Welcome Inspire Pilots!
Join our free DJI Inspire community today!
Sign up

DJI v Blackmagic - ie ProRes license

Nothing is overpriced if people are paying money for it. DJI has us over a barrel due to lack of competition, so they can get away with charging us for a license to use “free” codecs.

If you need ProRes to get work or complete a job the expense is worth it. If you can build or buy a heavy lift rig that can fly a stabilized BMPCC and match the Inspire’s capabilities then by all means do that and avoid paying the DJI tax. (And please tell me all about it because I want that too!)
 
  • Like
Reactions: slim.slamma
Hawaii Aerial, I'm very interested in hearing someone explain this. I've been asking the same question for several years. I equate it to greed on the part of DJI or Apple, but I'll appreciate learning something different. Also, the ProRes license is linked to a specific aircraft serial number and can't move to a backup should the need arise on location. It can be moved by DJI but it would never happen while doing a Client's work.

How come Blackmagic Design can sell their cameras WITH a ProRes license and DJI charge an exorbitant fee.
 
How come Blackmagic Design can sell their cameras WITH a ProRes license and DJI charge an exorbitant fee.
Although I wouldn’t class DJI in the same league as some professional areas - Commercial/Professional manufacturers have always done this.

As an example Sony charges for codec upgrades/enhancements regularly on its pro cameras (The FS5 got an Mpeg2 HD 422 update at $500), The X70 got a chargeable firmware upgrade adding certain codecs and 4K.
Panasonic have done it with hardware boards containing ROM based codecs including AVCHD from a few years ago.
The ProRes license is cheap - Sony introduced their HFR license firmware upgrade for the Venice and it costs $6,000. That’s no big deal in the cinematography arena.

Its just the way it is in the professional industry.

Black Magic Cameras are awful and have never been classed up there with the likes of Sony, Arri, RED etc so they probably ‘give away’ the codec as a marketing tool to try and gain market share.
 
There are lots of cases of ProRes, an Apple product, being included with purchase of a camera. And, while some camera vendors charge extra for the ProRes License, I doubt the license is linked to a single camera's serial number like DJI does. The DJIO/ProReslicense CAN BE transferred from one aircraft serial number to another, but DJI has to do it somehow in China and I'd be stunned and amazed if that can be done on set when a pilot needs to move from one aircraft to a backup aircraft. You'd think DJI supporting professional use of their aircraft would provide for the license to the pilot or to multiple aircraft much like Adobe products can run on a defined number of multiple computers. I've found there's no end to the lack of support to professional use of their products.
 
FYI, DJI will not transfer a license to your backup aircraft, you must purchase a license for that specific aircraft.
The only time DJI will transfer the license is when they repair it under warranty/ DJI Care refresh or paying them to repair your Cinecore unit, usually $1200 charge.
My backup I2 is identical to my primary.
 
mgphoto, DJI refusing to transfer your ProRes license to a backup aircraft is contrary to what I read in DJI documents or was told by Support Staff.

However, that sort of thing is not surprising with my experience with DJI Support while flying and maintaining a variety of DJI Phantoms, Inspire 1 & 2, Mavic 2 Pro and Matrice 600/Ronin-MX equipment for the past 7 years.

The Company Culture is pathetic and no doubt starts with the founder and ceo.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
22,277
Messages
210,655
Members
34,321
Latest member
powerdry