The future of GoPro

cappelmans
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463
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Eindhoven, NL
1/9/2018 4:50pm
WhiteTaco wrote:
At least when they televise GoPro video the quality is good. Remember the nationals last year with the Garmin? I was embarrassed for Garmin.
At least when they televise GoPro video the quality is good. Remember the nationals last year with the Garmin? I was embarrassed for Garmin.
I thought that was next level what Garmin did. They showed a very good 360 quality cam before GoPro at that time
blaney372
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CA
1/9/2018 5:03pm
roninho wrote:
I wonder what the future for action cams is in mx. In the nerherlands we are not allowed to use a helmet cam on any track...
I wonder what the future for action cams is in mx.

In the nerherlands we are not allowed to use a helmet cam on any track since start of 2017.
Why aren't you allowed to use them? That's super interesting.
endurox
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Garden City, ID, USA
1/9/2018 5:10pm
Acidreamer wrote:
How is gopro failing? Their cameras are literally the #1 and most selling action cameras... got some idiots running that ship obviously
Tesla is a failing company too. You’d never know it though...
RandyS wrote:
Tesla isn't failing, they figured out how to make their product more affordable by having the government help people buy. We're the ones that are failing.
Tesla promised a few years ago that production of their 35k car would be 5000 a week. The last 2 quarters less than 2000 were produced. Major management issues there also.
Tonynz
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NZ
1/9/2018 5:17pm
roninho wrote:
I wonder what the future for action cams is in mx. In the nerherlands we are not allowed to use a helmet cam on any track...
I wonder what the future for action cams is in mx.

In the nerherlands we are not allowed to use a helmet cam on any track since start of 2017.
blaney372 wrote:
Why aren't you allowed to use them? That's super interesting.
NZ the same can’t have them on our helmets.

The Shop

WhiteTaco
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Wake Forest, NC, USA
1/9/2018 5:49pm
WhiteTaco wrote:
At least when they televise GoPro video the quality is good. Remember the nationals last year with the Garmin? I was embarrassed for Garmin.
At least when they televise GoPro video the quality is good. Remember the nationals last year with the Garmin? I was embarrassed for Garmin.
cappelmans wrote:
I thought that was next level what Garmin did. They showed a very good 360 quality cam before GoPro at that time
The 360 view was innovative but the live video that was broadcast was blurry and super fish-eyed.
MX558
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USA
1/9/2018 5:55pm
I had one of the originals and it kinda sucked so I never bought another . I know they improved a ton but no way I fork out 500 to be bored with it in 2 months so I bought a Chinese knock off for 50 bucks after seeing a sample on FB . It came with all the options and accessories plus the picture quality is pretty good . Best of all if I crash and break it ,who cares.
Thelen20
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Marshall, TX, USA
1/9/2018 6:01pm
WhiteTaco wrote:
At least when they televise GoPro video the quality is good. Remember the nationals last year with the Garmin? I was embarrassed for Garmin.
At least when they televise GoPro video the quality is good. Remember the nationals last year with the Garmin? I was embarrassed for Garmin.
This! GoPro still looks better than anything else I have seen. That 360 cam that Chad Reed gave it a go with was sooooo horrible.

And ya, I'm still using my hero 2, it's still fully functional after all these years and it does everything I need it to do. I use it for moto with my buddies a bunch.

