Using a New Encoder with Higher Bit rate, caused the Process to go from 2 hrs, to almost 24 hrs per card.
And the End result, was minimal with the New encoder, and Also Broke XP

I don't agree at all that the quality result of the new encoder was minimal.
A very big increasing of image quality and an amazing clarity of detalis is in my opinion clearly visible only in the two cards which were actually released in new 24Hz codec (Leyla 1208 and Lesya 480). In other "crystal clear+" new cards, not so much.
Unfortunately, such 24Hz animations are also quite clicky and therefore almost unwatchable for so many of us; so I too have to support the decision to revert to old encoder, anyway.

I wish they would hurry up and fix Leyla 1208. One of the clips is encoded corrected strangely enough (I believe clip #21) and she has a lot of potential. She could be 5 star quality.

Correction - I just downloaded a it again and BOOM its fixed now. Good job team!!!

@HansSachs - if @Wyldanimal is correct in his post about 9 to 10 hours ago regarding the filming, post processing and encoding steps then it is quite reasonable to believe that the increase in quality is mainly due to the improvements in the first two with little improvement coming from the encoding step.

Yes, it's reasonable, but I still see a quite noticeable difference.

How can you separate out the contribution that was due to the encoder ?

Still clips #6 and #10 are 24Hz.

I told I noticed a really better quality in the only two cards (e1208 and f480) which were released with 24Hz codec (and that have now been updated). So It's reasonable to think that also new codec gave an emprovement.
In any case, I agree with the decision to revert to old codec, so no problem...

Why do you think that the frame rate difference is due to a different codec rather than just using a different setting with the same codec ?

I a not saying you are wrong, I am just trying to understand.

I mentioned 24Hz rate just to identify the cards, but I am talking just about video quality.
I resume:

• e1280 and f480 used new codec
• other "crystal clear+" reverted to old codec (as Wyldnimal said)
• e1280 and f480 had a better visual quality than other crystal clear+
• I therefore think that new codec had a noticeable impact on visual quality

I have also noticed (to me) e1280 has a wider color palette than the other CC+ shows. They have a washed out effect to then and seem a little duller.

@HansSachs - Thanks for the explanation. I can't comment on the quality that I see as at the moment I am on a metered and capped connection so I can't download these shows yet to see for myself. I should be able to get them next week.

The two cards (e1280 and f480) have just been updated and reverted to old codec also, so you will not able to see the difference I am talking about, then...

Valeria's red in the card is nowhere close to the picture provided.

Lelya on the other hand is almost a replicate of the image quality of the picture.

Actually went back and looked at few of the cards released in the past few weeks. Paulina Soul cards could be a early trial run of CC+ without disclosing it. Its looks to of the same level Leyla card. The color reproduction is spot on and the clarity is prestine. Why these new cards nose dived in quality is good question.

Still clips #6 and #10 are 24Hz.

Yeah, I can confirm.

It is truly a great day.

1) I get to see Leyla Fiore on my screen.

2) I get to play crystal clear+ cards on my outdated version (1.2.1.32)

3) I get so much satisfaction and yes dammit, joy in seeing @Wyldanimal proven wrong. Especially by a D.C. like me.

With all reverted to old codec, new cards are working on old versions too.
So there has been a sort of mandatory update, which endly has been even proved to be unnecessary... I am not so happy about that, because, if knowing in advance, I don't think I would have updated the software; but, in any case, I am now going to keep the new version.

Instead of chaining them to the promise of catering to Windows XP users, I wish they heave-hoed XP and concentrated in the best possible quality and trusted that majority of users are able to enjoy that...

If they have the equipment and expertise to produce shows in much better quality than before, the fact that some obscure Windows XP users can't enjoy them, should be in the very bottom of their priorities list.

"Hey, I use Windows 3.1, please produce your shows so that I can enjoy them best with my 640x480 resolution!"

Really...

