UDisc Pro price tripling

[shakatak]

I have a PDGA membership so I get UDisc Premium for free. However, I never use it. I use the old, unsupported app EasyScorecardPro. It allows you to set and change a course's SSA so you can get ballpark ratings for casual rounds. It's how my group of friends who are in different states compare our skill levels when we meet up once a year at our disc golf getaway. I have emailed the developers of UDisc about adding that feature and they say there's no demand for it. Until that's added I have no interest in using it.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

However, correct me if I'm wrong, but can't you use the GPS/map combo without upgrading to Pro? You certainly used to be able to, and that's what I did until I became a PDGA member and got the complementary upgrade. Don't want you out there spending bucks for a feature if it's free!

Regarding the underlined: You may 100% correct.

I recall using UDisc to navigate for free for a while. Then I got some sort of notification that to keep using it, I needed to pay the $5... kinda like I'd signed up for free trial period or something like that. At the time, I was getting ready for my trip to FL, and for $5, I wasn't about to figure out if there was a way to circumvent the system to keep using it for free.

It basically comes down to: I'm not gonna fiddle around to figure out how to save $5/yr. But I will putz around a bit to figure out if I can avoid paying $15/yr.

Everyone's gonna do what they feel is in their own best interest, as they damn well should.

 

[Kenny53691]

As a PDGA member (and plan to continue my membership) I may have a little different outlook. I feel like the price jump was a little steep, but I would still get my money's worth just by having the ability to find the next hole on an unfamiliar course. This year I started to help run a Udisc league, so for that alone I would be willing to pay the extra because having the live scoring for everyone as well as the other features have been a huge success......

 

[Noseph]

With all of the extra features; saved stats, throws, navigation, and course info, I think $15 is still a great value.

 

[ballgolfconvert]

$10 is less than 1 hour of paid work. Why would anyone waste time on a work around?

 

[Luckj]

I've never paid for Udisc (not current PDGA either) but I still use it for various things.

1. Measuring throws.
2. Mapping Hidden Ridge layouts.
3. The navigation feature at new courses.

Side note but I need to get over to your course, I'm right across the border in Indiana so there's really no excuse.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I'd pay extra if it had a feature that made people clear the green before putting in their scores.

 

[Dcinmd]

If the membership to UDisc remains part of the PDGA membership I will keep on using it.

It it does not, I won't be paying for it based solely on how little I actually use the app. I've had the paid app for 3 year and probably used it 10 to 15 times total.

The people most likely effected are course owners/designers that change layouts to a course and only upload it to Udisc.

 

[deadbody]

I'd venture to say a fair amount. UDisc is "included" for the 70,000 PDGA members, plus all the other non-PDGA users. Android says over 500,000 downloads, plus Apple users. Let's say another 200,000 of those are UDiscPro accounts. Yeah, it adds up quickly. Now triple it.
I don't blame them for making money, but this seems like a page from a pharmaceutical company's playbook.

As the parent of a type 1 diabetic who lives in constant fear that when my kid ages out of my insurance she will have to start rationing the insulin she needs to live because big pharma took a product that was patented and sold for $1 so it could exist for everyone, and have profiteered the ever loving **** out of it.

Thats way too far on the hyperbole scale for me. Udisc isn't making anyone rich. I live in the same town as the developer, hes not driving around in a fleet of teslas with udisc logos. Hes making a little bit of money, and putting a lot of new whistles on the pig to try and make a little more. Good for him.

 

[BillFleming]

Disclaimer: my opinion only - but based on experience.

uDisc used to be the 'go-to' live scoring app for tournaments. Pretty cool, easy to use, only one player had to have uDisc...the other players could be added even if they didn't have the app. But then PDGA came out with their own live scoring app and that has become the 'go-to' for some tournaments. For example: The Memorial used PDGA's live scoring as the official one and uDisc as the back-up.

uDisc's app provides a lot of 'extras' that PDGA's app doesn't. It costs money to develop and maintain the app and its features. uDisc, like other apps, has a free and paid version. The paid version comes with your PDGA membership, but if you aren't a PDGA member, you have to pay for the pro version. I wonder how many people really do that....especially since most disc golfers just need it to find courses, find their way around the course, and keep score - the free version does that.

When we pay for the pro version, we are paying for the "bells and whistles"....just like buying anything else....a car, a house, whatever...the fancier it is, the more you pay.

Is it worth the $15ish for me? Not really, but I don't have to be concerned with that as I get it via my PDGA membership. PDGA most likely has a contract with uDisc for members getting uDisc Pro as part of the membership. Will it last? Hard to say. The price agreement may go up a bit and PDGA may add it to the membership cost or may consider it minor enough to not change anything. Or PDGA and uDisc may go their separate ways since PDGA has its own scoring app.

