Installers/DIY:
I added some pics I left out of that post about removing C-Sync components and routing the analog flex. Edited into the post, but here is the gallery link:
http://imgur.com/a/3Y0cauR ldeveraux wrote:
Why are you guys praising them for finally moving on this project after a lifetime in inactivity? They actually get a little competition and finally the customers are a priority? That's not cool.
"Competition?" It seems you have stopped thinking of this as a group buy and have conflated us with Marshall or other UltraHDMI vendors. We're just two dudes who know how to reach Marshall and thought we could motivate him to make more with money on the table. Remember: we don't even make money off the UltraHDMI here. Indeed, we've lost far more than we thought we would (see the PayPal and currency conversion fees listed for each refund). Everyone is free to DIY or bring your own installer and we are just as willing to install N64Digital, so even the optional installation services we offer don't count. That was just us doing our part to help people get UltraHDMI... and now N64Digital.
TickleMyElmo wrote:
ive never had a problem with the group buys creators or w.e ive taken issue with the fact that the group buy let resellers in , you and ich might not be walmart trying to make a profit but the guys in the group buy buying more than a literal few kits def ARE trying to profit and its sad that they also happen to be the ones whos claiming more than half of the initial 230 kits ... and when hw2 kits or full builds pop up on ebay for like 800 usd or 1000 cad. we can be sure those 230 kits went to a good cause .. someones pocket
Marshall only sells to installers but even installers were having trouble getting kits... or even a reaponse. We started the group buy to increase availability and lower prices for anyone still interested in UltraHDMI, and that includes installers.
We still had the connections to order, and we did, but never more than a few kits at a time (minimum order quantity was 3). Clearly, we didn't have the buying power to increase availability and lower prices single-handedly, so we invited others to join. We expected it to grow with each successive round. The previous rounds were much smaller but the idea was to eventually put enough money on the table that Marshall/RetroActive would finally make enough of a mature product to satisfy nearly everyone with one or two huge batches.
HW2 put a wrench in that plan but it is undeniable that putting enough money on the table that Marshall couldn't ignore worked... repeatedly. The group buy secured more HW1 *twice* (maybe three times?) after the last GameTechUS lottery, even prompting additional production after HW1 was discontinued, and now the group buyers are the first with HW2! ...all despite no formal agreement with Marshall.

TickleMyElmo wrote:
So what of the other 200 or so ppl roughly that have paid in full but cant get even close to that 230? just get the digital or w.e its called? i personally dont want that i want the hw2 that i signed up for and im sure theres more people like me that feel this way.
Sounds like you missed some good news: Marshall has 400 more UltraHDMI HW2 boards produced and in-hand back in January. He was waiting on cables from Korea which arrived just a few days ago and he is currently evaluating them. The imminent 400 kits is one more reason we have to finish processing these 230 kits right away.
TickleMyElmo wrote:
Again nothing against the creators of this group buy , great easy to work with guys but why are the bulk buyers eating up waaaay more than half of the initial 230? you coulda stretched out that 230 to alot more individuals if you would have said ok more than 2 kits your a bulk buyer and you must be moved to the n64digital w.e thinggy as by the sounds of it the digital will have higher production runs anyway so trice why are you giving all the kits to like 20 people?
The bulk orders were probably his biggest motivation, to be honest. If this were as mature as HW1 was I have no doubt that he would have produced all 900 at once and we would be thanking these guys for increasing supply/availability and lowering prices.
Also,we were losing a few cents for every single kit shipped only slightly offset by the people ordering multiple. It was a delicate balance that has been completely lost now that we are losing money to PayPal fees with almost every refund.
ldeveraux wrote:
I guess if you knew from the start that it would take, what has it been, 3 years to finally ship the first Ultra, then you could do nothing but wait. From reading the comments in the past month, it seems like it wasn't meant to take that long though. People heard almost nothing until the N64Digital was first shown. It just seems convenient that once they had a competitor they finally decided to start moving some units. I don't know the chain of command for the Ultra, but it seems like 1 guy trying to get too many units to >230 buyers with too many middle men not keeping anyone properly informed. I understand the middle men likely weren't withholding any info, but that's a pretty big matzo ball to dangle out there.
It was almost the worst possible timing, since they had already shipped two days before the announcement. Check the tracking history for yourself if you don't believe me:
https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmA ... 2700396059 January 28th. Nothing "convenient" about that timing, I assure you.
If you look back you will see that we reported on a conversation from Marshall about potentially gettting the first shipment of 80 in December. You will also see that in order to get Marshall to finish the other 200+ kits on-hand Ichinisan suggested that he could ship them all together. Marshall never said he was doing that but it appears he did since December came and went and then we got all 230 at once. In the mean time we were left to wonder.
Even once we had tracking on Jan 28, we knew it doesn't mean much until it starts moving and that it could still sit on Marshall's couch for a month (like December!). To avoid getting people excited for nothing, Ichinisan decided to share that info the moment he saw it moving. It was going to be in the monthly update for January whether it was moving yet or not, so he was prepared to mention it on January 31st regardless. Ichinisan shared the tracking details a day early due to the N64Digital announcement. In case you thought the shipment itself was prompted by N64Digital, I even showed proof that I had mentioned it on AtariAge before N64Digital was announced:
Neither of us were aware of N64Digital when these started shipping so the implication that we suddenly "decided" to move them (as if it was even our decision) and we're just sitting on them is, honestly, a little insulting. Marshall had them, not us. We aren't partnered or anything. We are at his mercy, same as everyone else. Even so, we really did get shipping details for the first package before the N64Digital announcement. All 230 really did arrive at the same time on Feb 5th as shown on my nest camera:
https://i.imgur.com/gX2yAuk.gifv Unless Marshall knew this was happening before the announcement (we certainly didn't), shipping was not prompted by N64Digital.