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avid 5.5 dongle?
So, I’m relearning avid and taking advantage of the fcpx crossgrade promotion. Since I haven’t used avid in a long time I was curious to know if they still used the dongle as activation or did they figure out how to do it like FCP (which makes much more sense)? I’m asking because when I bring my work home with me I’m workig off my 17″ macbook pro and the idea of having to keep track of a dongle worries me.
thanks
Larry -
7 Replies
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The dongle still exists, but current systems work with a license code (which you still need to activate/deactivate when taking it from one system to another).
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I had forgotten about the dongle. We had lot’s of those in days gone by. FCP allowed me to install on my office computer and on my laptop. They figured I would be at one place or the other and they were right.
Does Avid allow that?Bill
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Avid now uses software activation. Install it on as many computers as you want, activate the one you’re using. When you’re done, deactive. Go home – activate the license on the home computer. When you’re done, deactivate. Go to work, reactivate. Rinse, repeat.
FCP didn’t call home to a license activation server like Avid does, but Avid doesn’t restrict how many systems you can install the software on. They just restrict how many of them can run Media Composer at once – and the answer is, only one of them.
If you want a dongle, I’ve heard you can call inside sales and buy one for $300. Personally, I prefer the dongle. I don’t have to rely on the internet connection, Avid’s server, or anything except me remembering to put it in my pocket before I leave.
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Michael Hancock
Editor -
Also, the dongle will let you run any version of AVID up to the authorized version on the dongle. For instance, if the dongle is authorized for MC5.5 and you have, for some ungodly reason, some need to run MC4.x or MC3.x, simply plug in the dongle and go.
That being said, the dongle does take up a USB port that could be used for something else.
Dongle vs software is a matter of preference and priority. I manage systems with dongles for work. My personal installation is software activated.
Cheers,
Ben Wilson
Engineering Project Manager
SCETV -
do you have to have an internet connection to run avid then without a dongle??
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Yes I do. Another thing to note with the software activation is the hardware ID of the machine you are running on is dependent upon the NIC configuration of your computer.
If you have a wireless NIC enabled and working as the primary NIC when you activate AVID, the NIC must always be on and active as the primary for AVID to start. IF you have to change a NIC card for some reason you will have to reactivate AVID with the new NIC installed. That to me is the biggest drawback of software activation. It’s not too bad to deal with as long as you are aware of that quirk.
Ben Wilson
Engineering Project Manager
SCETV -
No, you don’t need an internet connection to run the Avid. You need an internet connection to activate MC on a system (can be done through another computer). Deactivation requires an internet connection. If there’s trouble, there is free phone support that will activate/deactivate the license for you.
See details: https://avid.custkb.com/avid/app/selfservice/search.jsp?DocId=277611
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