Contour Cameras Out of Business
08-10-13, 12:59 PM
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Contour Cameras Out of Business
Yes it is true.
https://blogs.seattletimes.com/brierd...ed-apparently/
Seattle sports camera maker Contour apparently has closed, laying off around 60 employees.
Contour was a homegrown startup that emerged from a University of Washington business competition in 2004. Founders Marc Barros and Jason Green are avid skiers who developed helmet-mounted cameras used for capturing and sharing action-sports videos.
By 2011 the company had annual sales of $15 million and was named one of the most promising companies in the country by Forbes magazine. But it struggled to compete against category-leader GoPro and other companies such as Sony that offered similar, wearable cameras.
I guess my hopes of future firmware updates to fix all the buggy software have died as well.
Anyway, my unit still works, and I still like it better than GoPro. Maybe I better get some more batteries.
https://blogs.seattletimes.com/brierd...ed-apparently/
Seattle sports camera maker Contour apparently has closed, laying off around 60 employees.
Contour was a homegrown startup that emerged from a University of Washington business competition in 2004. Founders Marc Barros and Jason Green are avid skiers who developed helmet-mounted cameras used for capturing and sharing action-sports videos.
By 2011 the company had annual sales of $15 million and was named one of the most promising companies in the country by Forbes magazine. But it struggled to compete against category-leader GoPro and other companies such as Sony that offered similar, wearable cameras.
I guess my hopes of future firmware updates to fix all the buggy software have died as well.
Anyway, my unit still works, and I still like it better than GoPro. Maybe I better get some more batteries.
Last edited by DiabloScott; 08-10-13 at 01:26 PM.
08-10-13, 01:13 PM
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I'm sure there will be aftermarket batteries available on eBay for years. I've never actually bought an OEM battery for anything, from cheap gadgets up to my SLR, and I've never had a problem with a $4 ebay battery instead of a $40 OEM battery.
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08-10-13, 02:58 PM
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I have two Contours and while they were good cameras, I hated the format for the videos (.mov).
08-10-13, 03:05 PM
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08-10-13, 03:36 PM
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08-24-13, 11:57 AM
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Try the freeware video transcoder Handbrake, https://handbrake.fr/
This won't help you in any way with your Contour firmware but should be able to convert your the Quicktime videos to other formats.
08-24-13, 01:10 PM
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.mov files are Apple Quicktime videos.
Try the freeware video transcoder Handbrake, https://handbrake.fr/
This won't help you in any way with your Contour firmware but should be able to convert your the Quicktime videos to other formats.
Try the freeware video transcoder Handbrake, https://handbrake.fr/
This won't help you in any way with your Contour firmware but should be able to convert your the Quicktime videos to other formats.
No biggie, though...I hardly use my Contours anymore.
08-26-13, 06:17 AM
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For handling different file formats, I recommend looking into AVIDemux
https://avidemux.sourceforge.net/
Free/open source, Windows/Mac/Linux, handles a lot of audio/video formats, converts to other formats, does simple cut/paste editing, is very simple and fast. I own a copy of Sony Movie Studio HD but I use AVIDemux a lot of the time because it's so fast and easy to use.
https://avidemux.sourceforge.net/
Free/open source, Windows/Mac/Linux, handles a lot of audio/video formats, converts to other formats, does simple cut/paste editing, is very simple and fast. I own a copy of Sony Movie Studio HD but I use AVIDemux a lot of the time because it's so fast and easy to use.
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08-27-13, 12:53 AM
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This is sad, not only due to the hardship that a closing company causes; but also to consumers. There is the point that competition improves the category. Further, I still have not forgotten Go-Pro's bringing a law-suit against a person that gave a negative review. Yes, things like that do impact my buying decision.
08-27-13, 05:58 AM
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Contour goes out of business without an explanation the same day Garmin introduces their own line of robust video cameras. The Garmin units have the same basic design as the Contour cameras, including the big sliding switch that everyone liked about the Contour.
Coincidence? I think not. I think Garmin gave the Contour executives a bag of cash for their patents and design, took all the upsides of the Contour cameras, updated them with image stabilization and an energy-efficient preview screen and other features, and made them work together with other Garmin hardware. Contour closes their operations, but the product more or less lives on with Garmin. That's what I think happened. If it's true, I don't understand why there wouldn't be a press release about it... I don't see anything wrong with Contour being bought out if that was the case.
