him to get gear. Not saying it was handled correctly but it seems there was validity to his points.

kind of weird. you've just registered today, and share an i.p. with the person in question. As well as another account registered today, and a couple of older ones, too...

 

[Ryan Barett]

Not strange. Work with these people (the office has the same router) and they are great. Joined to voice opinions on it as we also back each other up. Hopefully good products will come from his thread and you all will benefit.

 

[L. Langer]

kind of weird. you've just registered today, and share an i.p. with the person in question. As well as another account registered today, and a couple of older ones, too...

The odd PM I got was from a new account with a September 2011 join date under the name but no profile or listing is attached to it, so I guess it is one of the ones you are referring to in this post and you have deleted it.

 

[Ryan Barett]

Yep, no secrets here. Just a bunch of DIT guys who like working for someone and know him better then the people who are at the same time bad mouthing and indirectly thanking him for the thread.

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

kind of weird. you've just registered today, and share an i.p. with the person in question. As well as another account registered today, and a couple of older ones, too...

I just don't care.

Let's just assume the worst case scenario for the moment ... "Ryan Barett" is this Eric Hurt guy posting under a pseudonym.

So long as the user behaves by the communities standards of conduct - i.e. acts professional and courteous, then who cares?

For the moment I don't believe that.

I'm willing to extend credulity to the story that they just happen to work in the same office, and occasionally work for Eric Hurt.

We can judge them over time on their own merits, not their associations.

Not that I think Eric Hurt should have been banned. But this isn't "my house" either.

 

[Johnny Friday]

and as the sun sets....so should this thread....

 

[tonydean]

A cable tester would have saved me a great deal of hurt last month. A suspect Red LCD cable fried two different MX CPU's. Repair cost $5000 per camera.

Midway through a feature shoot, A camera refused to boot beyond a white rear screen. I have a lot of experience breathing life back into Reds when they act up, but had never seen anything like this. A replacement body was called up and the dead camera immediately sent to Red. A couple of days later, but before Red had diagnosed the first camera's problem, B camera exhibited the exact same symptom of not booting past a blank rear screen. Looking for commonalities, we determined it was possible that an LCD cable may have been on both cameras when they failed. Although we never had any monitoring issues. Closer inspection showed a break in the rubber strain relief. I sent the cable to Red who reported there was visible damage to the cable but could not replicate the short that could cause such catastrophic damage to the CPU. Red's best guess was the cable caused the damage to both cameras.

I take good care of my kit and ensure that competent CAs are on the job. But shit happens. I am surprised that an apparently functioning cable is capable of causing so much damage.
I hope my tale of woe encourages all REDUSERs to go out and inspect all their cables carefully. #1 for a field cable tester.

Tony Dean
Red 595
Vancouver Canada

 

[Ryan Barett]

Alexander, you have truly made the most of this thread. He can certainly cut to the chase, but he gets things done and has always been honest with me personally kept the jobs coming and has also paid on time, which is not often found. A cable tester would be great as the AC of the bunch here is attesting to. I also sent him an email about the proposed name and he thinks it's a great idea and would love to see it named after him.

 

[Ryan Barett]

Come now Friday, the thread can't be closed just when we're making progress on real life solutions...feel free to add constructive criticism in place of talking about gang rape.

 

[Iain Philpott]

A cable tester would have saved me a great deal of hurt last month. A suspect Red LCD cable fried two different MX CPU's. Repair cost $5000 per camera.

Midway through a feature shoot, A camera refused to boot beyond a white rear screen. I have a lot of experience breathing life back into Reds when they act up, but had never seen anything like this. A replacement body was called up and the dead camera immediately sent to Red. A couple of days later, but before Red had diagnosed the first camera's problem, B camera exhibited the exact same symptom of not booting past a blank rear screen. Looking for commonalities, we determined it was possible that an LCD cable may have been on both cameras when they failed. Although we never had any monitoring issues. Closer inspection showed a break in the rubber strain relief. I sent the cable to Red who reported there was visible damage to the cable but could not replicate the short that could cause such catastrophic damage to the CPU. Red's best guess was the cable caused the damage to both cameras.

I take good care of my kit and ensure that competent CAs are on the job. But shit happens. I am surprised that an apparently functioning cable is capable of causing so much damage.
I hope my tale of woe encourages all REDUSERs to go out and inspect all their cables carefully. #1 for a field cable tester.

Tony Dean
Red 595
Vancouver Canada

Now you have me scared. The original complaint was in my opinion completely out of order in such a public place with so little opportunity for RED to respond. This post suggests there is a serious problem. I am more than happy to stock up on cables but when it trashes the camera without any knowledge to me? I can live with my cables 'frying the ports' on my MacBook Pro because I will always have two more to play with but when a cable trashes a camera? I want to know more. How do you stop it? A question to RED .....is this really possible?