Bottom line, IMO, it's not a big deal....each person just needs to decide what they use uDisc for and if the Pro options are needed. If the Pro options are needed, then the question becomes...is the price worth it?

 

[BillFleming]

I realized I left something out.

Right now, the PDGA gets a great price for the uDisc app for members...why? Because they bring in a bunch of users - every single PDGA member. Even if you are a member and don't use it....uDisc can count you as a user since you DO have it...you just haven't downloaded it or used it.

Now, if uDisc raises their price for PDGA members, then the PDGA has two things to consider....do they keep the agreement or do they change it? There is a chance the PDGA would raise our membership cost to cover any change with uDisc's pricing...but, what I think would happen is they would drop it from the membership 'package' and provide a discount code instead. That way, if you wanted uDisc Pro, you could still get it and get it at a reduced rate, but PDGA wouldn't be putting out more money for something that not every member wants or uses.

 

[Dingus]

It bugs me in general when apps like this are subscription based. Just sell me the software and let me be. I don't see how UDisc is providing me ongoing value. I understand they maintain the server, but so does DGCR, for free. I don't need nor want live scorekeeping. And the features I loved most are gone (score exporting).

End of the day I will still pay the money, because $15 is still effectively free on the macro scale.

 

[Jay Dub]

If $15/year is a problem sell most if not all your discs so you can eat. opcorn:

 

[VictorB]

It bugs me in general when apps like this are subscription based. Just sell me the software and let me be. I don't see how UDisc is providing me ongoing value. I understand they maintain the server, but so does DGCR, for free. I don't need nor want live scorekeeping. And the features I loved most are gone (score exporting).

End of the day I will still pay the money, because $15 is still effectively free on the macro scale.

1. an app you don't want to use doesn't provide you value. Ok, so don't pay for premium.

2. DGCR *does not* keep servers up for free. Ad revenue plus voluntary membership fees help pay for these things (though only TimG would know how much it helps)

3. I do think that there should be a "one time fee" version where you can pay one time up front and never have to subscribe. I'd put 35-40 as my limit for this. I use RadarScope which is super handy in tracking weather events, and I paid a one time $30 fee for the fully unlocked version, for life.

 

[DiscFifty]

Here's UDisc's statement about PDGA membership still including Udisc, from Reddit.
View attachment 74241

The PDGA has their own scoring app, not sure what they would gain from keeping a relationship with UDisc. I'm guessing UDisc was not getting $5.00 with every PDGA membership.

In regards to this being a money grab, for $1.25 a month?...nah... but what DOES smell like a money grab (or perhaps just clever marketing) is announcing this right in the middle of the season while being vague on the relationship with the PDGA. Alot of people who have PDGA memberships are going to spend $4.99 to extend the pro version asap in hopes of saving $10.00 if/when UDisc/PDGA go their separate ways.

There's always been an initial negative reaction to companies trying to make money in the disc golf community. I'm not sure why we resist it.

Just a hunch.....maybe because even though we have 20+ discs in a bag or cart, we subliminally retain the message that was jammed in our head early on, that disc golf is a cheap sport to play.

 

[Dingus]

1. an app you don't want to use doesn't provide you value. Ok, so don't pay for premium.

2. DGCR *does not* keep servers up for free. Ad revenue plus voluntary membership fees help pay for these things (though only TimG would know how much it helps)

3. I do think that there should be a "one time fee" version where you can pay one time up front and never have to subscribe. I'd put 35-40 as my limit for this. I use RadarScope which is super handy in tracking weather events, and I paid a one time $30 fee for the fully unlocked version, for life.

If it wasn't clear, I don't see how UDisc the company is providing me ongoing value. I get value out of the app. I don't see how UDisc is making any sort of positive improvement to the app or my experience by way of me paying ongoing subscription fees.

I wasn't trying to imply servers were free, they are simply offered free by DGCR. I would use an ad supported UDisc over a subscription supported one.

 

[Jay Dub]

Only time I use Udisc is to check the scores for the DGPT on the weekends. That's free and appreciated.

 

[mojorooks]

whistles on the pig

Your Pig has Whistles?

 

[dysmike]

I (mostly used to, I'm farther along in my career these days) sling code. I love being paid for what I do, just like everyone else.

If you see value, buy it. If you don't, well then don't. But the expectation that you'll work for free.. is unreasonable. I suspect none of you will go do your day job for free.

 

[mojorooks]

Re-upped for another year. Its definitely worth it. Thanks for the heads up!

When i first started playing I used it a lot. Lately not so much. My league is using it for scoring so there is that.

I like to use the map. It seems to show more courses than DGCR.