Confused about Resolve versions

I am a newcomer to Resolve, and have been waiting impatiently for my studio version key to arrive (a buying process which seems insane in the year 2020, but I saw that has been complained about and discussed in length in other posts, so I don't see any point get into that).

My question is about what the current version of the product is.
I ordered Resolve 17, as I understood that is the latest version of the product.

However in the available downloads I only see beta versions of 17, and stable versions only for 16.
Does that mean I purchased beta software ?
Will I be getting a different download link for a stable version?
If not, is there an release date estimate for it?

Thank you

[Peter Chamberlain]

The studio license can be used on any of the previous versions from v8, so v16 and v17 beta and the release due in the new year.

The studio license can be used on any of the previous versions from v8, so v16 and v17 beta and the release due in the new year.

Thank you for your response.
So how far into the beta process is the product ?
I mean I see it is at beta 6 at the moment, but how many are there are usually before a release?

I am only asking in order to get a sense of how stable the beta might be, and since I am a newcomer if it's more prudent to start with the 16 version which is considered stable.

Thank you

[Peter Chamberlain]

We don’t comment or commit to a specific release, but if ur new I’d start with the beta where every it’s at as that’s where all the dev attention is.

Here's a couple links worth checking out, Harry.

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=130400

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/produc ... e/training

Thank you for your replies.
To be honest it's the first time I heard a company recommend new users to start with their beta software.

I am still a bit confused as to the marketing strategy: the development of a new version is announced, and then it starts getting sold even though only betas are released ?

I am on a Mac, and the beta has already crashed on me a few times, and I had lots of weird behaviour and serious performance issues. I do hope these will get ironed out soon, as it seems I will have to start with the beta (if my package ever is sent to me by the distributor and the courier decides to deliver it).

[Peter Chamberlain]

If u have crashes, please review the FAQs and report details on the v17 beta forum.

I agree that recommending a new user to start with the betas seems a bit strange, particularly as these products are among those that truly benefit from having users go through training materials, and the training materials generally lag behind the release of a new product version.

Even when 17 is officially out, it is likely that most of the training resources will still be teaching 16 for a time until new versions of the training materials can be finalized and published.

Unless you are on Apple Silicon and have little choice, I would suggest starting with v16 and going through some of the available training materials. Trying to use v16 training materials with v17 of the software is probably not ideal as there will be odds and ends of things that may not match up.

I agree that recommending a new user to start with the betas seems a bit strange, particularly as these products are among those that truly benefit from having users go through training materials, and the training materials generally lag behind the release of a new product version.

I agree about the training materials, but I don't think the recommendation is that odd.

First, it's a very stable beta. The OP has had some problems -- on a Mac, which is surprising to me -- but I've not had a single crash in any of the betas so far. I'm also on a Mac and I've had two weirdnesses that I've reported. But I've been able to turn out multiple hour-long videos with no showstoppers. (The Windows side of the house is always a little shakier because of the dozens of different versions of GPUs and drivers that people use, which is beyond BMD's control.)

In addition, the Resolve Youtubers I follow have all been making videos using v17 for months now. (Sometimes because they're covering v17 features, but even when they're not I notice the red "beta" tag in the bottom left of the Resolve screen. It really is a solid improvement and is stable enough that a lot of folks are using it as their main tool. It's beta, to be sure, but it's a very stable public beta.)

Granted, a production facility needs to be very conservative with moving forward. There are some folks in this forum who lag entire versions behind and won't upgrade until they absolutely have to. Each of us has to make a risk-reward analysis and act accordingly. The OP shouldn't be counting on using Resolve in production until they've actually learned it, so my opinion would be that they're not in the same boat as someone who has been using v16 for years and is considering v17.

Does that mean I purchased beta software ?
Will I be getting a different download link for a stable version?
If not, is there an release date estimate for it?

Download and use v16, the latest version. Anxiety assuaged.

There can't be a release date announced for beta software. It's in public beta specifically so that people can test it in the huge variety of equipment and use-cases that exist. The developers will decide when beta ends based on the rate of bug reports coming in. Once they feel that features are complete for v17.0 and the reported-bug rate is down to a reasonable level, they will make an official release.

Personally, I would recommend v17, but you sound worried so take the easy road and use v16. Version 17 is called "beta" for a reason. Not because it's crazy and half-finished, but because it is at an earlier stage in terms of hardening than an official release and if you're worried about stability you should stick to the official release.

Trying to use v16 training materials with v17 of the software is probably not ideal as there will be odds and ends of things that may not match up.

I think those issues will be largely inconsequential, and should not be used to discourage new users from trying 17. Especially if they're just testing the waters and not doing mission critical work.

Trying to use v16 training materials with v17 of the software is probably not ideal as there will be odds and ends of things that may not match up.

I think those issues will be largely inconsequential, and should not be used to discourage new users from trying 17. Especially if they're just testing the waters and not doing mission critical work.

My feelings as well. I came into the Resolve fold fairly recently, and only used v16 for short time, but I have to say that v17 feels like it's almost a new product. I can't quite say exactly how, but it feels like the various pages have been merging and features being shared and expanded and v17 is the point where it's a unified product with several important foundations laid. Just a feeling on my part.

So someone who is coming in new and doesn't have unrealistic expectations about how quickly they'll be doing large-scale, critical productions with a new (to them) piece of software would be perfectly justified in learning on v17 instead of v16. The training materials will of course describe older ways of doing things. My guess is that everything you learn can still be done the same way in v17. (Though preferences will have sometimes shifted location or been renamed.) But using v17, you'll be able to watch recent Youtube tutorials or read the What's New in 17 document and adopt newer/better ways of doing some of those things.

The only variable here is a person's risk-reward tradeoffs in terms of using a public beta that's on the whole very stable but still has not yet passed BMD's benchmarks for calling it Official.