Hi DJI:

I just want to point out;  although the Phantom 4 is low priced enough that hobbiests are part of your customer base, you have also created a product that professionals (such as myself) are using for our livelihood.  To be more direct, I use your products for my work, and I depend on that work to pay my bills, feed my kids, and continue to push my career forward.  

I've been in the video production and photography business for more than 35 years.  If you want to see my website (for the sake of some form of credibility about the opinions I am voicing, www.talkingboxdmg.com)

I respect the engineering team at DJI, and I respect the moderators in this forum.  I also respect that DJI continues to have growing pains.  But those growing pains are being passed along all-too-often to your clients.

I am a Part 107 certified remote pilot, I have won a first place Telly Award for Aerial Cinematography, and I depend on my equipment to work in order to generate income.  

I  know that with any complicated platform like a drone, there is always a potential for software issues to be introduced. But in the year that I have been using DJI products, there have been way, way, way, way too many showstopper issues with software/firmware updates from DJI.

I am asking you to PLEASE respect the fact that you are selling products which are being used professionally.  Show that respect with a better Beta program, show that respect with more thorough consideration of the pace at which you are innovating (to keep bugs and issues to a minimum),  show that respect with better communication to those of us which you have burdened with buggy software, and please show respect by not restricting professional users with a one-size-fits-all sledge-hammer enforcement of NFZ's.

If a computer manufacturer releases a software update that has a bug, the computer might crash or act erratically.  A nuisance for sure.  If DJI releases software with a bug, we have a potential liability because our product is in the air and can cause harm.  You REALLY need to set the gold standard with your pre-release testing.  You have no room for error because your errors could cause damage, lawsuits, and immense problems for those of us who depend on you.  

As I mentioned above, I respect DJI (greatly).  But this respect needs to go both ways.  You need to respect US (your customers) enough to do whatever is needed to release software that will not ground your user base (or potentially cause harm).  The professionals in this forum are a vocal group, and being professionals, our voices are heard outside of these forums.  In the past year I have read too many negative articles about DJI in the industry websites I frequent and I'm concerned for DJI. It really does feel like some restructuring needs to occur so that DJI can meet the demands of your growing global audience.  Your competitors are no longer that far behind you, and all the new cool bells and whistles that you are jamming in don't mean much if your clients can no longer fly safely because of buggy software/firmware.
Matts two-cents... in an effort to help.

Nail it hard onto the right spot...
Hope they really consider ...make the changes release the freedom

Well stated!

Totally AGREE!!

Fully agree!

Nearly the same as my Thread over in the Inspire Section.
https://forum.dji.com/thread-107908-1-1.html

Kudos to Matt for a sensible, educated and well-mannered post.  For what it's worth, and even with the limitation of being just a hobbyist, I totally agree with what you say, Matt!

Thanks guys!  I'm glad my comments are being taken with the same sentiment as written.  I'm not trying to insult DJI, just trying to help them understand that the issues we are seeing have a real impact on those of us who depend on their products to make a living.  Although not as crucial (to paying the bills) for Hobbyists, it still isn't right that so many issues are being introduced via bugs.  These things are expensive.

I'm in support of DJI, but I think they really need to understand (all the way up the corporate ladder) that there are humans, not just drones, being affected by these issues.

Well reasoned, and importantly - put across.

Sometimes, just sometimes the less verbally aggressive an arguement is made - the harder it hits home.

Good post Mabou.

I wrote a similarly themed, although admittedly much shorter and stronger, themed message after the last firmware debacle which I think scared off even frustrated forum firmware upgraders as I questioned whether or not the app and firmware were even tested before release. Although I totally agree with the sentiment of your post and applaud your delivery. From my view it doesn't matter what the use. As a consumer, commercial or recreational (of which I am both), if someone just spent $XXXX and invested time and energy into buying a DJI product, there is an expectation in return. I did not sign up to be an Alpha Tester. I did not sign up to have a product with a level of functionality when I bought it reduced functionality a couple weeks later or not working at all. I expected a level of support if needed and the hope that it would not be needed at all and not ridiculed because something forced upon me caused countless hours of my time to get back to even a modest level of being able to use what I spent my hard earned money on.

