Did Grant say, “Paid Update?”

Excited for DaVinci Resolve 20. But I thought I heard Grant say “paid update!”

DaVinci Resolve has been marked up to $379 some products. So, if I purchase DaVinci Resolve @ $379; will I have to pay for the upgrade again?

When we know more, you know more

When we know more, you know more

Yup.

It will be interesting and I suspect create a three-tier user structure:

Free -- for those who don't need the pro features.

One-time -- for those who will be happy to stick with 19.x because they want the pro features but don't need/want the enhancements that V20 offers (I'm probably in this camp... the productivity boost that the new AI stuff offers probably wouldn't save me much time/money because I'm just a YouTuber).

Paid upgrade -- for professionals who can really benefit from all the new AI-goodness that V20 seems to bring.

I have no issues with paying for new versions because for me, Resolve is a tool that earns me money. However, I will be "selective" in which versions I pay to upgrade to. My philosophy has always been "if it works, don't fix it" so even though I started with Resolve V14 Studio, I've only actually upgraded three times in all those years and completely skipped V16 and V17 because they didn't offer me any significant benefits. In fact I was on V15.3 for the longest time and it served my needs perfectly.

Excited for DaVinci Resolve 20. But I thought I heard Grant say “paid update!”

DaVinci Resolve has been marked up to $379 some products. So, if I purchase DaVinci Resolve @ $379; will I have to pay for the upgrade again?

I want to add that I think we have been blessed with what we have so far.

This may be the point where BMD branches out with Studio. If you have paid $295 (dongle or key); cover the $80 one-time upgrade. If you paid $397; it’s included. The keys on the dongle and cards can be updated to reflect the new status.

AI functions should only be on the Studio versions.

Yes, he did. "We'll probably eventually charge some kind of upgrade for this but for the moment we're still doing the Davinci Resolve Studio free". Not really clear what he was saying, but it could mean that the beta is free but the final version will be paid.

I bought a dongle second-hand, so I'm thinking I probably won't be eligible for an upgrade, meaning I would have to buy it from scratch.

It will be interesting and I suspect create a three-tier user structure:

Free -- for those who don't need the pro features.

One-time -- for those who will be happy to stick with 19.x because they want the pro features but don't need/want the enhancements that V20 offers (I'm probably in this camp... the productivity boost that the new AI stuff offers probably wouldn't save me much time/money because I'm just a YouTuber).

Paid upgrade -- for professionals who can really benefit from all the new AI-goodness that V20 seems to bring.

I have no issues with paying for new versions because for me, Resolve is a tool that earns me money. However, I will be "selective" in which versions I pay to upgrade to. My philosophy has always been "if it works, don't fix it" so even though I started with Resolve V14 Studio, I've only actually upgraded three times in all those years and completely skipped V16 and V17 because they didn't offer me any significant benefits. In fact I was on V15.3 for the longest time and it served my needs perfectly.

I agree with this. A three-tier is definitely a better option. $80 would be tier3; $50 for tier2 and of course, $0 for free.

Yes, he did. "We'll probably eventually charge some kind of upgrade for this but for the moment we're still doing the Davinci Resolve Studio free". Not really clear what he was saying, but it could mean that the beta is free but the final version will be paid.

I bought a dongle second-hand, so I'm thinking I probably won't be eligible for an upgrade, meaning I would have to buy it from scratch.

I brought the dongle at both prices. So, I really wonder how this is going to go…

I brought the dongle at both prices. So, I really wonder how this is going to go…

If you bought it from BM, I'm sure you'll be fine. I bought mine from ebay which I think is likely to be problematic.

I brought the dongle at both prices. So, I really wonder how this is going to go…

If you bought it from BM, I'm sure you'll be fine. I bought mine from ebay which I think is likely to be problematic.

Ah. The eBay one, do you remember the seller? If it was Adorama or B&H Photo; I think you should be fine but confirm with BMD.

I purchased one from Adorama and Sweetwater. Both from their official websites.

I brought the dongle at both prices. So, I really wonder how this is going to go…

If you bought it from BM, I'm sure you'll be fine. I bought mine from ebay which I think is likely to be problematic.

Ah. The eBay one, do you remember the seller? If it was Adorama or B&H Photo; I think you should be fine but confirm with BMD.

I purchased one from Adorama and Sweetwater. Both from their official websites.

