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Raw video and licenses

FWIW, in the medical field licensing is rampant as well. Purchase a $600k piece of hardware, and you can still spend another $200k on licensing for options. No hardware changes at all. Marquee cars? Buy a Porsche Cayman and check the 'sport plus' option and that'll set you back another $1k or so. The auto industry is rife with performance tuning of the same engine based on what model it's going in. Again, no hardware change... just licensing via firmware or software. The engine in my car makes 80hp less than when placed in a different model (Granted, that model MSRP's for about $40k more. And that's the point). Adobe? I miss the days of lump summing a purchase and then using it for 2-3 years.

Vendors across all fields have recognized that the money is in the software/firmware/maintenance. The initial purchase is just the hook to get you onboard. The degree to which profit swings from hardware to software varies by field of course. But as the top vendors in a field collectively swing towards a new paradigm, the consumer is left with little option unless they want to get out of the mainstream and start buying 'third party' or startup stuff.

Everything is 'buyer beware'. Why pay one of these websites $95 for 24hr turnaround on getting an EIN from the federal government? This is something you can do yourself right from the IRS website for free and in about 20 minutes (or was it $5?) Can't remember. Some pay because they have no idea they can do it themselves, or they simply just want to pay and have it done for them. But when there are no alternatives (such as in the case with DJI and the discussed features), you choose 'pay to play' or not. I'm sure there are also some economies of scale and logistics involved with supporting 1 camera vs. 2 that helps drive their decision.

As an aside story, we once discovered that Land Rover found it cheaper to install heated seats in all their Discovery II vehicles for awhile; they just didn't install the switch wiring unless the heated seat option was purchased. Once the community figured it, switch sales somehow went through the roof.
 
So with both licenses, the I2 is US$6000.00 and this is an introductory price.
We paid our I1 $6000.00 with three extra batteries (TB48)
While it would be nice to have ProRes, I'll stick with the X5R raw files.
Other than film set work the regular video out of the X5R is good enough for just about anything else.
 
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So see is it still a good thing that the processing unit is on the inspire?
I was just thinking about this sitsuation, if I got the osmo would I really have to pay again to use that same codec from the same company with the same camera!! Really!! Talk about taking my money!! I'm really it's all the same!!! Oh I'm sorry you had to "integrate" it in the new equipment!
So now we are back to well maybe it was better if they just left the processing unit on the camera!!! I can see it both ways, but come on you are going to charge us again!!! I mean I'm sorry I don't think you can't help but feel like a sucker at this point!! I mean come on! If I was DJI I would be like look at what we got these people doing! These sucks are actually paying us not once for this but twice!!! Ha ha ha!! All the way to the bank!
But again I guess I am paying them to design that into the device!?!
You realize they can do this with just about anything... can't active the gimbal on the 3erd axis without a license!? No seriously, it's no difference!! Do you see how Ludacris this can get! I'm sorry...
See again this pricing format is just all wonky!
I am with whoever said it before, I miss the days when you could just pay for something and it was yours!! The whole thing!
Gezzz!
And yes I think competition would be good for DJI, or the other option would be us standing up... which would mean us not buying their stuff! That's not to hard to ask for right lol

Also interesting about the Land Rover story....
 
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I priced out a I2 with X5s, 2 extra batteries, and 1 extra set of props and left off the licenses and came up with about $5,200.00USD. I also noticed a "6-10 week shipping date following confirmation of order." I'll be buying one but, I will probably wait until after the new year. It can't hurt to have the very earliest adopters get a month or so of time with these before I put my order in.
 
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Have tidied up this thread - some of it was going way OT with videos posted and talk of composition and Post.
The thread is about licencing for codecs.
 
Please check out a hand held pro video camera that has these features and the price will be 4 to 7k or more. The 5s on a future steady grip will be the cats meow along with the bird ..... An amazing combo.
 
They are not licences for .raw files it is access to cinematic codecs files files they are licensing. Will most of us ever want to use this? If you're shooting Hollywood movies then yes, if you are have normal commercial operations then no. It's not a step above per se, just a different format.
 
I don't know if you have considered this as well but you're going to need a hard-core computer system and storage system to process and store the higher rate of video as these files are huge. So you'd be looking at a system similar to mine which was £2400 for a hex core, 32 GB RAM, a Nvidia GTX 980 TI graphics card and I have got three hard drives on here a 4 TB standard drive and 2 500 GB SSD. This would be a minimum spec PC you would need.

This will never hold that much 5.2 K video so you also need a load of extra hard drives or a nas storage system which might set you back another £3000 for a 8 bay nas system which would give you another 40 TB of storage.

So it's not just about the drone but it's also about the peripherals that go into processing the data! I still can't scrub through 4K video I have to use proxies to work on this video format.

If you are just wanting to use this as a hobbyist just get the I 1 that would do you far better!

Just my opinion though!
 
I think its a bit like the airline industry - outrage as we need to pay for checked bags and food as well as our ticket ! - If it was all included in our price (like it used to be) then less 'outrage' . Most likely DJI's Contract agreement with 'license vendor' needs so show this as a line item. If your doing RAW then its part of doing business - Kind of like paying for a business class ticket (It includes baggage/food).
People are worried about OSMO - the SSD is inside the Inspire 2 NOT the Camera so that is why in the DJI film 'Circle' they made those 'Rigs'. So makes sense that the License is Tied to the Drone.
Im sure there will eventually be a OSMO/RONIN add on that allows you in insert the RAW reading SSD - but be interesting to see if one license will cover the glass or the SSD conversion - I'm thinking there will be two licenses needed but some kind of bundle discount. Looks to be standard adapter for NORAW so x5Plate should work fine.

We do Pro work so Im going to go this way in 6 months most likely (either used or wait for price drops)- I think the X5RAW was a stop-gap between this setup - the idea of a I2 for us now in favor of M600 is real as we found the Film Guys actually worry more about raw than the lens, in a film I did in the summer they used 5 types of camera.We even had to mount a 360 on a Ph3!. As they often rent the camera they have concerns of lifting it and not being the 'direct' operator.

Stratospheric is right the Post Prod Gear is almost as much as the flying stuff

In my opinion the I2 is game changing for Pro work - People who need it (not just want it) are not going to complain about seeing a license fee - It actually is something that shows this is the real Deal... A bit like THX Certified.
I have been deep into RC for 30 years and joined the mulitrotor revolution when "if you wanted the best " you had to make it from components - I am a die hard - So admitting that DJI can do it better / faster/ cheaper is tough! but simply put after the PH3pro they did it.. I think after 8-10 Jobs this will pay for itself so thats not too bad.
 
I priced out a I2 with X5s, 2 extra batteries, and 1 extra set of props and left off the licenses and came up with about $5,200.00USD. I also noticed a "6-10 week shipping date following confirmation of order." I'll be buying one but, I will probably wait until after the new year. It can't hurt to have the very earliest adopters get a month or so of time with these before I put my order in.
Hi Dr
For 5218.00 there is a Company taking preorders that include 2 extra batteries, charging hub, and pelican case. Can't say their name but ends midnight tonight. I'm AMPd about it.
 
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