Source Connect price goes up
VO peeps: Tech guru and engineer George Whittam says Source Connect software is price-hiking from $395 to $650 February 1st. If you're thinking about getting it, it might be the right time. On a related note, there are some issues with Source Connect and firewalls from what I've seen. I've tried it in my studio, a few hotels and at a family members house and experienced the same problem every time. Basically, the router will block the internet pipeline (port) Source Connect needs to function and Source Connect will say "port not mapped." If you use it at home and can log into your router and open a certain port (6000-6002), you should be fine. But, the real draw for me is the ability to use Source Connect to bridge to ISDN while I'm on the road. At a hotel, it just isn't likely that you'll be able to log in to access their router unless you find a staff member who knows how to do it, which is nearly impossible too. Thankfully, there appears to be a solution. A couple of talent have suggested using a laptop mobile internet card from your favorite cell phone carrier which runs about $50 a month, more or less. Source Connect apparently works great with those, as long as you're not in a dead zone. I wish this type of thing were pay as you go, since I don't travel all that much but I'm thinking I'll just have to bite the bullet to get a reliable solution for when I do. This, in my opinion, is the single biggest issue with Source Connect technology. If they want it to gain traction in the VO community, I think they'll have to address it somehow.
