I literally purchased my Inspire 1 a few weeks ago. Why am I considering selling in May?

Because of the 3DR Solo... Don't get me wrong I really love the Inspire 1 but lets face it...

The 3DR Team cares about their customers. It shows with their Support, and their Customer Service. They guarantee their products. After seeing the hype building up, Marketing, 3DR Solo Launch Video I was really impressed and confused at the same time (Why doesn't the Inspire have these features)

The flight simulator alone is very impressive.


Sure the first batch might have some bugs but I'm not worried about it. Look how far the Phantom has come. This company 3DR takes pride in their products and they show a lot of passion for what they do. DJI has a lot to learn from them.

I'm somewhat disappointed because I like DJI. I own a Inspire 1 and a Ronin for my Red Epic Dragon. But my view on DJI has kinda changed after seeing the way they treat their customers.

I'm really looking forward to flying the BlackMagic Micro 4k Sensor on the SOLO. And hopefully 3DR has something to compete with the Inspire 1. It would make sense to make a $2000-2500 drone with 2 remotes.

The Future of Possible

I was completely sold on the Inspire 1 until the 3DR Solo was announced. I am really torn on which one I want now. The range and gimbal on the I1 is amazing and has it's pros over the 3DR but the fact that the 3Dr comes with all advertised capabilities and 3DR's customer support is a huge selling point!

The Inspire is no doubt a more "professional" looking platform but that is really a subjective thing to say. If you can get the professional shot with a cheaper smaller platform then to me that is what matters.

A lot of people on the RC Groups and on here in the DJI Phantom 3 vs 3DR Solo have been commenting on the steadyness of the gimbal on the 3DR and "jello" in some videos but if you look at the conditions they were flying in you can see that it was a very windy (storm on the horizon in "the Verge" video) and the video is a capture of the ipad feed, not output of the the camera with some post editing.

Like you say, if 3DR or developers work on something to utilize the new Cinema or Studio 4k cameras this is going to be a beast of a platform. Only hurdle to over come with the 4k is lack of incamera recording, 3DR or developers would have to utilize the accessories bay to store a video capture device and have the gimbal tap into the PMW/S-BUS expansion port on the camera for controls. (I wish I had the techinical know how to do this)

Come on guys, I am not 100% happy with the Inspire. Quite disappointed with the way they treat their customers, regarding especially the ground station promised since the beginning, that will probably never come for commercial reasons, since we all know that the product exist and works since more than 2 years.

But going 200% for the Solo is a joke, Colin Guinn himself is a joke. This guy is a scam and can not be trusted. He is nothing else that a commercial actor.

We should all continue to put pressure on DJI to receive a finished product.

The real joke is DJI customer support and product support. I joined this forum to because I wanted to learn more about the inspire one and see what people are doing with it and you know what I have seen? Time after time, day after day, people are having constant issues with FW upgrades, fly aways, slow/non-existent customer support, and a huge overall lack of input from the "huge industry leading" company.

A lot of you may be willing to look the other way and make excuses for them because you are so invested and have sipped on the coolaid for many years, but as a completely unbiased (don't own any drones at the time) and outsider prospective, as I see it DJI will not be getting my money any time soon. Real shame too since the Inspire 1 is such an amazing product.

It's really a shame.  I posted on just this issue within the past 24 hours - before hearing about the 3DR product.  I opined that if another company came along with a promising product before DJI fixed its increasingly bad customer perception, it could lose much of its client base overnight.

The fact is, I like the Inspire, and I've been lucky so far - no flyaways, no crashes, no problem with firmware upgrades.  At the moment I'm not selling it and I have no plans to replace it.  But I've read the horror stories too.  I harbor no illusions about the fact that I've simply been LUCKY, and could be in the position of any of the other people here.  Trust me, if something happened to my I1 and I was facing two months of it being in the DJI black hole in LA, I would be like one of the Frankenstein villagers with flaming torches ready to storm the building.

DJI HAS TO fix this or they will not survive as a viable business in this hemisphere.

Cosign on the crappy DJI customer service.

DJI promotes this as a tool for professionals. However, once they get your money they don't care about your profession. Imagine if your computer had an issue and it was impossible to find replacement parts and repairs took 5-6 weeks. You'd never buy that computer again. And if you were in the market for a computer you would get a different one.

DJI is the market leader because they haven't had a whole lot of competition. That is changing. I've also heard that one of the reasons DJI is using their own cameras now instead of having a Go Pro option is because Go Pro is working on their own drones and will soon be a DJI competitor.