It was secondhand. As far as BM are concerned, I'm not the registered owner of the dongle.

Excited for DaVinci Resolve 20. But I thought I heard Grant say “paid update!”

DaVinci Resolve has been marked up to $379 some products. So, if I purchase DaVinci Resolve @ $379; will I have to pay for the upgrade again?

Isn't it the same thing he said last year?

Excited for DaVinci Resolve 20. But I thought I heard Grant say “paid update!”

DaVinci Resolve has been marked up to $379 some products. So, if I purchase DaVinci Resolve @ $379; will I have to pay for the upgrade again?

Isn't it the same thing he said last year?

A free update is technically not written in stone (or EULA). BM just never charged for it. They basically "reserved the right".

This will be a REAL PITA because V20 projects are not backward compatible with V19.

Also I understand that the V20 Beta will update the V19 and not run in parallel.

So what happens if the V20 Release is chargeable. It will be a real problem trying to go back to V19. OR have I got this wrong?

I don't mind if it is chargeable if I know now. (especially how much) So I know if I want to start looking at V20.

(Edit)

Backwards compatibility has always been NOT a Resolve thing.

Are drps and drts backwards compatible? I didn’t think they were. Would be great to be wrong about this!

paid update means they did not add ANYTHING new to Davinci Resolve. Only Studio.

Yeah no I don’t think that’s what they mean.

Are drps and drts backwards compatible? I didn’t think they were. Would be great to be wrong about this!

Oh good point. Edited.

paid update means they did not add ANYTHING new to Davinci Resolve. Only Studio.

I would love to believe that but I don't think that is the case...
They should declare what will be chargeable (and how much) NOW before the public Beta, or at least ASAP.

With an unknown as to what will be chargeable, I won't be using the Beta.

BTW what if I have all the Beta's right up to the one before the (chargeable) Release? but not the Release..
things will get messy. No one like uncertanty.

Considering that BMD will offer *new features* to DaVinci users, it's fair of them to ask for extra money.

Hopefully, this will also allow allocation of extra funds on fixing older UX bugs and issues such as Stabilizer glitching out, lack of proper Effects presets, destructive video timeline or strange framerate lock-outs during export.

Considering that BMD will offer *new features* to DaVinci users, it's fair of them to ask for extra money.

Absolutely agree and I am happy with that BUT they should be upfront with what will be chargeable and how much before people start on the V20 Beta because AFAIK you can't run 19 and 20 side by side on the same computer and V20 projects are not backwards compatible.

If I know now that it will be a £100 upgrade, I can make a decision and go ahead.

Will these updates only be in the Studio version?
What will be in the Free version?
Can I go from V19 Studio to V20 Free?

A lot of unknowns. All I am asking for is a bit of clarity.

paid update means they did not add ANYTHING new to Davinci Resolve. Only Studio.

I would love to believe that but I don't think that is the case...
They should declare what will be chargeable (and how much) NOW before the public Beta, or at least ASAP.

With an unknown as to what will be chargeable, I won't be using the Beta.

BTW what if I have all the Beta's right up to the one before the (chargeable) Release? but not the Release..
things will get messy. No one like uncertanty.

I don't think they will make us buy it again, they said "free lifetime updates" So I don't think they would do that. The CEO is VERY against Abodes practices, and Davinci makes like 1% of their income. Their cameras is why they can have davinci be "free" of sorts.

I believe we'll have to pay for generative AI services, as they will likely be hosted on cloud servers, much like other online image generation apps.

[Peter Chamberlain]

To clarify, v20 release will be a free upgrade for current DaVinci Resolve Studio users.

Thanks Peter for the info!

To clarify, v20 release will be a free upgrade for current DaVinci Resolve Studio users.

Many thanks for the clarification.
Never mind the co$t.. it is 7.5 GB!!!! that is a 2GB size increase!!!!!

FYI I don't mind if the major versions of Studio are chargeable as updates, as long as I know the costs up front.
Obviously as a user: free is good. However, there is a hell of a lot of work in Resolve and BMD are a commercial company.

I assume that at some point BMD will charge but if their goal is to make Resolve the #1 paid and free Video edit suite then in the medium term free updates is a good strategy.

