Blackmagic DesignReviews of blackmagicdesign.com

Says its works best on linux but it will not install. Absolute junk im a photographer not a programmer. We all know time is $$$ and I have wasted a day trying to install this piece of crap absolute lies and crap. Also I am using Gemma 4 AI to help with install and you need to update your installer to 64 bit.

Overall excellent software but I have an issue: I attempted to install Studio 21.1 on a new computer but I keep getting the message "cannot validate license". I've tried with 3 different keys acquired through purchase of different BM products, and can neither find a solution nor any good support. Would be grateful if someone from BM can reach out and help. Thank you

I'm buying DaVinci Resolve Studio today, under protest, and I want other buyers to know exactly what Blackmagic put me through to hand them my money. Their own store won't let you simply pay with a credit card. You're forced to create a PayPal account to finish checkout. I don't want a PayPal account, so I called support to ask for another way to pay. The rep was condescending from the first sentence. He treated me like the problem for not wanting to sign up for a third-party payment service, and he offered no help and no alternative. I hung up. So I did his job for him and researched my options. There are three, and every one of them is bad: 1. Create the PayPal account Blackmagic is forcing on me. 2. Buy a digital key from an authorized reseller for $335 instead of $295, a $40 penalty just for wanting to pay with a card. 3. Order a physical activation card from B&H at the normal price, then wait days for it to arrive in the mail. I'd have gladly gone with B&H, but I need the software today. I'm not paying a $40 ransom to avoid a signup. So I'm cornered into the one thing I didn't want: creating a PayPal account for a single purchase, then deleting it the minute I'm done. That's not a checkout. That's a trap. Blackmagic built a system where every honest option either costs more, takes days, or forces you into a service you never agreed to use, and their support staff talks down to you for noticing. The software may be excellent. That's exactly why they get away with this. They know people want it badly enough to swallow it. I did. I'm paying them anyway, and I resent every step it took to get here. Blackmagic: accept credit cards directly, and teach your support team that a customer trying to give you $295 isn't the problem. Until that changes, I'll be telling every editor I know how to buy your software without ever touching your store.

The free version of Davinci Resolve is pretty incredible. The paid version is worth it for the AI audio tools alone. You can even get a one month license for $30 to do what you need to do if you're not ready to commit. There's a steep learning curve, but I've used a lot of advanced editing programs and they all require some tutorials. I can't believe how much you get for FREE, and that the full paid license is less than $300 in 2026. No subscription.

Ein seltener Lichtblick im Wust des abscheulichen Urwalds von Diensten mit ausschließlich Abozahlungen oder sogar zusätzlich noch überteuerten KI-Credits. Die Funktionen von DaVinci Resolve übertreffen die meisten Konkurrenten um Längen, es wird immer besser und ausgefeilter, gibt ein Lifetime-Abo und viele teurere Zusatzartikel. Wenn ich eine Empfehlung geben darf, dann: liebes Blackmagic-Team, ändert bitte niemals etwas an diesem Bezahlmodell, es ist neben der Qualität der Software vermutlich der Hauptfaktor, weswegen so viele Menschen, mich eingeschlossen, auf eure Produkte schwören und ihnen bis das passiert auch nicht den Rücken kehren werden.

Great software but a garbage website.

Terrible return policy for professional gear—beware! In Spain ... if you buy Blackmagic Design hardware from a local dealer and the product does not meet your expectations, they DO NOT accept returns or exchanges. This is a terrible commercial policy. I recently bought an UltraStudio 4K Mini (BM-BDLKULSDMINI4K) but it did not meet my expectations for my workflow. When I tried to return it, I was shocked to find out that Blackmagic Design refuses to accept returns or exchanges if you change your mind or if the product doesn’t fit your needs. For a dealer selling high-end, expensive Blackmagic Design hardware, having a zero-flexibility return policy is completely unacceptable, and they explained the policy comes directly from (and is imposed by) Blackmagic Design. Digital professionals need to test gear in their environment. This Blackmagic Design policy deserves a VERY BAD service review.

Davinci Resolve is Garbage software. Everyone praises the control you have over all the functionality, yet no one talks about how crappy it works. I spent weeks sorting through audio issues that had essentially made the software unusable. Paid to take courses to train me how to use it. Several weeks invested just learning the software only to run into so many issues I thought I was going crazy. The audio is totally broken and after months of trouble shooting why I am unable to hear my audio during editing, I learned it's a Davinci problem that is known with no solution. Absolute garbage. When I called customer support I was told no refund after 15 days!?!?! It took me way more than 15 days to even learn how to use it wtf!! So now after spending $295.00 on a perpetual license I am SOL because I actually tried to learn how to use it before totally giving up. What a load of crap.