I totally agree with most of what I am reading above.

They do not treat their customers as they should but  DJI is a Chinese company, and for those like me spending half their life in China, they know what it means. When a product is sold, it is sold, what happens next it is not their problem.

But keep in mind that most of the problems encountered on the I1 comes from pilot errors in my opinion, and than you will never see people writing about the good experiences they have with their I1.

alexmarnas Posted at 2015-4-24 13:27
Come on guys, I am not 100% happy with the Inspire. Quite disappointed with the way they treat their ...

I don't know Colin Guinn personally but I do know he shows a lot of passion when he is presenting the 3DR Solo.

The guy definitely knows a thing about marketing and selling. He's very committed to Customer Service and making the customer happy. 3DR's customer service seems to be top notch in this market. And That is the key to beating DJI at their own game.

I love the Inspire 1, design, and quality of it. But I'm not confident enough to fly it 3 times a week. God forbid if something happened to it I can't imagine the BS I'd have to deal with. And some people saying they had to wait 2 months to get their Inspire back.

I agree, he is impressive in the video. But do not forget than less than a year ago, this same guy owned half of DJI america and was responsible for the great commercials that made the success of DJI worldwide.

In my opinion, the major mistake DJI did, was to try to deliver a product sooner than the competition. They were probably aware of the voyager 3, and started the commercialisation of an unfinished product.

"Slow but steady progress wins the race." J. de La Fontaine

In my opinion, the major mistake DJI did, was to try to deliver a product sooner than the competition.

They could recover from that with some effort.  For instance: allowing their regional dealer network to repair the Inspire instead of forcing everything into LA (or its equivalent in other countries).  They have to get the turnaround time down.  They have to learn to communicate.

Also when it comes to something like Ground Station - the technology already exists.  They sold a hardware product to non-fliers premised on the future availability of that product.  There's no reason they CAN'T finish it - the only reason for not doing so is that they have shifted priorities.  But when you do that and leave an unhappy customer base that spent $3K+ on your product, and you don't work to fulfill their expectations - that's when a 3DR steps in and eats your lunch.  I hope they don't have to learn that the hard way.

I have been critical of DJI on a number of issues...However, I still love my Inspire 1 and DJI seems to have delivered on the GPS dropout but I am concerned about them restricting the amount of channels that are used to control it... That somehow seems counter intuitive as to what they were trying to fix...More channels to lock on should mean better and safer flight stability...Their customer service is another matter and seems to be a painful work in progress for them...Something that companies like 3DR have picked up on...DJI needs to step up their game or lose market share...

PeteGould Posted at 2015-4-24 22:53
They could recover from that with some effort.  For instance: allowing their regional dealer netwo ...

I too have become disenchanted with DJI due to their customer service.  If it were not for Tahoe_Ed, I would have gone crazy for my repair.  They never answer emails, the techs on the 800 line are very quick to issue an RMA without troubleshooting, and they aren't very knowledgeable.  Whenever I hear that DJI is a new company and they are trying their best to improve their customer service I want to barf.  They are a multi-billion dollar company, they can afford more quality staff that are trained.  Their 24/7 chat support is a joke.   
Me:  "Can you please help me with pairing my remote to Inspire? I have already followed the steps in this link"
DJI:  "Please follow the steps in this link"
Me:  "I just said I followed the steps in the link"
DJI:  "How may I help you?"
Me:  "I am having trouble pairing my remote"
DJI:  "Please call the 1800 number"

I want to see improvement and better customer service!  Spending $3,200 on the Inspire should buy me that.

bostonlines@gma Posted at 2015-4-24 23:39
I too have become disenchanted with DJI due to their customer service.  If it were not for Tahoe_Ed ...

If they actually supplied parts, this all would be a moot point. It is total BS they will not supply the parts (every single part) so that we can fix these our self. From a flying standpoint, this drone is awesome. From a fix and repair standpoint, this thing is a nightmare. They could easily break the landing gear into a few different parts to make it easy for the customer to fix it themselves. Other than the gimbal, the landing gear appears to be the main problem when crashing. DJI is holding alot of people hostage. I am someone that likes to tear apart things and learn about them. I would have done the same thing to this except there is no tearing apart the landing gear with its terrible design.

When and IF the SDK gets finished, will this not address a lot of the limited function of the Inspire 1?  This should take care of things like POINT OF INTEREST and CABLE flight and maybe even a FOLLOW my type function.  I loved the capabilities of my phantom, I love the potential of the inspire, time will only tell.  DJI get on this quickly or you will lose the faithful quickly.  We purchase this craft on a promises you would create an all in on out of the box filming platform with tons of features that you have fallen short of.