I even don't see the need with all the recent updates. All the Crystal Clear+ shows they produced, worked perfectly. I just updated several cards that had "Update"-sticker on them, and I really hope I didn't lose on quality just because of some XP users complaints. Better to check them out now.

@Dfner - you misunderstand.

Nobody is "chaining" Totem to supporting XP for an indefinate period. However, Totem on the very web page that offers users (whether they be new users of old users wanting to update) the latest version of iStripper there is an explicit statement that XP is supported - a download button being only 4 or 5 lines away from this statement. Totem can not make that claim and then ignore it. They can, at some later time of their choosing declare that they are going to withdraw support and then some time after that actually do so.

@TheEmu

That promise is exactly the "chain" I'm referring to. I believe they should remove that "promise" from their webpage in order to free them selves to produce better quality shows than XP allegiance gives them leeway to do.

@Dfner - agreed - but not with no notice that they are going to do so.

@TheEmu

Yes, obviously, such disclaimer should be put out. But I find it pretty frustrating if there are super quality shows produced and they are withholding the release of them just because 2% of users (or whatever minority it might be) can't get the benefit from them because they are using ancient, obsolete software that can't handle them.

Just back away from your promise to support Windows XP and 3.1 and MOCAS :) We are in 2019 right now...

@Dfner
Please, we can have some respect for people using ancient things, if it is their choice. The 2% you write is only an assumption.

Hardware companies have to stop supporting legacy hardware to move to future products. AMD is a good example of this currently. The AM4 was suppose to last through 2020. Here it is 2019 and A320 is a no go 3rd Gen,
B350 and X370 are *(talk to your motherboard maker). Im fine with that as new technology emerged and the 1st Gen hardware is not up to the task. People would be pissed if they released the 3rd gen hardware and then said oh we had to cut feature A,B,C to maintain 100% backwards compatibility.

@stefnev1 I DO have all the respect for them, just as I have it for all the people who still prefer to listen to their music from 8-tracks or from 78 rpm discs.

I just wish that iStripper didn't compromise the quality of their product simply due to minority of users who live 10 years or more in the past.

However, there is no inherent reason why iStripper could not play the higher quality cards on an XP system, though it may take more effort than it is worth. It seems that in this particular case Totem expected it to work so it would have been silly to tell old users "sorry we are not interrested in you any more". Perhaps Totem did not adequately test the new version on all supported systems (for which they could be properly criticised) but they would hardly be the only ones to do that. Hopefully the current fallback solution is a temporary work round until some way to support XP users (perhaps with lower quality if that turns out to be the only practical solution) while providing the full improved quality to those with newer systems.

There were apparently more issues than the new software not working with XP. And I really don't mind being able to play shows that I have paid for, and paid the cellular data charges to download.

@Dfner , did you know that there are versions of Windows 10 that Microsoft no longer supports. Would you like iStripper and Totem to stop supporting those versions too?

@Chicsans

No, I was not aware of that. But I am aware of the fact that XP has been obsolete for MANY years by now. Not even Microsoft supports XP anymore, why should Totem?

I'm not advocating shutting out XP users. I'm advocating the policy of not letting "the lowest common denominator" to control the quality of the products produced.

If Totem wants to keep XP users and other antiquity afficionados happy, yes, they should produce the shows for them as before. But they shouldn't let that be the benchmark of their product in general.

They should produce their shows in highest quality possible and then trickle down lower quality versions of them for different set of users. Then those who have the system and equipment to enjoy them at best available quality, are not throttled (sorry, English is not my 1st language, but you might get what I mean :) ) by the compromise of subpar quality just because a minority of users can't enjoy them.

version 1.2.232 is now available. ( XP users, this one is for you )

https://www.istripper.com/forum/thread/42182/1?post=621550

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In any case, shows using the new codec were unfortunately not fully enjoyable even by many people owning recent computers of medium-upper level (as they had very high image quality but also quite jerky movements).
So there have been, at least at the moment, other good reasons to revert to the old codec.