Yes, DJI needs to consider that many earn a living with their product. They also need to give more consideration that recreational users deserve the same level of support. It's gotten to where everytime I go out I'm not sure what to expect or what surprise I will be presented with when I fire it up and go to fly. It could be loss of income, or a lost sunset. Cheers

Well sayed.  Just one thing:  There are more people effected than US-peopel. There are much more countrys than USA- with clients who are groundet by DJI and tyred by not-authorised ruling of the world wide airspace.  The negative talking about this things are - unfourtunatly- impressive . Yes, if not DJI is changing some structurs, may client will change.  Its not alone the faulty firmware-, the trust runs out.  Sitting there and doing nothing is not enough. At least there should be a official warning to update this firmware on the first side of this forum and of the webside.  Just imagine Volkswagen would still sell his cars with faulty software without warning...  
SO dear, lovely DJI...... please stopp this firmware and reverse it!    Or buy back the drones.

Simple request for DJI... really simple.  It will make us all so happy, and you will see quite a bit of patience from us, and a lot less DJI bashing in these forums...

What is the simple request?  Here goes...

DJI: Please give us an official statement as to what you are doing to address our concerns.  Then give us an estimated due date for a software/firmware fix.  We won't hate you if the estimated date slips a little, but it is making us crazy that you are not officially acknowledging the issues and letting us know that there is work in progress to fix this mess.

FYI: The latest update of the Litchi app is really good.  It has many of the automation features that DJIGO4 contains, and there are no video transmission or connection problems.  No overheating of the mobile device either.  Very good alternative for those of us who are having issues with DJIGO4.

Mabou2 Posted at 2017-8-15 08:50
FYI: The latest update of the Litchi app is really good.  It has many of the automation features that DJIGO4 contains, and there are no video transmission or connection problems.  No overheating of the mobile device either.  Very good alternative for those of us who are having issues with DJIGO4.

Is the mobile device Mac or Android, in your case?  You make an interesting observation about the alternative software to DJI Go4.   ( In my case - Android 7 Nougat with older soft/firmware and few problems)

Mabou2 Posted at 2017-8-11 22:03
Simple request for DJI... really simple.  It will make us all so happy, and you will see quite a bit of patience from us, and a lot less DJI bashing in these forums...

What is the simple request?  Here goes...

I totally agree, just respond with a meaningful answer / statement.

Great post!

Blériot53 Posted at 2017-8-23 11:30
Is the mobile device Mac or Android, in your case?  You make an interesting observation about the alternative software to DJI Go4.   ( In my case - Android 7 Nougat with older soft/firmware and few problems)

Hi Blériot,   I use a iPad Mini 2.

Mabou2 Posted at 2017-8-11 09:31
Thanks guys!  I'm glad my comments are being taken with the same sentiment as written.  I'm not trying to insult DJI, just trying to help them understand that the issues we are seeing have a real impact on those of us who depend on their products to make a living.  Although not as crucial (to paying the bills) for Hobbyists, it still isn't right that so many issues are being introduced via bugs.  These things are expensive.

I'm in support of DJI, but I think they really need to understand (all the way up the corporate ladder) that there are humans, not just drones, being affected by these issues.

It's so sad even months after your kind, well-written call to DJI, to see nothing has changed.

Still, we just see, did you try to restart, reset, reflash and pleaser take a picture, shoot a movie to document your issue, even those issues are more than 4 months old, well reported and documented so many times.

It is nice to see that apparently people with gimbal and recording issues might be close to have their problems solved but for the unstable behavior and range problems no light in sight.

EXACTLY!!!

AMEN to that!

Mabou2, nice website! Good work, very good. Keep it up

I completely agree. My P4 is two months stopped and I need it to do my jobs. I had to rent a P3 to keep my schedule and custumers. So my work is almost free because of it.

Admittedly, I’m a bit shocked that DJI hasn’t fixed these problems yet.

Too bad it is hard to work with the ever present urge to make (more) profit.
(at least so it seems from the outside)