I am also looking at the 3DR. I refuse to give DJI any more of my money, never again. They do not care about their customers who spend significant amounts of money on their products. For me, that is a deal breaker. Unacceptable.

I'l buy ur tb48's


Bob

alexmarnas Posted at 2015-4-24 19:51
I totally agree with most of what I am reading above.

They do not treat their customers as they sho ...

You are fully right ! We live in China and it is hard, only money counts ! Most of the products miss a final western touch of quality, but the Inspire1 is not bad. Also a final touch in after sales….  yes, there should be one. We experience a better service calling DJI in … chinese !
I just saw a video about the big kitchen chef, A. Ducasse, linking the pure natural food resources with a respect and art to prepare them for our plates,  you will not find that here, I felt some nostalgia in my heart to Europe. If chinese people would focus a bit more on proud and respect and be a little bit less money minded, the final touch in all would come up automatically. Come and visit China and try to drive a car here, you will understand the mentality.

Cheers, Renaat.

Bob Marley Posted at 2015-4-25 05:32
I'l buy ur tb48's

I'm sending my Inspire 1 back k to Amazon I have 2 TB48 with 7 flights each I will sell for $360 shipped.

ssteenberg@gmai Posted at 2015-4-25 10:43
I'm sending my Inspire 1 back k to Amazon I have 2 TB48 with 7 flights each I will sell for $360 s ...

Do u have a username on another website that allows us to talk privately, like RCG ?

Bob

OK I have been trying to avoid these threads but I am past the point of patience with DJI customer service. A term that I am pretty sure does not exist in their MO. DJI is all about marketing. You see them everywhere. I am happy with my inspires for the most part and think they out preform the solo and the P3 by leaps and bounds...Just look at Philip Blooms last entry shot with the P3, Jello all over it and noticeable movement from wind gusts... I have yet to see any footage from the solo that is not littered with Jello or stability issues. So for now I am sticking with the Inspire 1. Maybe in the future there will be something affordable that can compete but for now nothing else compares. Anyway back to DJI... As I said they are great at marketing. I am convinced the only reason they have this forum is to drive S.E.O. We are filling this forum up with key words and pointing web searches straight to DJI. What Renaat says speaks volumes. Customer service is just not in DJI's DNA. I don't see this changing anytime soon. The only way things will change is a big hit in the profits.  So keep SEO in mind when you are making these posts, use it against them to warn others about the hidden danger of dealing with DJI. Use searchable terms as your title. We were not warned against the ridiculous customer service issues surrounding DJI. The least we can do is alert any new prospects of the issues.  And to DJI, If you ever take the time to soak in what EVERYONE on this forum is saying and make the change we all seek, you will see a loyalty begin to grow. Maybe Phantom owners are not as demanding of CS but Inspire owners were sold a "professional" tool and we demand professional customer service.

Marktho1 Posted at 2015-4-25 11:14
OK I have been trying to avoid these threads but I am past the point of patience with DJI customer s ...

Holy sh*t. As someone learning about SEO I hadn't even thought about forum use for SEO dev! I use a blog to increase mine but damn that is amatuer hour compared to this forum!

Amen to everything said about DJI. All too true unfortunately, and the reason they won't be seeing my money (despite how amazing the Inspire 1 is).

Now to your comments about the Solo. The videos your reference I feel might be outdated. There are recent videos the show it flying fast, agile, and stable. The video from GoPro that you are referencing is also from the ipad itself, unless there is different footage taken straight from camera, which is showing the feed which is being run on beta software and in no way a final representation of the capabilities. Also keep in mind the conditions in which the solo has been flown and showing feed. The Verge video was taken on a very windy day as well as several others of it flying.

AirborneNinja Posted at 2015-4-25 11:24
Holy sh*t. As someone learning about SEO I hadn't even thought about forum use for SEO dev! I use  ...

I get it...but I am not convinced that the Solo will work for me. Maybe it will out preform the P3 maybe not... time will tell... we were sold a bill of goods with the inspire that were not delivered. lets see if Solo can deliver everything they are promising. I would put money on it that most of the touted features will be buggy or just not work. I could be wrong.. time will tell... Hopefully they will grow quickly and build a more professional platform. I would much rather put my dollars into an American company, but now is not the time for me.

That 'snake oil' salesman dude at NAB video was too slick for me...and the things that he was saying that bird could do...pretty cool...I'll believe it when I see it though...

