My Blackmagic Design video cameras are appropriate with quite a few enhancing software program packages, however the firm’s personal DaVinci Resolve is a significantly compelling possibility. For one factor, there’s a close-knit synergy—or a minimum of the pure potential for one—every time the {hardware} and software program come from the identical firm. DaVinci Resolve, for instance, is ready to entry the digicam’s gyroscope-generated metadata with the intention to implement post-capture stabilization of video footage; an admittedly inferior various to the in-body stabilization (IBIS) supplied by rivals’ cameras, which operates throughout preliminary footage seize, however higher than nothing.
The baseline DaVinci Resolve suite can also be fully free, and robustly featured besides. That mentioned, Blackmagic’s cameras come bundled (a minimum of from the manufacturing facility…that is one thing usually in-advance stripped out of used models supplied for resale) with license keys for the paid DaVinci Resolve Studio variant, which gives some key enhancements for extra superior videography use instances. Every license key permits for two concurrent-use “seats”, and deactivating (a minimum of briefly) one set up related together with your key and account with the intention to activate one other is easy…nevertheless it requires a “reside” Web connection to Blackmagic’s server farm, which is probably not possible in the event you’re “within the area” on the time.
Alternatively, due to this fact, the corporate additionally sells (by its varied retail companions) USB activation dongles. Right here’s an instance, from Sweetwater’s website:
As you’ll be able to see, they value the identical as a software program license key: $295, which is a bit “salty”, each completely and relative to “free”. However final Might, shortly after shopping for my two cameras (solely certainly one of which got here with a key), I got here throughout a claimed “used” one on eBay for simply over $100. For the flexibleness of two further concurrent lively “seats”, if no different motive, I took the plunge.
When the dongle arrived (from a Vietnam-based vendor, it seems, opposite to the upfront U.S.-sourced declare, and which looking back ought to have been my first warning signal), the packaging was admittedly a bit sketchy:
However the dongle itself seemed legit, a minimum of at preliminary fast look (as-usual accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for measurement comparability functions):
And it was acknowledged by each MacOS and Home windows methods, together with (a minimum of on the time, hold studying) accurately activating DaVinci Resolve Studio installs on each O/Ss:
(keen-eyed readers will discover that I’ve gone forward and added the Satechi hub to the Mac mini “stack” lined in certainly one of final month’s weblog posts, to provide me simple front-panel entry to numerous interface and enlargement connectors)
Extra just lately, nevertheless, I made a decision to replace my varied DaVinci Resolve Studio “seats” to latest-version 18.6. Afterwards, my means to proceed activating them by way of the dongle abruptly ceased. Leaping on Google, I discovered that I wasn’t alone in my dismay (to not point out its root trigger):
Like some earlier releases we even have blocked some dongle key ids which might be counterfeit. In case you bought second hand or not from a licensed reseller you could have a type of.
Unsurprisingly, the unique vendor (whose eBay account continues to be lively as I write these phrases; observe, too, that the seeming similar individual(s) was/have been additionally promoting “used” dongles on Amazon on the similar time I purchased mine on eBay) hasn’t responded to my outreach. That mentioned, I give eBay loads of kudos; the rep to whom I reported the problem promptly issued me a future-purchase coupon for the total quantity.
However I used to be nonetheless curious to see what else I may discover out about this forgery. I’ll in all probability finally do a correct teardown, so keep tuned for that, though observe that I’m not going to additionally drop $300 on a legit one for comparability functions (!!!). For now, I’ll share some screenshots of how the dongle self-identifies to each MacOS:
and Home windows:
I’m fairly certain the primary time I heard the adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it in all probability is” was as a toddler, and got here from my dad and mom. Many years later, the knowledge nonetheless applies. Caveat emptor, people! Pontificate together with your ideas within the feedback.
—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Imaginative and prescient Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the corporate’s on-line publication.
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