[bay1902]

Wel i've defended QMPlayer for some time - stating regularly that it was a great, free, alternative to Kalemsoft's. Well this morning I received notification in appworld to update the app- where the dev stated that previous versions would stop working & their own website had been hijacked.

Ok I thought, i'll update. Started the app to see what was new in this version to be confronted with a window stating that my trial had expired & I needed to buy a licence. WTF?

So went to their linked website to be presented with that price of $5.99 for the app. WTF2? Plus there was a note on their website telling users to try QMPlayer before they buy (which you can no longer do) as there would be no refunds offered. WTF3?

My decision...after all this time advocating QMPlayer I have no idea what the dev is on about, whether this is all connected to the 'hijack' (if this even happened or just a cover up to make the app pay for) I went off & purchased Kalemsoft. Yes i've moaned about the price being too high but i'm off on hols Friday & taking my trusty PB as evening entertainment for the family. I know i'll be taking a number of avi, xvid and mp4 files & just need a decent player.

So, QMPlayer - to the dev (if he reads this) I for one am truly, truly disappointed! If others have the app don't update - see if the app still works.

[xsacha]

I blame RIM's App World for allowing you to 'update' and lose your app when you had purchased or downloaded an earlier version. You should be able to keep that earlier version forever since it is always there on their server anyway.

QMPlayer is an open-source Qt app which anyone can compile for Playbook. The app desciption suggests it will always be free and I believe the charging must be related to that hijacking you spoke of. It's still listed as free for me on App World, but the latest version (v1.0.9.10) doesn't work.

Here is the last version that worked (v1.0.9.3): QMPlayer.bar

I can get every version ever made, so tell me if you wanted an even older one.

[SifJar]

The price increase does not seem to be related to the "hijacking", the help menu in QMPlayer has always said that the trial will expire on the 26th October for me (I assume this was related to when I installed it) and there has always been a button there to purchase a license, which has always taken me to a site where I could buy a license for $5.99.

EDIT: Also, because it's a "trial", you can't use it without being connected to the internet (it says this limitation will go away if you buy a license).

[bay1902]

@xsacha - thanks for this. For me its worked fine since i've had it - no trial, nothing. Just all of a sudden today I faced this, which was really weird. Never had to be connected to the net either.

But thanks - just slightly confused - I thought QMP was open source, which is why it was all slightly shocking. My only question - if their website was hijacked how could this all then get connected to appworld? I presume through their account, but then the description in appworld states that the update is required because of the hijacking. All just strrange - but thanks for the share!

[bay1902]

Update - sideloaded the bar file - when opening got a message stating that trial has expired, please purchase a permanent license for the software.

Got an earlier version - just to see if this works? If not then I guess its just dead on my PB

[bay1902]

Update - sideloaded the bar file - when opening got a message stating that trial has expired, please purchase a permanent license for the software.

Got an earlier version - just to see if this works? If not then I guess its just dead on my PB

[xsacha]

Oh sorry. You're right. The new versions of QMPlayer check a file 'data/userinfo.dat' for a licence. It checks the server (qmplayer.info) with your PIN.
This is probably the message you saw: http://www.qmplayer.info/cgi-bin/reg...ction=register

[bay1902]

that's the one. so is it a case that we're hosed with this then, unless we pay for an open source app we can no longer use? seems out of line imo to go from free to pay with no notification,etc.

[damianiw]

My qmplayer has always said it expires, rated it down for this reason - its misleading

Regards

Damian

[pacoman03]

It was never a free app, though nowhere in it's app world description does it say this. As SifJar pointed out to me in another thread and also noted above, if you open the help menu (the Question mark) and read the fine print, it says that it's a trial and gives you an expiration date. The question I have is if RIM is aware of this, since they are being cut out of the loop for what is ultimately a paid app. I haven't seen any other app payment scheme like this and it might violate RIM's TOS for app providers.

[SifJar]

I'm wondering how hard it would be to compile manually, seeing as it is an open source app? xsacha, how hard is it to compile Qt apps for PB? Do they require much modification before compiling?

[xsacha]

Generally they don't require any modification.

This app isn't 100% Qt though. It has other dependencies like samba that need to be compiled. The developer has also put some blackberry-specific customisations in there (though they aren't needed).

[bay1902]

must be the fact that i'm ageing then! When I downloaded never saw the small print about a trial, plus until today's update never had any notification about expiry, etc. - i've just kept using it & avoided paying for Kalemsoft. Be it there or not the manner of conduct by the dev, imo, just sucks a little. But thanks for pointing this out. I, personally, don't see how, with the universal mplayer project being free & open source how this can go to paid. Oh well, with this type of act i'm not gonna pay up for it!

[SifJar]

Generally they don't require any modification.

This app isn't 100% Qt though. It has other dependencies like samba that need to be compiled. The developer has also put some blackberry-specific customisations in there (though they aren't needed).

Interesting. I may have to look into this further...Although I'm sure I won't achieve much of note

EDIT: Are sources of playbook ports of the other dependencies (e.g. samba) available anywhere? Or would they have to be ported manually before it was possible to compile QMPlayer manually?

[xsacha]

EDIT: Are sources of playbook ports of the other dependencies (e.g. samba) available anywhere? Or would they have to be ported manually before it was possible to compile QMPlayer manually?

It is a requirement of the licence that their modifications be put up. Then you should be able to just 'compile' it. Although, I can't guarantee the developer has put the source up.