This is a 3DR Solo Clip I haven't really seen anything new probably because they're saving all the footage for their next promo video for Best Buy and other retailers.

https://instagram.com/p/1vaj1_N5CG/?taken-by=ldphotolab

https://instagram.com/p/1tyKp8N5N-/?taken-by=ldphotolab

Marktho1 Posted at 2015-4-25 11:42
I get it...but I am not convinced that the Solo will work for me. Maybe it will out preform the P3 ...

The solo is def not meant for everyone and not all professionals will want it for sure. It has to overcome a lot of preconceived ideas about what a professional aerial platform is, and it's going to have to do this by performing as advertised and better. The inspire is a more capable platform out of the box, but it also costs almost twice as much (dual operator setup, extra batteries).

I built a shopping cart with the Solo w/gimbal, extra props, extra battery, backpack, gopro h4 black, extra gopro battery, and micro sd for  $2126 on B&H. Yes that is ~$1k more than the phantom 3 pro base price but look at all I got for that price. Also, the features that they mention will be available day 1 since they are already available and working on the pre-production models. No doubt there will be issues, but my bet is there will be less issues than the Inspire and far better customer support than DJI.

Not trying to start fights here on a DJI forum, just opinions and facts.

dbeck@promobox. Posted at 2015-4-25 11:48
That 'snake oil' salesman dude at NAB video was too slick for me...and the things that he was saying ...

He is pitching a product what do you want him to do? Have 0 personality?

DJI announced the Phantom 3 and those people had 0 personality and who was that douche with the popped collar doing the Singapore DJI Stream at the conference?

You'll believe it when you see it though?? I guess that's why 3DR Solo won Best Drone Video award at 2015 NAB. But don't worry you'll have your chance to play on the 3DR Flight Simulator demo display at Best Buy in May.

AirborneNinja Posted at 2015-4-25 11:51
The solo is def not meant for everyone and not all professionals will want it for sure. It has to  ...

I am excited to see what it has to offer. I have not ruled it out as a possibility for a more portable unit. I want to see some real world use from both platforms before making my next purchase. If you have ordered it, please report back here to let us know how it is working for you. Exciting times.

Marktho1 Posted at 2015-4-25 11:55
I am excited to see what it has to offer. I have not ruled it out as a possibility for a more port ...

I gotta say it is nice to deal with pleasant people on a forum. Nice to be able to carry on a discussion.

I will be reporting back here to let you all know how it goes when mine arrives. Still debating whether or not buying while overseas on a military base is a smart idea haha. Photography and video is allowed on the majority of the base and offbase trips are very common but still...

If I do get it though I will be flying everyday in the wide open areas of base and reporting back here.

AirborneNinja Posted at 2015-4-25 11:24
Also keep in mind the conditions in which the solo has been flown and showing feed.
The Verge video was taken on a very windy day as well as several others of it flying. ...

I fly my I1 in solid 20kts and don't think diddly shit about it, just grab my bird/radio and go.
My shots are stable b4 post no matter what the wind speed is, (just so you know).

Bob

I appreciate your comments.  You are right, DJI still has a lot to do.  I will say this, several years ago CS was nonexistent.  Since that time, we have opened the LA Service and Support Center that we are now busting at the seams of our 15,000 square foot warehouse.  We are not where we want to be but under our new US leadership, I am confident that we will get there.  Is 5 weeks acceptable for repairs, no.  If you think that we think they are you are mistaken.  Our Techs and CS agents take pride in their jobs.  My guess is that in the next year we will have doubled in size again.  I know my department will double during that period.  I have assisted users here and will continue to do so.  Can I respond to every post.  Not likely.  I make over 1000 posts monthly on this and other forums.  That is why I am bringing on additional staff, I cannot do this by myself and you deserve better.  We are trying and we are making progress.  

It is easy to say 3DR will provide superior customer service but they have not been tested.  With the Solo, it is my opinion that they will be.  It is the nature of the market that they are targeting. First time users that want a flying photographic platform, the same market that we are looking at for the P3.  These are not low maintenance customers.  I wish them well.  Competition is good for all of us.  I have in my past owned a 3DR FC.  It will be interesting to see how the open source and the user base coexist. If you need assistance please let me know.

Man, Sounds like a great time to get it if you already know it is the bird you want. Is there a way to check with the powers that be to see if there would be any issues bringing it on base?

AirborneNinja Posted at 2015-4-25 11:51
The solo is def not meant for everyone and not all professionals will want it for sure. It has to  ...

