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Kollaborate 1.0.2 released with Folder Sharing, Receipts, Comment Streams and more

We've just released a major new 1.0.2 update to Kollaborate and Kollaborate Server. This incorporates some great new features and takes into account many of the requests we've received from users.

Folder Sharing

You can now share an entire folder with people outside of the project instead of needing a link for each individual file. Passwords are no longer needed and you can also choose whether or not to allow comments.

Receipts

Sign up to be alerted when a particular user views a particular file. You'll receive an email and Dashboard alert the first time they view it but not for subsequent views.

Comment Streams

Comment Streams are a powerful new feature that allow you to take notes on a file without needing to upload it. This is useful for situations where you want to have a collaborative note-taking session with other people but it is impractical to upload a file to Kollaborate (e.g. if it's a live broadcast).

This feature is primarily designed for Cut Notes users. Cut Notes 2.1 can create comment streams directly within the app and will show a banner alert when another user creates a note on the same file.

Unviewed files

Kollaborate will now highlight unviewed files with a blue dot next to them, allowing you to easily keep track of files in your project.

The full list of changes is as follows:

  • Folder Links - Share an entire folder with multiple people
  • Receipts - Be alerted when a particular user views a file
  • Comment Streams - Collaborate with others on a note-taking session without needing to upload a file
  • Kollaborate now shows a blue dot next to files you haven't viewed
  • Link sharing has been moved to the Actions menu on the player page
  • Link recipients will no longer be asked for a password
  • Admins can now assign passwords for users
  • Kollaborate Server updates are shown on the Tools page of the Admin console
  • Added a troubleshooter that will highlight configuration issues to the Tools page of the Admin console
  • Support for Cut Notes app storage
  • Custom Dashboard alerts can now be deleted
  • Uploading a file now alerts everyone on the project every time (as opposed to being filtered if too many occur in a certain timeframe)
  • Fixed an issue where files could not be batch-deleted in the App Storage section
  • Fixed an issue where inter-department file move alerts could be erroneously sent
  • Various UI tweaks

Kollaborate is a cloud workflow system for video professionals, allowing you to share files and work with colleagues in-house or in the cloud. To find out more, view the features page or sign up for the free 15-day trial.

Posted by Jon Chappell on Aug 20 2013 to Kollaborate, DR News, Front Page News
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Kollaborate Server 1.0.1 released - Post Haste integration, team privacy and more

In conjunction with our earlier Post Haste 2.5 launch, we also released Kollaborate Server 1.0.1. Kollaborate Server is our workflow platform that companies can run in-house, but the same changes have also been made to the cloud version of Kollaborate too.

Post Haste unique project ID support


Kollaborate Server can now maintain a database of project IDs and prevent Post Haste users from creating duplicate projects.

Team privacy


You can now specify privacy options when creating a project that limit what non-admins are able to see. You can choose to show all users in the project on the Team page, just users in the same department or no other people. You can also prevent email addresses and phone numbers from being visible. These features do not affect admins, who can always see everything.

UI Improvements


We've made various UI tweaks and improvements to the site including new icons, overhauled download pages and overhauled notification emails.

Other changes

  • Added view and download counts
  • Users no longer need to enter a password if link comments are disabled
  • My Files link added to user dropdown
  • Auto-pause option removed if it's a video or audio file
  • Kollaborate Server: Several bug fixes that could cause failed uploads or downloads in certain instances

Kollaborate is a cloud workflow platform for video professionals that tightly integrates and extends Digital Rebellion applications. To find out more, view the features page or sign up for the free trial.

Kollaborate Server is a version of Kollaborate you can run in-house on your own servers and storage. To install the newest update, login and visit the Kollaborate Server page. We've also now got an RSS feed you can subscribe to for notification of future updates.

Posted by Jon Chappell on Jul 22 2013 to Front Page News, DR News, Kollaborate
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Kollaborate Server released, also double storage for cloud users

We're pleased to announce the launch of Kollaborate Server, a version of our Kollaborate cloud workflow system that businesses can run in-house on their own servers and storage.

This allows businesses to store large quantities of data without being subject to storage limitations and be in charge of the security of their data.

Kollaborate Server has all of the features of the cloud version and will even work with our Kollaborate-optimized apps such as Kollaborate Transfer, Cut Notes and CinePlay. You can get these apps to work with Kollaborate Server by pointing them to the URL of the server in their preferences dialog / settings bundles.

We have three packages available, designed for various-sized businesses, or you can opt for the Unlimited edition which has no user limitations. To purchase you'll need a free Kollaborate account which you can sign up for here.

We've tried to make the installation process as painless as possible with installation scripts and detailed instructions, but we still recommend it is installed and hardened by someone experienced with web server administration. Kollaborate Server is designed for businesses so users with lower storage and user requirements should opt for the cloud version.

We've also streamlined our package offerings for cloud users. We are no longer offering cloud packages for large businesses and recommend Kollaborate Server instead for those users. This has freed us up to double storage space for freelancers and small businesses on the cloud version and lower the price of storage add-ons.