Coincidence? I think not. I think Garmin gave the Contour executives a bag of cash for their patents and design, took all the upsides of the Contour cameras, updated them with image stabilization and an energy-efficient preview screen and other features, and made them work together with other Garmin hardware. Contour closes their operations, but the product more or less lives on with Garmin. That's what I think happened. If it's true, I don't understand why there wouldn't be a press release about it... I don't see anything wrong with Contour being bought out if that was the case.
08-27-13, 08:10 AM
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Contour goes out of business without an explanation the same day Garmin introduces their own line of robust video cameras. The Garmin units have the same basic design as the Contour cameras, including the big sliding switch that everyone liked about the Contour.
Coincidence? I think not. I think Garmin gave the Contour executives a bag of cash for their patents and design, took all the upsides of the Contour cameras, updated them with image stabilization and an energy-efficient preview screen and other features, and made them work together with other Garmin hardware. Contour closes their operations, but the product more or less lives on with Garmin. That's what I think happened. If it's true, I don't understand why there wouldn't be a press release about it... I don't see anything wrong with Contour being bought out if that was the case.
Coincidence? I think not. I think Garmin gave the Contour executives a bag of cash for their patents and design, took all the upsides of the Contour cameras, updated them with image stabilization and an energy-efficient preview screen and other features, and made them work together with other Garmin hardware. Contour closes their operations, but the product more or less lives on with Garmin. That's what I think happened. If it's true, I don't understand why there wouldn't be a press release about it... I don't see anything wrong with Contour being bought out if that was the case.
08-27-13, 12:05 PM
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Still bad, of course ... but not quite so bad as a lawsuit would have been.
Also, the review seems quite positive rather than negative. (Though maybe it's been changed since then? But if so, they didn't update the date.)
11-01-13, 03:08 PM
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Good news for Contour owners and fans. The company has been purchased and the plan is to bring Contour back online in the near future.
Investor plans to revive Contour after winning bid to buy GoPro rival for $1.9M
th a bid of $1.925 million, investment company Clarke Capital Partners has emerged as the prevailing bidder for the assets of Contour Inc., the Seattle-based action-camera company that abruptly closed its doors in August in the face of tough competition from its larger rival GoPro. The sale, which resulted from a competitive auction by a court-appointed receiver, has been approved by the court but still needs to be finalized by the parties.
Clarke Capital is an existing Contour investor. Assuming everything goes through, Clarke Capital plans to bring back the Contour business and brand, confirmed James Clarke, the CEO and managing partner of the Utah-based investment company, speaking with GeekWire via phone this morning.
Clarke acknowledged that part of the investment firm’s motivation is preserving the capital it has already invested, but he said Clarke Capital sees itself as a business operator first, and an investor second.
“We think it’s a great business,” Clarke said of Contour. He said he believes the company is positioned to be “a great Pepsi to GoPro’s Coke, and it deserves an opportunity to resurface.”
Jason Green (left) and Marc Barros co-founded what became Contour as University of Washington students who wanted to record video on the slopes.
The struggles of Contour highlight the intense competition in the market for wearable cameras, used by mountain bikers, snowboarders and other outdoor sports enthusiasts to capture point-of-view footage of their escapades. That competition will only escalate as general-purpose competitors such as Google Glass enter the market. Contour defaulted on nearly $7.5 million in loans prior to closing.
Some of the former employees of Contour would be offered a chance to return to the company if the sale goes through, but overall it would be a “much lighter organization,” Clarke said.
Clarke said he loves Seattle, but added that it may ultimately make more sense to locate the new Contour in Utah, given Clarke Capital’s presence there. A final decision on the location hasn’t been made, he said.
Apart from formalizing the asset sale, another outstanding issue that needs to be resolved is the status of more than 32,800 Contour cameras held by PCH International, the product development company that oversaw the manufacturing of Contour cameras under an agreement with the Seattle company.
Those cameras held by PCH are specifically excluded from the assets to be sold to Clarke Capital via the court-appointed receiver. Clarke said his company is in discussions with PCH about the situation, and is hopeful that they can reach an amicable resolution.
PHC said in court filings that it reserved the right to sell the Contour cameras on its own to help make up for what it estimates to be its $3.6 million in damages in the Contour case.
