Not only today but every time since I bought my PCTV card it was almost impossible to get anywhere on Pinnacle web site except on index page (start page).

Now, this "serious" company offers upgrades and info online and to me this offering looks like a joke. I've never encountered that seller's web site (hardware or software) is always, how to put it... down!

What browser are you using?

Reason I ask:  Since Pinancle re-did their website with the "new look", its support has been kinda iffy on anything but recent Internet Explorer (6 and above), and recent Firefox (2 and above).  And forget about using the Order links under Firefox 3 on Linux -- some of the Digital River pages simply fail to load.

Undoubtedly there are people who can display the links that you are (and in some cases, I am)  unable to display.  That's probably because our browers/systems aren't considered important enough to support, and the desire for a newer "pretty" website overrode the fact that the old website was pretty well laid out, was easy to navigate, and could even be displayed in my old Smartphone's browser.  This new site?  It's "pretty", but at the same time it isn't as friendly or lightweight as the previous version.  IMO.

BittMann

Well... I use Firefox (latest), IE7, Opera (latest) so it should not be a browser fault or any fault considering operating system.

I am certain that there is a server problem on Pinnacle's side (this has been happening with the old site as well) and the thing is that they, obviously, do not care much about that.

 It's like this: Why should they? They got their money! 

Musicmaniac,

We are sorry if you can not access correctly to our web site. But at the same time thousands of visitors are coming to our web sites daily, so we need to identify the reasons why you don't have the same success.

May I ask you few questions ?

1) Where are you located ? (US, Europe, Australia etc...)? As I was not able to find a registration in our database matching with your forum email address...

2) Did you try on a different system to access to our web site ? Did you get the same result ? Did you also try using a different Internet provider ?

3) Do you have on your system any specific settiongs on your firewall/anti-virus which could block some URL's ? Which firewall and anti-virus are you using ?

4) Do you have the same problem for all pages of the site (except the homepage) ?

Thanks for all the information you can send us..

bittmann:

Undoubtedly there are people who can display the links that you are (and in some cases, I am)  unable to display.  That's probably because our browers/systems aren't considered important enough to support, and the desire for a newer "pretty" website overrode the fact that the old website was pretty well laid out, was easy to navigate, and could even be displayed in my old Smartphone's browser.  This new site?  It's "pretty", but at the same time it isn't as friendly or lightweight as the previous version.  IMO.

BittMann

Bittmann,

We are testing the maximum of platforms, but probably not all. Always the same problem between volume and very low numbers. Of course, testing firefox under Linux is important, but this is representing a very low minority of our users. So should we spend more time for the large majority or should we take some resources out and also test more platforms? That's a very good question.

I just made some test browsing on our web site from my iPod Touch. I agree with you, the result is not perfect, some areas are shifted, some menus are not working in the way they were designed. But it's also complex to use some recent web technologies and be compatible with every sites.

Our old site was lighter and probably faster (?), but it was also a big source of complains from our end-users. The latest surveys we run are showing positive feedbacks on the new design, especially finding information or for our support site, so not everything is bad

Our webmanager is following this discussion, so hope it will help !

We are testing the maximum of platforms, but probably not all. Always the same problem between volume and very low numbers.

Absolutely understood and agreed.  Just making the point that you can't expect *everything* to work.

Of course, testing firefox under Linux is important, but this is representing a very low minority of our users.

I don't know how "important" I'd call that, myself, except maybe for those products that you sell that support Linux directly.  Now, which ones are those again?  

Our old site was lighter and probably faster (?), but it was also a big source of complains from our end-users. The latest surveys we run are showing positive feedbacks on the new design, especially finding information or for our support site, so not everything is bad.

Do you know the saying "Familiarity Breeds Contempt"?  In 3-5 years, you'll be saying how this site is a big source of complaints, and that the NEW NEW design will be receiving positive feedback...

it's also complex to use some recent web technologies

Especially when the browser that you're targeting DOESN'T PROPERLY SUPPORT those recent web technologies...

Our webmanager is following this discussion, so hope it will help

Have 'em open the website in Firefox, do a ctrl-shift-J (or Tools/Error Console) and check out the warnings.  Some things probably aren't displaying as they were intended, and that may be a bit hidden because IE seems to be a bit more lax about accepting malformed property values as compared to Firefox, Konqueror, Safari, or Opera.  (Do the same thing on this message board -- some neat warnings/errors there.  What is a "VISTED" class, for example?).

Anyhow, I'm not saying that this isn't good enough.  The old site *was* lighter and faster (in my experience, anyway), but it wasn't a "showcase".  I can see why the product site would have a market-driven need to be kept "fresh and exciting", and this rewrite is nothing if not that.

(The support site, however?  I don't see the big benefit, myself, but that's just me.  For example:  I don't need to be entertained or marketed to when looking through the FAQ list, I just need the FAQ search to show up and be usable--anything else is a distraction. And while it may be "pretty", pages such as your FAQ system that cram all of the content into a fixed-width column down the center of the screen are annoying.  I run a 1920x1200 screen, and the actual FAQ's text column is just barely 25% of the width of my display.  It is USABLE -- I'm not arguing that point -- but the website design certainly places artificial constraints on the presentation of information that don't really need to be enforced.)

So -- I don't think that you have too much of an issue to deal with, myself.  Just keep picking at stuff, and it'll eventually get straightened out.  In the meantime, if you aren't trying to sell to a certain class of user, it's not anyone's business but your own if you don't make your initial build of the website work properly with that user's browser.  If the cost of supporting Firefox on Linux exceeds the sales that you'd get from FF+Linux, or from IPod Touch users, etc. it becomes a pretty simple equation--go live when you WANT to and fix the site later, if you get around to it.  That seems to be the way things work, anyhow.

BittMann

Bittmann,

Appreciate your comment.s Your point regarding the size of our knowledge base is an interesting point. We don't have actually a solution for this, as the width of the KB interface is fixed , but this might change later on.

I don't think that you have too much of an issue to deal with, myself.  Just keep picking at stuff, and it'll eventually get straightened out

Your straight comments always have one positive impact, to give us good feedbacks and good directions where to improve.

 Hi again,

to answer Your questions:

1) Where are you located ? (US, Europe, Australia etc...)? As I was not able to find a registration in our database matching with your forum email address...

Europe - Croatia (it was another mail when I registered my product - 2 PCTV 200e USB tuners)

2) Did you try on a different system to access to our web site ? Did you get the same result ? Did you also try using a different Internet provider ?

I have 2 PCs and a laptop - same result on each one.

3) Do you have on your system any specific settiongs on your firewall/anti-virus which could block some URL's ? Which firewall and anti-virus are you using ?

No, I do not have problems with other sites (like the ones from Gigabyte, ATI - AMD, and similar). I use Zone alarm and AVG 

4) Do you have the same problem for all pages of the site (except the homepage) ?

Yeah, sometimes (one in 10 times perhaps) I can load a link under Products. 

Thanks for all the information you can send us..

I really do not think that It's my configuration problem (Gigabyte and ATI have milions of customers also but they are always available).