After thinking it over, I'm hoping that BMD uses this pricing strategy:

1. The generative AI features, like background fill, are charged on a per-use basis with credits that are paid up front (eg $20 for 30 credits, and one background fill or Gen AI object is 5 credits). Other AI features like Magic Mask continue to be free.

2. Lots of the hardware from BMD (Speed Editor, Editors Keyboard, cameras, etc) includes a Studio activation key. Users with the current Studio and an extra key can use that key to pay for the upgrade. That said, if it's $50 I don't have an issue with paying cash for it.

Just so long as this is a one time charge (until v40 lol) and they don't go with Adobe's monthly-subscription-Hell pricing model, I'm good with it.

BTW, if you're worried that your projects won't be backwards compatible with 19 once you open them in 20, save them all as DRAs first to a Resolve 19 folder on your hard drive then play with them in 20.

Just so long as this is a one time charge (until v40 lol) and they don't go with Adobe's monthly-subscription-Hell pricing model, I'm good with it.

Grant said this about subscriptions: “Cloud licensors are like slumlords. You have to keep buying from me and the more you’re loyal, the more you’ll get penalized. It’s like your dog does something nice and you beat it with a stick.”

So I’d hope that whatever upgrade costs are will be perpetual.

Grant also said he's never gonna add generative Ai garbage in Resolve, yet here we are with Voice Convertor stuff.

"Needless to say, using this powerful tool requires a certain level of responsibility on the
part of the user. Privacy, copyright, and union laws and rules are all in flux at the moment
around AI-generated content, and it’s necessary to carefully navigate the ethics involved in
its professional use."

Disappointing.

I wonder if we will see a future usb-c dongle and perhaps an upgrade program for those with older ones.

We need to remember that BMD has never really said that updates willalways be free. It's just that... They have yet to charge for them.

I doubt that will change in any significant manner. Because... Resolve is the gateway drug to BMD. You get resolve for free and you get used to seeing their logo and products, so when you need a camera, or any hardware really, you wonder first ... "Let's see what BMD has on offer". Even the studio license. It's a one time fee. It's to get us deeper into the ecosystem.

As long as the hardware sells, I don't see the enticement for them to change the old policy.

However.

Cloud storage cost them running money. The cloud based router costs them money. And any AI generative machine on the cloud will cost money for them to run on a daily basis. So, I do see them needing to at least break even there, and a per use or monthly fee will be very probable. They already have the cloud storage for a fee. So I guess cloud based generative AI will be as well.

Though It is interesting that the voice training is run locally so at least they don't see all AI generation as a money source to bleed dry.

I will however be very interested in hearing them talk about how their extended backdrop thing is trained. What sources theyve used. Because I don't know any ethically sourced training sets for videos and images.

Go to 2.37.22 in the NAB 2025 Update and listen to what Grant actually says.

I wonder if we will see a future usb-c dongle and perhaps an upgrade program for those with older ones.

Why would you want that? Choosing usb c over usb a would not have any benefit for a dongle? Its not like the faster usb c will benefit the oreformance of the dongle, and as long as pc's will still have usb a ports, why would you use a usb c dongle?

I wonder if we will see a future usb-c dongle and perhaps an upgrade program for those with older ones.

Why would you want that? Choosing usb c over usb a would not have any benefit for a dongle? Its not like the faster usb c will benefit the oreformance of the dongle, and as long as pc's will still have usb a ports, why would you use a usb c dongle?

because computers now have USB-C connectors on them and are dropping the USB-A connectors.

because computers now have USB-C connectors on them and are dropping the USB-A connectors.

A USB-A to USB-C adapter is like three bucks on Amazon. I can't imagine that a USB-C native dongle is on their high priority list.

because computers now have USB-C connectors on them and are dropping the USB-A connectors.

A USB-A to USB-C adapter is like three bucks on Amazon. I can't imagine that a USB-C native dongle is on their high priority list.

Likewise, a USB-C to USB-A adapter. USB-C dongles are the future and the de-facto standard for new dongles.

I wonder if we will see a future usb-c dongle and perhaps an upgrade program for those with older ones.

I like this. Also, if I could move to the iLok system where I have my ProTools licenses, that would be even better. One device to rule them all!!! LOL!

1. Grant was specifically referring to Studio - the paid version.
2. He specifically said that v20 free and v20 studio updates are free
3. He also prefaced his comment with "probably' - "We'll probably eventually charge some sort of upgrade for this, but at the moment we're still doing the DaVinci Resolve Studio Upgrade for free."