According to court records, competing bidder Industrial Revolution offered $2.075 million for Contour’s assets, but its bid would have included Contour’s accounts receivable, which were excluded in Clarke Capital’s bid — making the Clarke Capital bid effectively higher.
Contour, founded in 2004 by Jason Green and Marc Barros, faced stiff competition from GoPro, whose parent company Woodman Labs raised $200 million from Foxconn last December in a funding round that valued the venture at $2.25 billion. Contour raised total venture capital of around $16 million, and Green said after the closure that he believed Contour’s location in Seattle factored into that disparity.
“We’ve been a hardware company in a software town,” Green said at the time, saying it was difficult at times to get the attention of the region’s software-oriented investors.
Clarke said this morning that he hopes to honor the original vision of the company’s founders. Green remained with the company prior to its closing, and Barros had left the company earlier this year.
We’ll continue to follow the Contour story as it unfolds. Many Contour customers have been emailing GeekWire about the status of cameras that they had sent in for repairs, and we’ll also provide updates on that issue as we get details.
Investor plans to revive Contour after winning bid to buy GoPro rival for $1.9M
th a bid of $1.925 million, investment company Clarke Capital Partners has emerged as the prevailing bidder for the assets of Contour Inc., the Seattle-based action-camera company that abruptly closed its doors in August in the face of tough competition from its larger rival GoPro. The sale, which resulted from a competitive auction by a court-appointed receiver, has been approved by the court but still needs to be finalized by the parties.
Clarke Capital is an existing Contour investor. Assuming everything goes through, Clarke Capital plans to bring back the Contour business and brand, confirmed James Clarke, the CEO and managing partner of the Utah-based investment company, speaking with GeekWire via phone this morning.
Clarke acknowledged that part of the investment firm’s motivation is preserving the capital it has already invested, but he said Clarke Capital sees itself as a business operator first, and an investor second.
“We think it’s a great business,” Clarke said of Contour. He said he believes the company is positioned to be “a great Pepsi to GoPro’s Coke, and it deserves an opportunity to resurface.”
Jason Green (left) and Marc Barros co-founded what became Contour as University of Washington students who wanted to record video on the slopes.
The struggles of Contour highlight the intense competition in the market for wearable cameras, used by mountain bikers, snowboarders and other outdoor sports enthusiasts to capture point-of-view footage of their escapades. That competition will only escalate as general-purpose competitors such as Google Glass enter the market. Contour defaulted on nearly $7.5 million in loans prior to closing.
Some of the former employees of Contour would be offered a chance to return to the company if the sale goes through, but overall it would be a “much lighter organization,” Clarke said.
Clarke said he loves Seattle, but added that it may ultimately make more sense to locate the new Contour in Utah, given Clarke Capital’s presence there. A final decision on the location hasn’t been made, he said.
Apart from formalizing the asset sale, another outstanding issue that needs to be resolved is the status of more than 32,800 Contour cameras held by PCH International, the product development company that oversaw the manufacturing of Contour cameras under an agreement with the Seattle company.
Those cameras held by PCH are specifically excluded from the assets to be sold to Clarke Capital via the court-appointed receiver. Clarke said his company is in discussions with PCH about the situation, and is hopeful that they can reach an amicable resolution.
PHC said in court filings that it reserved the right to sell the Contour cameras on its own to help make up for what it estimates to be its $3.6 million in damages in the Contour case.
According to court records, competing bidder Industrial Revolution offered $2.075 million for Contour’s assets, but its bid would have included Contour’s accounts receivable, which were excluded in Clarke Capital’s bid — making the Clarke Capital bid effectively higher.
Contour, founded in 2004 by Jason Green and Marc Barros, faced stiff competition from GoPro, whose parent company Woodman Labs raised $200 million from Foxconn last December in a funding round that valued the venture at $2.25 billion. Contour raised total venture capital of around $16 million, and Green said after the closure that he believed Contour’s location in Seattle factored into that disparity.
“We’ve been a hardware company in a software town,” Green said at the time, saying it was difficult at times to get the attention of the region’s software-oriented investors.
Clarke said this morning that he hopes to honor the original vision of the company’s founders. Green remained with the company prior to its closing, and Barros had left the company earlier this year.
