MPEG Analyzer FAQ
Shipping
How long does it take until the dongle arrives?
We typically ship dongles within 24-48 hours of a purchase. For most destinations we ship using the DHL registered mail (German: "Einschreiben").
Typical delivery times:
- Germany: 2-3 days
- EU: 5-10 days
- World: 2-3 weeks
All envelopes for export from the EU come with a valid customs declaration for
"Material value: 10 USD - Content: USB Stick" and the customs tariff number for a Codemeter stick.
Shipping fees
Standard shipping (as described above) is included in the product price.
Do you offer express shipping?
Yes. For international shipments, we can optionally ship with FedEx Express to reduce delivery times to 2-4 days. Please contact us for a quote for the extra shipping fee.
What will I get?
You will receive a small padded envelope containing the USB dongle and a page describing how to use it (download link for the dongle runtime and full version of the analyzer software).
I am from Russia, why does the online shop reject my order?
War on Ukraine. We refuse to do business with you and severely regret not making that decision earlier (Crimea).
In addition to a massive piracy problem, Russia has a notoriously unreliable mail service. More than half of the dongles we have sent there in the past either disappeared or came back after 2-6 months as "undeliverable". That left us and the customers very unhappy. For sales to Russia, only the FedEx express shipping option is available for the time being. Please contact us for details.
Licensing
Is this a digital download article? Do I really need a USB dongle?
Yes. The full software version always requires a Codemeter USB dongle to run. Previous versions (before ~2011) supported full-feature trials and permanent licenses in the form of a license file delivered by email. Piracy and abuse of single-user licenses being shared within companies did however unfortunately made it necessary to switch to a dongle-based software activation.
Why a dongle and not remote-activation?
We consider remote-activation at least as only licensing option to be unethical. If you purchase a permanent software license, you should be able to use it, even if you have no internet connection or if we ever go out of business. Once you have the dongle, you can use the software forever and in whatever environment you want.
Can I move licenses between computers?
Yes. Dongles do not marry the machines they are connected to. They can be moved around freely. Floating licenses are automatically shared between all machines on the same network segment. If you need to switch between different workplaces or for mobile analysis at customer sites, single-user licenses are the better choice.
Can I re-sell / transfer my license?
Yes. You can simply sell the dongle without involving us.
My support expired and I would like to upgrade to the latest version. What do I need to do ?
Purchasing the "support renewal" is all you need to do. This will give you another year of free updates from the date of purchase.
My support expired several years ago. Do I need to pay more?
No. Support can be renewed at any time. There is no penalty for not renewing for a longer period of time.
Why do you even charge extra for updates beyond the 1 year?
To fund the continued development and improvement of the software. Keeping track with the latest MPEG, DVB, ETSI standards and additions made by all the broadcasters out there is a time-consuming process. If you find a critical bug that stops you from using an older version, we will find a solution for you without requiring you to pay extra. The solution will not be "please pay for the bugfix". You only pay for the new features and updated decoder engines you want.
How are licenses counted? Can I run multiple instances of the software on the same computer?
Yes. One logged-on user on a PC consumes exactly one license. That user can launch as many instances of the software as he needs/likes.
Remote Monitoring
Can I use the software for remote monitoring ?
(RDP - Remote Desktop, VNC, Teamviewer etc.)
Yes and no. All these technologies heavily interfere with the Windows Desktop. If (and if yes, how well) Video decoding works, depends on the involved remote control software, operating system versions and the Directshow codecs. The same applies to BDA input devices. Some work well, some fail in RDP environments. Other input device types and network feeds typically work fine.
Server hardware with built-in KVM/ILO support also quite often lacks even the bare minimum of hardware acceleration support that Directshow codecs typically depend on.
We strongly recommend that you test your environment with the trial version of our software before purchasing licenses intended for such an environment.
Multiple different users on one Terminal-services-enabled Windows Server system might also consume/require one software license per user, even if they all use the same physical machine.