On August 16, 2012 at 18:45, TwistedMelon said...
I've only ever bought URC remotes from authorized dealers and have always received the appropriate software. I've always bought for less than MSRP as well - every dealer is free to sell for whatever price they want of course. I have some 4 or 5, but only the MX-980 gets any use beyond testing at the moment.
My original recommendation to the OP of this thread was to ask their dealer for the software. The buyer shouldn't have to ask as the dealer should have been responsible enough to provide it for a direct customer sale. But maybe that speaks to the dealer. It wasn't mentioned whether or not it was an authorized dealer, but I like to give the benefit of the doubt and assume it was.
Again, it is up to the dealer. They do not have to provide it. You keep coming back to this that you believe that everyone who buys the remote should automatically get the software. That is just now how this system works. The unfortunate thing is that URC has very old documentation that they have not updated. They also have a god awful website, that too, has outdate material on it. When the individual editors were available, they had them on the site for download.
The only difference between the dealer version and the public version was that the dealer version had live update enabled, while the public version did not. With CCP, it is a protected software that is not made available. It is made more confusing by the fact that they leave it up to the dealers discretion. I do not have to go and check my source, its right from the horses mouth. Different people at URC has told me directly that is the policy. It has been for a few years now. I know you don't agree with it, but that is the way it is. It is all a moot point if people just ask their dealers first, or build a relationship with a dealer that will gladly help out. Like I've said, I have no problem helping someone who's dealer went out of business. In many cases I would help them as long as they provide proof they purchased the hardware legally and through authorized channels. I think the weird policy that its up to the dealers is what opens it up to these discussions. RTI doesn't have the policy, and we do not have this discussion. Crestron doesn't have their software available to the public. You need it to use their hardware. Same for AMX, Elan, and many other companies. The fact that URC is sold through distribution and gets in the hands of unauthorized sellers, coupled with the software policy seems to open them up to major criticism. The fact is that the product was created as a professional product with the idea of having in the hands of professionals. I understand people can and do have the ability to program themselves. It doesn't mean they can have access to it. There are plenty of backyard mechanics that have the ability to use all the diagnostic tools a dealer mechanic uses, but it doesn't mean they can have access to them.