We’ll continue to follow the Contour story as it unfolds. Many Contour customers have been emailing GeekWire about the status of cameras that they had sent in for repairs, and we’ll also provide updates on that issue as we get details.
11-20-13, 02:20 PM
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Lighting this up again. UPS dropped off my Contour Roam last August the same day the announcement was made. 
Now I am having issues with it. Has anyone heard anything? Is anyone honoring warranties on this thing?
11-21-13, 06:47 PM
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https://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/con...capital-buyout
Contour saved by Clarke Capital buyout
by Mark Sutton
Thursday, November 21st 2013 at 9:51AM
In News
Helmet camera company announces relaunch and restructuring
Contour has announced its purchase by Clarke Capital Partners, with a relaunch due in the next few weeks.
A fee of $1.925 million was paid by Clarke Capital, who were already a backer of the camera firm, which closed abruptly at the end of August.
The firm has since announced plans to support its retail partners with new marketing drives, creating demand for the Contour Roam 2 and +2 cameras.
UK Distributor Ultra Sport Europe will take stock of the product again within the next ten days, with a further shipment due in the new year. So if you need stock for Christmas, call 01332 813 150 to discuss availability.
www.contour.com
Contour saved by Clarke Capital buyout
by Mark Sutton
Thursday, November 21st 2013 at 9:51AM
In News
Helmet camera company announces relaunch and restructuring
Contour has announced its purchase by Clarke Capital Partners, with a relaunch due in the next few weeks.
A fee of $1.925 million was paid by Clarke Capital, who were already a backer of the camera firm, which closed abruptly at the end of August.
The firm has since announced plans to support its retail partners with new marketing drives, creating demand for the Contour Roam 2 and +2 cameras.
UK Distributor Ultra Sport Europe will take stock of the product again within the next ten days, with a further shipment due in the new year. So if you need stock for Christmas, call 01332 813 150 to discuss availability.
www.contour.com
11-22-13, 09:37 AM
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11-22-13, 07:40 PM
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https://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/ar...rebound-38797/
[h=1]Contour action cameras on the rebound?[/h]
By BikeRadar | Wednesday, October 23, 2013 12.00pm
Contour action cameras could live again John Witney/Bikeradar
Less than three months after popular action camera makers Contour announced they were going under because of tough pressure from their rival GoPro, the American company could be on the rebound.
Geekwire report that assets of the Seattle company, sold at auction, were bought by investment company Clarke Capital Partners, an original investor in Contour, for almost US$2 million.
Clarke Capital Partners' CEO James Clarke said the objective was to revive the brand and bring back the competitor to brands such as GoPro and the Garmin VIRB series, which was launched days after Contour went under.
Clarke said Contour could be the Pepsi to GoPro's Coca-cola.
Details of when Contour helmet cameras, beloved of mountain bikers, snowboarders and outdoor enthusiasts, might return are still to be announced.
[h=1]Contour action cameras on the rebound?[/h]
By BikeRadar | Wednesday, October 23, 2013 12.00pm
Contour action cameras could live again John Witney/Bikeradar Less than three months after popular action camera makers Contour announced they were going under because of tough pressure from their rival GoPro, the American company could be on the rebound.
Geekwire report that assets of the Seattle company, sold at auction, were bought by investment company Clarke Capital Partners, an original investor in Contour, for almost US$2 million.
Clarke Capital Partners' CEO James Clarke said the objective was to revive the brand and bring back the competitor to brands such as GoPro and the Garmin VIRB series, which was launched days after Contour went under.
Clarke said Contour could be the Pepsi to GoPro's Coca-cola.
Details of when Contour helmet cameras, beloved of mountain bikers, snowboarders and outdoor enthusiasts, might return are still to be announced.
12-11-13, 04:07 PM
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12-11-13, 05:19 PM
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12-11-13, 05:43 PM
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<$2 mil doesn't sound like enough for any company competing in this business... Googling says FoxConn bought a 9% stake in GoPro last year for $200 mil.
12-19-13, 09:27 PM
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Their website is back up with full support/downloads and the facebook/twitter pages are now updated regularly again. "Happy holidays to all and thank you for continuing to support CONTOUR. It has been a difficult time, as you may have read, but we are getting closer to being able to provide you with the support you deserve for the world's best sports camera! The shop will be open soon, so stay tuned for new announcements."