I hope they figure it out and bounce back
1/9/2018 6:21pm
Acidreamer wrote:
How is gopro failing? Their cameras are literally the #1 and most selling action cameras... got some idiots running that ship obviously
Tesla is a failing company too. You’d never know it though...
RandyS wrote:
Tesla isn't failing, they figured out how to make their product more affordable by having the government help people buy. We're the ones that are failing.
Tesla is failing... they have yet to turn a profit and it’s not in the near future projections... the only thing keeping them open is govt...
JM485
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Davis, CA, USA
1/9/2018 6:29pm
mauidex wrote:
Then they’ve had a pretty piss poor campaign to actually convey that to the masses that purchased the prior versions. Never once anywhere did I see...
Then they’ve had a pretty piss poor campaign to actually convey that to the masses that purchased the prior versions. Never once anywhere did I see anything remotely addressing performance and video quality. But hey what do I know just a consumer.
Have you been actively considering a new camera, because if so you must be living under a rock to not see they've made stellar improvements over the years. Hell, all you'd have to do is watch other people's YouTube videos to see huge improvements, I honestly don't know how you've never noticed anything. The session is perfect for MX, since it can be mounted under the visor and gives a more realistic viewpoint, and the smaller size was a big innovation. If you don't like Gopro for whatever reason, fine, but don't make things up just because you aren't up to date on what's going on. I honestly can't believe anyone thinks a hero two from six years ago is even remotely close to what's available now, and every single add campaign I've seen has addressed both performance and video quality.
rutsmash
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Phoenix, AZ, USA
1/9/2018 7:10pm
WhiteTaco wrote:
At least when they televise GoPro video the quality is good. Remember the nationals last year with the Garmin? I was embarrassed for Garmin.
At least when they televise GoPro video the quality is good. Remember the nationals last year with the Garmin? I was embarrassed for Garmin.
cappelmans wrote:
I thought that was next level what Garmin did. They showed a very good 360 quality cam before GoPro at that time
I could never watch Garmin on my PC, it was always buffering unless I put it on low quality. I have a new computer with good video and extremely fast Internet...doesn't matter. Maybe I'm not techy but never had an issue with watching high resolution GoPro.
zookie
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Guilford, CT, USA
1/9/2018 8:12pm
Tesla is failing... they have yet to turn a profit and it’s not in the near future projections... the only thing keeping them open is govt...
LOL. I guess you haven't seen their stock? That's what keeps them alive. The government doesn't give any more $$ to buyers of a Tesla than they do to buyers of any other all electric car.
mauidex
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Haiku, HI, USA
1/9/2018 8:12pm
JM485 wrote:
Have you been actively considering a new camera, because if so you must be living under a rock to not see they've made stellar improvements over...
Have you been actively considering a new camera, because if so you must be living under a rock to not see they've made stellar improvements over the years. Hell, all you'd have to do is watch other people's YouTube videos to see huge improvements, I honestly don't know how you've never noticed anything. The session is perfect for MX, since it can be mounted under the visor and gives a more realistic viewpoint, and the smaller size was a big innovation. If you don't like Gopro for whatever reason, fine, but don't make things up just because you aren't up to date on what's going on. I honestly can't believe anyone thinks a hero two from six years ago is even remotely close to what's available now, and every single add campaign I've seen has addressed both performance and video quality.
no haven't been actively looking so just casually see whats changed....guess I been under a rock or not paying enough attention. well somehow someway what ever they are doing isn't working or just haven't been able to convert the old guys to the new technology...........nothing against go pro..............made lots of money on the way up and glad I got out before the free-fallWink Wink
zookie
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Guilford, CT, USA
1/9/2018 8:20pm
GoPro has missed the boat big time in my opinion. No cameras with good optical image stabilization. No waterproof gimbal. No data overlay (speed, altitude, direction for action sports (or integration with data recording (RPM, speed, gear, G force for car guys). They didn't get into any other industries where their tech could have been huge (dash cams, security cameras, police body cameras, etc) before others did.

GoPro management has had their heads up their asses for years to not try something else in their space. The one thing they did try (Karma) was a massive investment in a space already dominated by DJI. Unlike a dash cam, security cam, etc...GoPro did not have the in-house expertise to produce an easy to fly Drone. Freaking expensive project to develop after you get the resources to make it happen and learn what needs to be learned to make something as easy to fly as a DJI.

I wish GoPro the best, but can't see this ending well. They have a convertible debt load due in 2022 that is approaching their cash in hand. Their cash in hand is going to continue to hemmorage itself as they struggle to survive. Not sure why any other company would want to buy them since EVERYONE else does what GoPro does now. The only reason would be to get a bargain price on the name brand and the aftermarket that relies on that name brand. Bet it goes chap 11 then the IP and name are sold to cover some portion of the convertible note due in 2022.
Beeby
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Chicago, IL, USA
1/9/2018 8:35pm
I have a hero 3, black edition (I think it’s called) and it’s great. It’s pretty much indestructible which is probably the issue. Make something that lasts and you don’t get enough repeat buyers. Sure, the newer models are probably lots better but the quality of the image from the one I have is so good I just don’t need another.

Kind of shot themselves in the foot making them so good!

I had one for racing and even then it felt like a fairly big investment but I used it each weekend. I went on a cruise a few years back and they were EVERYWHERE. Seemed people used them to make general video of their holiday, for in the water, for taking photos of tourist attractions and everything. So I’m really surprised the company is struggling unless these people all got home and found their footage sucked?!
gnarwhip
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Los Angeles, CA, USA
1/9/2018 8:37pm
Should never have gone public. They're competing with huge corporations. So dumb.
kzizok
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1/9/2018 9:16pm
blaney372 wrote:
Why aren't you allowed to use them? That's super interesting.
Torque
1/9/2018 10:39pm
IMO they kinda screwed the market up. From my point of view they spent big bucks on marketing but not much on R&D. They saturated the market and killed off a lot of other brands that were innovating.