We're excited to reach this much-requested milestone for Kollaborate and we have lots of great features coming soon. To find out more about Kollaborate, both as a cloud service and local server, visit kollaborate.tv.

Posted by Jon Chappell on Jul 2 2013 to Kollaborate, DR News, Front Page News
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Kollaborate now out of beta

We're pleased to announce that Kollaborate is now out of beta.

Kollaborate is a cloud workflow platform for video professionals that offers file review and approval, task management and tight integration with Digital Rebellion products.

The response from our customers has been very positive and we're glad to reach this milestone. Here's a summary of some of the changes in version 1.0.

App Storage

We've laid the foundations for cloud projects and preferences across our product range and will be updating our apps to take advantage of this soon.

New Messages and Team interfaces

We've overhauled Messages to be cleaner and easier to use. We've also overhauled the process of adding a new team member to the Team page so it's quicker and simpler.

New billing system

We now have a new billing system that gives customers much greater control over their account, particularly when it comes to ramping up storage and users on a temporary basis. Customers on our existing billing system do not need to do anything - you can keep using it without interruption, but if you want to make changes to your account let us know and we'll transition you over to the new system.

Kollaborate Transfer

Kollaborate Transfer is also out of beta today and allows you to quickly and easily upload files to Kollaborate.

New in this release is the ability to automatically retry a failed upload. It will also remember the last settings used when adding a new file to save time, as well as displaying Growl / Notification Center alerts when files successfully upload.

What's next?

Very soon we will be releasing Kollaborate Server to let you run Kollaborate in-house on your own hardware, as well as adding Kollaborate integration to more of our apps. We've built a solid foundation that allows us to do a lot of exciting things and we can't wait to release what we've been working on.

To find out more about Kollaborate, check out the overview video on the homepage, view the feature list or sign up for the free trial.

Posted by Jon Chappell on Jun 25 2013 to Kollaborate, DR News, Front Page News
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Major Kollaborate update - Relationships, comment replies and more

We've just released a major update to our Kollaborate cloud workflow platform.

Relationships


The Relationship Editor allows you to specify the relationship between two files. For example, you might upload a playable H.264 copy of a movie but also include a high-resolution ProRes version of the same clip for the recipient to work on. To help the other person find the file and know that it is a higher resolution copy of the same movie, you could enter the Relationship Editor for the H.264 file, browse for the ProRes copy and set the relationship as "Higher quality version". (All relationships are two-way so you can do it the opposite way around too.)

There are a wide range of relationship statuses including "Alternate version", "Foreign language version", "With text" / "Without text", "Temp audio" / "Final audio", etc. This is a very powerful feature that allows users to assign context to their files and also will allow Kollaborate in future to automatically deliver the most appropriate file to the user depending on the situation.

Comment replies


You can now reply to a comment. This was a much-requested feature we're glad to deliver.

Task indicators


Tasks are now color-coded depending on their status. Pending tasks appear red, in-progress tasks appear orange and completed tasks appear green.

Task indicators now appear in the comments view to allow you to see the tasks connected to a comment. The indicators are color-coded, allowing you to easily see which notes still need to be addressed. Note: existing tasks will not show up in the list; this only applies to tasks created from now on.

Cut Notes sync overhaul


We've overhauled Cut Notes sync and provided live comment support. Read more about that here.

Kollaborate Transfer


There's a new update to Kollaborate Transfer too. This allows you to automatically email links to a list of users upon successful upload and also now optimizes images for compatibility with the site. Other changes include more descriptive error messages and the ability to double-click a completed file to launch it in your web browser.

Other changes


Other small changes include:

  • Users will receive a notification when someone moves a file they previously couldn't access into their department
  • Users can be imported from existing projects when creating a new one
  • Comments can be disabled when sending out links
  • Project owners can now receive alerts without needing to be part of the team

Kollaborate is an advanced cloud workflow tool that integrates well with existing Digital Rebellion products. To find out more, try the free 15-day trial.

Posted by Jon Chappell on May 28 2013 to DR News, Front Page News, Kollaborate
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CinePlay 1.1.2 released with Kollaborate live comments

We've just released CinePlay 1.1.2, a minor update for our professional iOS video player.

The iPad version of CinePlay now supports live comments in Kollaborate, meaning that comments on the same video from other people instantly show up as markers on your timeline, and any markers you create in CinePlay will appear instantly for other people using CinePlay or viewing the video in their web browser.

This feature had already been rolled out for users of the web version of the site and will be coming to Cut Notes users in the next update.

We've also made several other changes to the app which will result in improved performance on slower devices and fixed a couple of UI glitches on the iPhone. The full changelog is here.

CinePlay is an essential tool for dailies review and client feedback, especially when coupled with our Kollaborate cloud workflow solution. To find out more, view the feature list, read the user manual or watch the overview video.

