Meeting with the VSO-Software team

VSO Products

GN : To approach your software suite, I'd like to ask you an anecdotal question regarding your drivers. Why did you choose such a particular name « Patin-Couffin » Where did it come from ?
Mandie : And now I hand over to my colleague for these technical questions.
Fabrice : When BlindWrite Suite was created, the only hardware access layer was ASPI drivers which were subject to royalties. So we've decided to create our own hardware access layer. In addition, it had been necessary to do what we wished to do of BlindWrite. That's the way that « Patin-Couffin » drivers were born.

GN : In short, an original name !
Fabrice : Exactly ! A typically French name ! This, moreover can be easily found with websearch engines.

GN : Let's talk about your products and precisely about CopyToDVD. This software seems to have become your influential work. Could you tell us more about its current development ?
Mandie : We're working on CopyToDVD version 4 which could include the whole existing VSO products. And even more… but that's a surprise !

GN : If you had to « praise » CopyToDVD in comparison with competitors, what would you put the emphasis on ?
Mandie : CopyToDVD synthesizes essential functionalities for user.

GN : In short, its easy use is one of its aces ?
Mandie : Exactly. But we'll continue bettering it… taking criticisms into account !

GN : Moreover, how do you think to better CopyToDVD ? What are the functions you'd like to include in a further plan ? Obviously we think about DVDToolBox whose development seems to stop. Do you think of including it to CopyToDVD ?
Fabrice : I think that currently there are numerous and efficient tools for DVD rip. Besides, some considerations of legal nature drive us not to commit ourselves. All the more so as this market seems to us at a dead end, with the availability of double-layer burners which make unnecessary any compression… We intend to add DVD re-compression but not transcoding. Another one of our products, DivxToDVD, already supports many formats.

GN : Thanks for these precisions. If you want it well, now let's talk about BlindWrite Suite. Recently, this soft was your main product. It seems that its development has slown down, why?
Fabrice : Two things concerning this point. First, we must admit that current level of copy-protection is very high. It makes the search of copy solutions very long and very expensive. Then, sales of BlindWrite Suite are really low. Unfortunately, it is a victim of its success : Everyone pirates it !!!

GN : Despite this problem, can we say that perfect copy (1:1) is arriving at a dead lock and is going to disappear ?
Mandie : Actually perfect copy belongs to the past, according to us.
Fabrice : Just have to look the way taken by copy software editors, VSO and others… Whatever the copy software, none has been making any real progress…

GN : When you say that perfect copy belongs to the past, you imply technical or commercial constraints ?
Fabrice : Do you mind if I answer this question… Obviously commercial aspect is important, but in this case our choices are first led by technical constraints.

GN : So you think there is no chance for us to attend to a game of cat and mouse between copy protection programmers and copy software editors, more particularly regarding « blacklisting » ?
Fabrice : We do agree with you. But nothing is definitive in computer science so we never lock any door !

GN : Let's get back to BlindWrite Suite as our forum members know it in its last version. Why did you choose an interface with so little settings ? Many users seem to damn it.
Fabrice : BlindWrite Suite 4 offered too many options and version 5 not enough. We do receive this message from our users and we will take that in account for the next developments of BlindWrite Suite !

GN : So the decline of 1:1 copy does not mean that BlindWrite Suite development will be dropped ?
Fabrice : Of course not ! It's just a turndown due to factors that we don't control.

GN : Then can we hope that one day TAGES and StarForce copy will be possible ? Are these protections definitely too complex ?
Fabrice : They are extremely complex… And our research results are binary : it works or it does not. For the moment, it does not work. But I repeat, nothing is definitive in computer science.

GN : Some questions about PhotoDVD now… Could you tell us more about your last creation ? Why such a soft ? How is it welcomed by your customers ?
Fabrice : It is quite well greeted, especially as PhotoDVD fulfils a request of simplicity which today can not be found on the market, according to me.

GN : How do you plan its development ?
Fabrice : For the moment, PhotoDVD « only » allows to create photo DVDs, but we intend to add some features , as menu creation, subtitles, hot points, etc… All this things take time and expect us to listen to our user requirements. But different things are planed ! Moreover we'll focus on the software's ergonomy that we want to improve.

GN : Maybe a support for VCD format for those who haven't a DVD burner yet ?
Fabrice : Considering current price of DVD burners, clearly the answer is « no ! ». Moreover VCD quality is really to poor referring to DVD. We'd rather focus on the best possible quality!

VSO products distribution

GN : We can find your softwares on your website, is it possible to purchase them anywhere else ? I mean on traditional market.
Mandie : Currently, our products are not distributed in traditional shops, essentially for production costs reasons. In addition, trade online make it possible to quickly satisfy our customer's requirements, with direct download and regular updates for instance. However, we're open to any offer.

GN : Let's get back to your French users : What is their share in your turnover and how do they behave with the trade online ?
Mandie : Our French users represent about 5% of our sales, but it is not for that reason that we disregard them, quite the contrary ! Regarding trade online, it is undeniable that it is quite less established in France than in other countries. Let's take advantage to remind that it is possible to pay by cheque and not only by credit card.

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