VideoReDo owner passed away, product ceased, seeking alternatives ?

[Bridgy]

Personally, i will be doing my own investigations and trying a few ideas out as soon as i get my new Dell AIO desktop computer, so that i don't need to potentially lose my Pro activation on the laptop while cloning to a new computer.

I have been sussing out one possible method of retaining my Pro activation/license even by doing a clean install of my VRD Pro onto a brand new computer without cloning, as i really don't want to continue using the windows 10 pro system that i have had on my laptop for almost 4.5 years, if i have to finally move to Windows 11 then i want to build my own stripped down version, and then re-install only the Apps and software that i really need from fresh.

I found this interesting link for anyone to read, it basically has every single post made by Dan Haddix since the passing of Dan Rosen, and he is very clear about his position and his intentions going forward since 2022.

https://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-capture/12978-videoredo-activation-servers.html#post86819

This is not a life threatening situation for me, and nor should it be for others, for me, i will just use LosslessCut to do my smart cuts (even if only accurate on keyframes) and i use various other free tools to recode my files if i need to, however, i will more than likely just buy TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 7 to do the other stuff if and when i need to.

I guess that i am lucky that i am in a position to be able to afford to pay for tools like that, i just wish TMPGEnc had the Smart Cut and Render feature built into the slightly over priced Video Mastering Works 7, for the cost of that software, it should have it included.

EDIT: Read a few comments from Dan Haddix in this link too, seems like the Domain is the main concern for Pro users and not the actual server itself.

https://www.reddit.com/r/videoredo/comments/19epmww/activation_for_videoredo_6_pro/

[Marayong]

Good luck getting the pro version to work on a new computer. If you are successful (or not), please do post the details and method here. One thing it may be worth checking, which you can do now, is to see if VRD Pro starts up and works normally on your laptop with the internet *disabled*. Reading the above links there is uncertainty as to just when the pro version "calls home" and which of those calls are necessary for continued function (as distinct from say automatic update checks). If VRD Pro works fine on a pc with the internet disabled then an install will survive the server going into a black hole. In that case you'll only need to worry about reactivation for a fresh install. If it won't work without an active internet connection (and some software is like that), it'll be time to look elsewhere.

For the record, the non-pro version works happily on a computer without internet. As long as you disable "check for updates", the only time it calls home is on a fresh install when you try to register it or a major version upgrade (and there are no more of those). They will fail and you need to do a manual registration using Dan H's fall-back website.

As someone who runs several websites, some of the comments on the two links about the domain are incorrect. If the registration lapses, the website becomes unreachable and the domain name goes into a holding limbo for a few months (how long depends on the registrar in question). At the end of that limbo time the domain name is released and ANYONE can then register it. So if someone has a copy of the relevant code etc on the registration server, they just need to wait a few months after the domain expires before they can purchase the domain name and set the pro registration server back up. Actually, the domain itself isn't really needed .. you just need to edit your pc's DNS 'hosts' file (for windows) so any internet request that is going to say vrd.com/register instead goes to someotherwebsite.com/register. It may even be possible for someone quite computer cluey to set the server up on their own pc and locally direct the DNS host for any registration query to go to that. The same approach would work with the non-pro version. The hosts file allows you to remap the DNS for a website to a local file (I've done so on my pc to block installed software from constantly calling home when it doesn't need to) or to a different website.

[Marayong]

Given what I've said above about domains, the main issue keeping VRD registrations alive is not technical (aka servers etc) but legal, given the registration software that is on the server is likely patented and/or copyrighted by Dan R's heirs and putting your own copy online would be in breach of those rights. If I was doing it I'd dark web it, which is not as nasty as it sounds .. putting something on the dark web just means the webpage(s) contains code that tells search engines not to index the webpage or website .. useful for paywalled websites, online banking websites, web-based email etc.

[Bridgy]

In my previous post i was not talking about creating a "cracked" copy of VRD Pro or non Pro, and putting that out there for others to find, i don't believe in cracked software because to me it is akin to theft.

I have been talking to a friend of mine who is very very intelligent when it comes to computing and software, and he told me that there might be a way for the current users to continue using the VRD software, even if everything connected to the licensing and activations disappears.

This work around would only be for those who own a legit activated licensed copy of VRD, not for those scumbags who use the software illegally.

Obviously there are legal issues when it comes to this, but if my friend was to create a method of overcoming the activation and licensing then i would only be using it for myself, but one would have to seek legal advice all the same.

[Marayong]

I wasn't talking about cracked versions either. I was talking about alternatives for the registration website for those with legit copies. Dan H. has already put up an alternative copy of the registration site for the non-pro version. The same thing could be done for the pro versions if someone had access to the registration site code. Legal access to it. Even if they did not have the original domain name, an edit of the hosts file on users computers would overcome that.

[Bridgy]

Amongst the confusion i must have misunderstood your previous message.

My friends alternative has nothing to do any servers or domains, it involves creating a method for me to continue using my copy of VRD Pro, irrespective of the activation or the computer that i install it on, basically this is just a way for me, as a paid user, to continue using VRD.

If my VRD craps out on me, then so be it, at least i have other options already in place, but as of now because i record video in 4k/60p HEVC, i can only use VRD Pro to do my recoding and add titles etc if and whe i need to, if i want to do my edits without lag on the time line i could record in 4k/60p AVC instead.

Again, it is sad that Dan Rosen did not put something in place so VRD could continue into the future, and Dan Haddix would have been the ideal person to take over on behalf of Dan Rosens wife or family, and even though both Dan's lived in different parts of the country, the business was able to be run from a home office, just as i believe it was run by Dan Rosen.