Posted by Jon Chappell on May 20 2013 to Front Page News, DR News, Kollaborate
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Testers needed for Kollaborate Server

One thing we heard loud and clear at NAB this year was the desire for a local version of Kollaborate that companies could run on their in-house servers and storage, so immediately after the show we bumped Kollaborate Server up the priority list. The software is now nearing completion and we are looking for companies to help test it.

Kollaborate is our cloud workflow platform that allows you to share files, gather feedback and manage your team in the cloud. It also integrates tightly with Digital Rebellion apps like Cut Notes, CinePlay and Post Haste, with the eventual plan being to tie it in with every app we make. You can find out more about the feature set at www.kollaborate.tv.

Kollaborate Server is aimed at businesses so we're looking for companies willing to test the software locally within their facility. You will need a dedicated computer running Apache, MySQL and PHP on OS X or Linux. Setup should not be difficult for anyone familiar with setting up a webserver and detailed instructions will be provided.

If you're interested in taking part, please contact us with a little bit of information about your company including which operating system you'll be running it on and approximately how many users will be connecting to it.

Posted by Jon Chappell on May 8 2013 to Front Page News, DR News, Kollaborate
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Kollaborate updated with custom permission controls

We've just released another major update to our cloud workflow platform Kollaborate with some much-requested features.

Custom user permissions

You now have more control over the individual actions of users in the project. You can override the permissions set by the user's department position to assign or deny admin status, and can control whether the user can upload, view or delete files.

Custom file permissions

As well as department-level sandboxing, you can now set permissions on a file-by-file basis. You can approve or deny access to individuals, departments or everyone. You can combine permissions to deny access to everyone except certain people, or deny access to a department except for certain people in that department.

Kollaborate continues to advance at a rapid pace (we make daily updates) and we're about 75% through our list of tasks to complete before the beta status can be removed. We are working on integrating the cloud with all of our applications (we currently support Cut Notes, CinePlay and Post Haste) and are actively working on a local server edition that will be released in a few weeks.

There are many digital asset management and workflow tools nowadays but we've taken a different path and roadmap to everyone else and the response so far has been extremely positive. Try it out today at kollaborate.tv.

Posted by Jon Chappell on May 2 2013 to DR News, Front Page News, Kollaborate
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Major Kollaborate update plus Cut Notes 2.0.1 and CinePlay 1.1.1

Today we released a major update to our Kollaborate cloud workflow tool. As well as bug fixes and tweaks, we also introduced some important new features and changes.

Aliases


Aliases are shortcuts to a file, much like symbolic links in OS X. Aliases are a useful tool in managing user permissions because they behave like self-contained files, allowing you to to separate comments and other metadata between departments.

For example, an editor uploads a new cut to the Post Production department. The producer views the cut and gives his/her notes. The editor then wishes to give the client access to the file but without them seeing the producer's notes, so he creates an alias to the file, moves it to the Clients department and the client makes their notes effectively in a sandbox away from everyone else.

To add an alias, click the arrow at the right of a file and choose Create Alias, then click the arrow next to the new file, click Move and choose the department or folder.

Sharing overhaul


We've overhauled the Sharing pane to make it easier to share links with people who are not directly part of the project.

You can now email the link to people directly from the web interface and they can leave comments on the file without needing to be part of the project.

Storage statistics


Clicking the colored storage indicator in the bottom right corner now takes you to the Storage page, allowing you to see exactly how much space you're using and what the largest files in each project are.

Misc


Other minor changes include frame-by-frame navigation in the player using the left/right arrow keys, the ability to create a task from any comment, the ability to export all tasks as a calendar, UI tweaks and much more.

Apps


Kollaborate Transfer, our batch encoding and uploading tool, has been updated to allow uploads to private storage areas, folders and departments, among other changes and tweaks.

CinePlay has been updated to 1.1.1 to allow video playback from private storage areas and departments. We've also improved compatibility with iOS 5.

Cut Notes has been updated to 2.0.1 to allow note taking from video files stored in departments or subfolders, alongside various Kollaborate sync improvements. We've also made it so that it will stay in manual note-taking mode until you specifically exit it, as well as making the Export dialog clearer for new users.

These are just a few features on our ambitious Kollaborate roadmap. To find out more, visit www.kollaborate.tv and sign up for the free trial.

Posted by Jon Chappell on Apr 22 2013 to Kollaborate, Front Page News, DR News
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NAB 2013 Roundup

Another NAB has been and gone, however this year was different because it was our first year as exhibitors (or indeed my first year even attending a trade show).

We had a great show, our booth traffic exceeded expectations and Kollaborate was very popular, in particular the Cut Notes sync and integration.

If you didn't make it down to NAB, you can download the product brochure we were handing out here (note: it's big).

Cut Notes sync with Kollaborate is very tight and tricky to show off in a video, however FCP.co and FreshDV did a good job of showing it off in the following videos:

Now that NAB is over we'll be back to our regular schedule so expect the usual quantity of blog posts and software updates soon.

Posted by Jon Chappell on Apr 15 2013 to DR News, Front Page News, Kollaborate
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