Yes camera specs should get better, isn't that similar to Moore's law?

How about other things?
I want to be able to record for more than an hour without touching the damn thing.
I want to know if it is on or off without having my buddy stare at me looking for a flashing light.
How about a better form factor or safety gear integration?
How about optical image stabilization?
Integrated telemetry that is actually accurate...
Audio improvements?
Mostly automated video processing...

Come on meow. Think outside the rectangle.
ando
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Perth, AU
1/9/2018 11:32pm
mauidex wrote:
They lost sight of the original mission. Ride it out far too long with no real upgrades. If you bought a 2 very limited reasons to...
They lost sight of the original mission. Ride it out far too long with no real upgrades. If you bought a 2 very limited reasons to buy 3 or 4 or 5. Core market saturated. Needed smaller. Lighter. Etc. etc. a shame when you invent a category and blow it!!
JM485 wrote:
Dude, you are talking completely out your ass right now. The difference between a Hero 2 and Hero 4 session is massive. Specs don't tell the...
Dude, you are talking completely out your ass right now. The difference between a Hero 2 and Hero 4 session is massive. Specs don't tell the whole story, there's a lot more at work than simply the camera specs. Even going from my 4 session to my 5 session is a noticeable difference, you would have to be blind to not think that these cameras improve significantly over the generations.

I see the same regurgitated bs all the time about "lack of innovation". If people really think there is nothing going on year to year then they obviously haven't bought any cameras lately. I refuse to believe I'm some sort of camera reviewing prodigy, so if I can see a huge difference in image quality and realistic picture (ie not flattened out of slow looking), then anyone who is actually buying cameras would as well.
I think you're missing the point. All the specs in the world don't matter if there isn't a compelling case to upgrade. For a lot of people, 1080p at 25 or 30fps is good enough. Is 4K and 60/120 better? Definitely, but if I'm satisfied with what I've got I'm not going to upgrade.

Cameras in general are going through the same problem at the moment. Part of the reason camera sales (DSLR's) have tanked is the "last camera" syndrome i.e. many people believe they already have a good camera that will last them for the foreseeable future. Iterations with slight increase in image quality and features are just not a good enough reason to lose money on selling what they have and buy the lastest model.

Hifi audio equipment went through the same thing a few decades ago.
1/9/2018 11:47pm
Tesla is failing... they have yet to turn a profit and it’s not in the near future projections... the only thing keeping them open is govt...
zookie wrote:
LOL. I guess you haven't seen their stock? That's what keeps them alive. The government doesn't give any more $$ to buyers of a Tesla than...
LOL. I guess you haven't seen their stock? That's what keeps them alive. The government doesn't give any more $$ to buyers of a Tesla than they do to buyers of any other all electric car.
I think you should do some DD on Tesla. I wouldn't touch it with a stranger's dollar. Sounds like you're falling for the hype. Tesla stock price is purely hype. Numbers don't lie.
nascarnate326
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3008
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Charlotte, MI, USA
1/10/2018 3:11am
mauidex wrote:
They lost sight of the original mission. Ride it out far too long with no real upgrades. If you bought a 2 very limited reasons to...
They lost sight of the original mission. Ride it out far too long with no real upgrades. If you bought a 2 very limited reasons to buy 3 or 4 or 5. Core market saturated. Needed smaller. Lighter. Etc. etc. a shame when you invent a category and blow it!!
JM485 wrote:
Dude, you are talking completely out your ass right now. The difference between a Hero 2 and Hero 4 session is massive. Specs don't tell the...
Dude, you are talking completely out your ass right now. The difference between a Hero 2 and Hero 4 session is massive. Specs don't tell the whole story, there's a lot more at work than simply the camera specs. Even going from my 4 session to my 5 session is a noticeable difference, you would have to be blind to not think that these cameras improve significantly over the generations.

I see the same regurgitated bs all the time about "lack of innovation". If people really think there is nothing going on year to year then they obviously haven't bought any cameras lately. I refuse to believe I'm some sort of camera reviewing prodigy, so if I can see a huge difference in image quality and realistic picture (ie not flattened out of slow looking), then anyone who is actually buying cameras would as well.
ando wrote:
I think you're missing the point. All the specs in the world don't matter if there isn't a compelling case to upgrade. For a lot of...
I think you're missing the point. All the specs in the world don't matter if there isn't a compelling case to upgrade. For a lot of people, 1080p at 25 or 30fps is good enough. Is 4K and 60/120 better? Definitely, but if I'm satisfied with what I've got I'm not going to upgrade.