I think Grant was fishing for reactions to see what us end users would do, but no change in the short term.

As someone who used to be in software development, providing upgrades forever for free, and support forever for free is a bad economic model. What that means is that sales of new product have to also fund the costs of supporting existing customers with upgrades etc. I think the reason that BM have been able to so this so far is that Resolve is considered part of their marketing and is funded in part from hardware sales.

Darryl

DVR is incredible and it's being developed at an incredible pace, I'm surprised there's never been an upgrade cost. As it's a vital tool for my business I'd be more than happy to pay it if it keeps the development going.

1. Grant was specifically referring to Studio - the paid version.
2. He specifically said that v20 free and v20 studio updates are free
3. He also prefaced his comment with "probably' - "We'll probably eventually charge some sort of upgrade for this, but at the moment we're still doing the DaVinci Resolve Studio Upgrade for free."/quote]

You are supposing and assuming a lot there. A lot of people looked at Grants comments and 99.99% found them ambiguous. They have since been clarified by BMD

As someone who used to be in software development, providing upgrades forever for free, and support forever for free is a bad economic model. What that means is that sales of new product have to also fund the costs of supporting existing customers with upgrades etc. I think the reason that BM have been able to so this so far is that Resolve is considered part of their marketing and is funded in part from hardware sales.
Darryl

I do agree with those comments. It costs a lot to develop Resolve, which is why initially it cost well over $250,000 a seat It has been coming down in price as the user base has expanded (rapidly)

To clarify, v20 release will be a free upgrade for current DaVinci Resolve Studio users.

Thank you for clarifying, Peter, and many thanks to BMD's CEO for keeping DaVinci Resolve Studio's upgrades free!

God bless you all!


- Roger

As someone who used to be in software development, providing upgrades forever for free, and support forever for free is a bad economic model. What that means is that sales of new product have to also fund the costs of supporting existing customers with upgrades etc. I think the reason that BM have been able to so this so far is that Resolve is considered part of their marketing and is funded in part from hardware sales.

Darryl

I don't think you get their model. I would say not "funded in part from hardware sales", I'd say almost wholly funded by it. They've always been clear on that, as far as I've seen, and it's a model I hope they don't change (unlike the general consensus in this thread).

Nothing beats a marketing model of widespread adoption/use of software, Free or Studio. Resolve is massive out there, and the Linux native support is awesome too.

As a Studio user, I agree that Resolve is incredible value, and I'd have no problem in paying for updates - but please no subscription. That's what took me away from Adobe after more than two decades of using Premiere. I don't regret a moment of the change to Resolve, but I want the decision on when to pay for upgrades to be mine.

The most concerning thing to happen is if BMD becomes a publicly listed company, they will have to make as much money as possible from Resolve, and if Grant is possibly suggesting V21 is a paid upgrade maybe it happens by then or get acquired by Apple. Prores exports now, after all this time, what changed. hmm

If I have to guess, he was talking about paying update while he was talking about download extra AI modules and such, I "Guess" that is referring to those LLM downloads.... (perhaps licensing it...)

To clarify, v20 release will be a free upgrade for current DaVinci Resolve Studio users.

Late but thanks for the clarification.

To clarify, v20 release will be a free upgrade for current DaVinci Resolve Studio users.

Thank you Peter for keeping the free updates for the Studio version.

If I have to guess, he was talking about paying update while he was talking about download extra AI modules and such, I "Guess" that is referring to those LLM downloads.... (perhaps licensing it...)

I listened to what Mr. Petty said a couple of times, and I got the impression he was reserving the right to "someday" charge a fee for Resolve updates -- not just extra downloads. I would have no problem paying $20 or $30 for a yearly update -- Blackmagic has to pay for support and R&D somehow.

If I have to guess, he was talking about paying update while he was talking about download extra AI modules and such, I "Guess" that is referring to those LLM downloads.... (perhaps licensing it...)

I listened to what Mr. Petty said a couple of times, and I got the impression he was reserving the right to "someday" charge a fee for Resolve updates -- not just extra downloads. I would have no problem paying $20 or $30 for a yearly update -- Blackmagic has to pay for support and R&D somehow.

honestly, me neither...