The solo is more professional because of the features it offers (Cable Cam is a slider in the sky)

Just because the Inspire looks fancy doesn't make it professional. The 4K footage is super compressed 8 bit H264 that's not good at all. And looks cheap. (I own an Inspire... It's an awesome tool dispite the BS (but when the time comes I'm switching over) What I care about are the features, good customer support, flying a BMC Micro, Saving $1,000, and being confident flying 2-3 times a week. That is a dreamy professional setup for me and can be compared to a RED Scarlet Yes.

If I'm using a Solo with a Blackmagic Micro 4K Version on a smooth gimbal it will be game over. 12 Bit Log,  Cinema DNG RAW, 4K ProRes for $2400-2600 w/accessories vs the $3800 I paid for my Inspire 1 w/accessories

If you do this for a living I hope you don't actually think the Inspire camera is good...

durrr Posted at 2015-4-25 12:07
The solo is more professional because of the features it offers (cable cam is a slider on air)

Jus ...

You are correct. there are serious issues with the camera on the inspire. the camera seems like an easy fix that will hopefully be addressed soon. The black magic footage may look great but how much useable footage will you be able to obtain when the bird is fighting wind. I hope it is good but have we seen any footage from the BMC attached to the solo? I have not. Will the added weight cause issues? can they make a gimbal that can adequately handle the BMC?  I don't know I have not looked into it yet... I would hope that DJI can get a new camera on the market before these questions are answered...

Bob Marley Posted at 2015-4-25 12:05
I fly my I1 in solid 20kts and don't think diddly shit about it, just grab my bird/radio and go.
M ...

Also a larger platform so of course the stability is going to be a little better. With that said, the Solo was used in the launch video and there is no noticeable jello in that video.

Also to note, several people that have witnessed the Solo flying are reporting that it's advertised 20min flight time is even longer.

Marktho1 Posted at 2015-4-25 12:15
You are correct. there are serious issues with the camera on the inspire. the camera seems like an ...

The BMC Micro 4K is 10oz add a 20mm prime maybe 1 pound or less. The Solo will be able to carry it np if the Phantom can.

Marktho1 Posted at 2015-4-25 12:06
Man, Sounds like a great time to get it if you already know it is the bird you want. Is there a way  ...

I am in the process of getting guidance on whether or not it is "allowed" there is no guidance on it specifically. Photography and video is allow on all parts but the "operations" side and that is even possible with quick filing of paperwork. just no guidance on the use of aerial platforms to obtain the video/photos.

I will probably buy it even if no clear guidance is given, my only fear is that if something happens (like a fly away...uhemmm DJI) then it could go somewhere it's not. That is less likely with the limited range of the Solo compared to the Inspire 1 though since the "bad" side of base is over 2 miles away from where I would be flying.

AirborneNinja Posted at 2015-4-25 12:15
Also a larger platform so of course the stability is going to be a little better. With that said,  ...

If you came here to Fanboy the Solo on us, (and that's what it sounds like you're doing), Give it Up!

The people that know how to use the Inspire properly realize that it's the best solution rt now for professional work.

One guys says hes sees jello, you say it way windy.
I say the I1 doesn't give a shit, you say cause it's bigger.

I see where this is going, u ending back on the Solo thread -

Bob

durrr Posted at 2015-4-25 12:21
The BMC Micro 4K is 10oz add a 20mm prime maybe 1 pound or less. The Solo will be able to carry it  ...

Yea I don't doubt that it can handle the payload...Just pondering the possible issues of a mod.... I am in no way a drone expert and welcome discussion... I have to admit I have not had a chance to look into the new BMC... looks interesting. I'll have to look it up.

durrr Posted at 2015-4-25 12:07
The solo is more professional because of the features it offers (Cable Cam is a slider in the sky)
...

This is the setup I want to run as well for both personal and professional use! I totally agree with everything you said.

Since you seem to have way more technical knowledge, would you mind sharing how you would implement the BMMS 4K? Other than the gimbal having to be developed, how would you record (no internal recording cape) video? Would you use some sort of small recorder in the accessorie bay? transmitter onboard the Solo to a source on the ground?

Really want to know more an understand how to best implement the BMMSC 4K

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2015-4-25 12:06
I appreciate your comments.  You are right, DJI still has a lot to do.  I will say this, several yea ...

Hey Tahoe_Ed

If DJI had Groundstation working for the Inspire 1 and the support was good these threads wouldn't exist. I own a Inspire 1 and a DJI Ronin as you can see I support the brand. It's cool you agree on some of the negatives. Without the complaints things wouldn't get done.