Cameras in general are going through the same problem at the moment. Part of the reason camera sales (DSLR's) have tanked is the "last camera" syndrome i.e. many people believe they already have a good camera that will last them for the foreseeable future. Iterations with slight increase in image quality and features are just not a good enough reason to lose money on selling what they have and buy the lastest model.

Hifi audio equipment went through the same thing a few decades ago.
Your on point. I have a GP Hero 5 Black and never record in 4k. Most of my recording is done in 720p 60fps because my internet connection can't upload 4k 60fps.

One of the biggest problems is that the upload to online storage (youtube) doesn't retain quality for some people. My videos look great on my 5k iMac but look like trash on youtube. Then to further compound the issue, the gauges can only be used in the quik software and not go pro studio. So if I want gauges I get shitty quality online and if I want high quality then I don't get gauges unless you use quick to re-encode the video with gauges then import to go pro studio for youtube codec conversion. Basically a cool feature that really appeals to moto people..is just a cluster fuck to use for normal people. I can only imagine dropping a grand on a drone that falls out of the sky. They need to prefect their cameras and software before adding anything else.
jasonward73
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West Palm Beach, FL, USA
1/10/2018 3:14am
Tesla is failing... they have yet to turn a profit and it’s not in the near future projections... the only thing keeping them open is govt...
zookie wrote:
LOL. I guess you haven't seen their stock? That's what keeps them alive. The government doesn't give any more $$ to buyers of a Tesla than...
LOL. I guess you haven't seen their stock? That's what keeps them alive. The government doesn't give any more $$ to buyers of a Tesla than they do to buyers of any other all electric car.
I think you should do some DD on Tesla. I wouldn't touch it with a stranger's dollar. Sounds like you're falling for the hype. Tesla stock...
I think you should do some DD on Tesla. I wouldn't touch it with a stranger's dollar. Sounds like you're falling for the hype. Tesla stock price is purely hype. Numbers don't lie.
Tesla paid back all their govt loans ahead of time and with interest. Same can’t be said for GM and Chrysler. We literally bailed them out and other than keeping heir doors open “we” got nothing back.

And every electric car built is eligible for the same federal rebate. It’s not exclusive to Tesla. By a $35k Chevy Bolt and you get $7500 back.

Whether Tesla eventually succeeds or not is a topic to debate but they’re actually getting less subsidized than others in the industry.

I will add that all this “they’re not making money yet” talk was said about Amazon, Google, Facebook, Twitter, IG, etc... How many wish they bought stock 10yrs again for any of those companies???? Time will tell. Nothing is for sure.
1/10/2018 3:36am
I agree with a few others, those 360 videos shown by Reed and ones during the nationals were horrendous. People liked them because they were different and showed the odd cool angle, but it was so annoying to watch. I still think the GoPro footage that goes out is awesome to watch. I'm sad to see they're going badly down hill as a company.
1/10/2018 5:36am
Beeby wrote:
I have a hero 3, black edition (I think it’s called) and it’s great. It’s pretty much indestructible which is probably the issue. Make something that...
I have a hero 3, black edition (I think it’s called) and it’s great. It’s pretty much indestructible which is probably the issue. Make something that lasts and you don’t get enough repeat buyers. Sure, the newer models are probably lots better but the quality of the image from the one I have is so good I just don’t need another.

Kind of shot themselves in the foot making them so good!

I had one for racing and even then it felt like a fairly big investment but I used it each weekend. I went on a cruise a few years back and they were EVERYWHERE. Seemed people used them to make general video of their holiday, for in the water, for taking photos of tourist attractions and everything. So I’m really surprised the company is struggling unless these people all got home and found their footage sucked?!
I have a Hero 3+ Black also. For what I use it for and as often as I use it (not often), its great. If they would have had them back in my prime racing days ('02-'08) I'd have used it a heck of a lot more. I might only ride once or twice a month these days just for fun, and I don't put it on my helmet unless I'm in the mood. I took it on a Carnival cruise I went on last September and went snorkeling with it which was cool. The photo area on the last few cruises I've been on with them all have a GoPro display area so they must have some kind of partnership with them. But again, My 3+Black has been working fine since 2014 when I got it. With the uncertainty of where the company is heading I'm even more reluctant to upgrade to a Hero6 (which I'm sure is leaps and bounds better) even with the price drop.
m.hardesty16
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Odenton, MD, USA
1/10/2018 5:59am
I still think they make great cameras, I just think like I said before, a single model needs to come out every few years not every year. The camera still has amazing quality though.
AJ565
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San Antonio, TX, USA
1/10/2018 6:18am
I have a hero3 and I thought the video and sound were horrible for moto. I recently bought a Garmin Virb Ultra 30 and its amazing. 2.7k at 30 FPS with the stabilizer on. Its a 4k camera and it also has GPS to save telemetry. This is from a few weeks ago. Adjust the quality to the higher setting, I don't know why it starts in 720p.

