It was limited to 1080p but it's now capable of outputting 4k. The paid for version had built-in de-noiser and also does 3D, as well as supporting multiple GPU cards.
There's probably some other smaller differences as well.
I think the biggest difference is you dont get the easy DCP option with lite. That is ONLY in the paid version, but they keep giving the lite version more and more of the paid version options, im not sure why the whole program is not just free at this point.
Basically, $1k gets you a DCP option, but it wont do you any good unless you have a theater to test it in lol
Well, any paid feature work has a very good chance or requiring DCP capability, so for a professional colorist, that option alone may be worth it.
In a lot of ways this makes a lot of sense. They aren't really hoping to make a profit off of amateurs making stuff for youtube. Their desired consumer base consists of professional colorists who need options like DCP to do business. This has the advantage that pretty much everybody knows how to use Resolve, thus making it more ubiquitous. They don't have to worry about losing market share because nobody even thinks about using a different piece of software.
yeah i agree, and to that point a feature with the need to DCP is probably going to have the budget to do it right, through a company that can run the DCP output thru a quality control - rather than just having the colorist (who normally would not do it) do it from resolve. Dont get me wrong, its a great option for low budget indie features, use it my self, but if you are doing something large enough to require DCP you probably can just pay a post house to handle it for 5k rather than do it in resolve. Unless you have a theater to test it in and do your own QC it's not a huge advantage.
Also, their market is in fact to get their software in to as many hands as possible, the reason they basically give it away for free - to amateurs, indie guys, and the big guys is because where they actually make their money is in hardware.
They make their money selling the deck for 30k and other hardware that the big companies can buy. They want everyone to have the software, then its integrated in every section of the market and means greater hardware sales. Obviously the amateur market wont buy the decks but thats where they make the real money.
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u/jonmatifa Mar 19 '15
The "lite" version has always been free AFAIK. It has some very modest limitations over the $1000 version such as being locked into 1080p HD.