Titan1
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Lehi, UT, USA
1/10/2018 7:38am
Maybe people just caught on that wearing a block on top of your head looks stupid?
sam hain
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USA
1/10/2018 7:43am
I noticed a couple weeks ago a guy somewhat local to me that works for GoPro is selling all his toys on Facebook classifieds. Seemed odd to me at the time, I guess this is why.
1/10/2018 7:49am
zookie wrote:
LOL. I guess you haven't seen their stock? That's what keeps them alive. The government doesn't give any more $$ to buyers of a Tesla than...
LOL. I guess you haven't seen their stock? That's what keeps them alive. The government doesn't give any more $$ to buyers of a Tesla than they do to buyers of any other all electric car.
I think you should do some DD on Tesla. I wouldn't touch it with a stranger's dollar. Sounds like you're falling for the hype. Tesla stock...
I think you should do some DD on Tesla. I wouldn't touch it with a stranger's dollar. Sounds like you're falling for the hype. Tesla stock price is purely hype. Numbers don't lie.
Tesla paid back all their govt loans ahead of time and with interest. Same can’t be said for GM and Chrysler. We literally bailed them out...
Tesla paid back all their govt loans ahead of time and with interest. Same can’t be said for GM and Chrysler. We literally bailed them out and other than keeping heir doors open “we” got nothing back.

And every electric car built is eligible for the same federal rebate. It’s not exclusive to Tesla. By a $35k Chevy Bolt and you get $7500 back.

Whether Tesla eventually succeeds or not is a topic to debate but they’re actually getting less subsidized than others in the industry.

I will add that all this “they’re not making money yet” talk was said about Amazon, Google, Facebook, Twitter, IG, etc... How many wish they bought stock 10yrs again for any of those companies???? Time will tell. Nothing is for sure.
Correct, though it appears the $7500 rebate may be expiring for Tesla.

As the Model 3 production lines catch up, that will make a huge difference. Being off by a year in production estimates isn't something that only Tesla has experienced.

Not mentioned is the revenue being created by solar (they bought SolarCity) and the batteries. In 2020 CA will require all new home to "create their own power", which is a fancy way of saying solar for all new homes. Many local municipalities already require it on new construction. Fast forward a few years and I expect storage (batteries) to be required too.

Full disclosure: I work for Tesla.
1/10/2018 8:15am
I thought there where patent issues with GoPro as well, allowing other camera makers to enter the market - and that is a bonus for us consumers.
Shawn142
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2602
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Burleson, TX, USA
1/10/2018 8:56am
Tesla paid back all their govt loans ahead of time and with interest. Same can’t be said for GM and Chrysler. We literally bailed them out...
Tesla paid back all their govt loans ahead of time and with interest. Same can’t be said for GM and Chrysler. We literally bailed them out and other than keeping heir doors open “we” got nothing back.

And every electric car built is eligible for the same federal rebate. It’s not exclusive to Tesla. By a $35k Chevy Bolt and you get $7500 back.

Whether Tesla eventually succeeds or not is a topic to debate but they’re actually getting less subsidized than others in the industry.

I will add that all this “they’re not making money yet” talk was said about Amazon, Google, Facebook, Twitter, IG, etc... How many wish they bought stock 10yrs again for any of those companies???? Time will tell. Nothing is for sure.
This is exactly what kicks my ass about people claiming the government sells Tesla's for Elon. The EV credit is available for EVERY automaker, and believe me they use it. So why is the hate directly squarely at Telsa for it? Other than the tax credit available to all car makers and the original bail-out loan that has already been repaid the government doesn't offer Telsa any special assistance.

The profit thing is also painfully true. Tesla is still in its infancy. Every dollar made is reinvested. While there have been big hiccups in production the cars are still in demand and every one made is already sold.

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