Once again they are not an add-on. Even the Essential version of PhotoLab already contains everything.
Mark
Useful thread. I always found the link between the versions of PL and those of FP/VP quite confusing. So far, this contributed to keeping me away from FP, but it might still be useful for me.
What if I find FP useful now, purchase it (together with the upgrade to PL 7) and do not upgrade FP in the near future while still upgrading PL yearly (as I have done so far). Will the FP 7 features keep working ? Has someone done this ?
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The features in FP 7 will continue to work in newer versions of PhotoLab. You would only have to upgrade to a new version of FilmPack if it contained some new feature you wanted.
Mark
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Admittedly the releases dates of versions are getting closer but nothing indicates that the major versions of FP and VP will be updated each year.
FP5 - 10/2014
FP6 - 10/2021
FP7 - 09/2023
VP3 - 11/2016
VP4 - 10/2022
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As long as you are satisfied with your complete solution, which is now quite mature, stick with it.
Thanks for clarifying that, Franky! Quite an error on my part.
nope and you are right, but they were also working on finishing Nik collection which is now completed. now they just need to keep working on their current 5 software PL, Pr, VP, FP and Nik. or would this be the DxO Suite 
Nice try but that’s just clever semantics. You will know and understand what follows but many people won’t so allow me to spell it out.
Yes, the codebase for PL is ‘complete’ but there are three distinct paywalls you must get over before you get at that complete code:
- pay to unlock the ‘Elite’ features
- pay to unlock features branded Viewpoint
- pay to unlock features branded Filmpack.
No one thinks of PL Elite as an add-on to PL Essential, it’s obvious it’s a simple feature unlock. Pay extra, enter the new activation code that payment gives you and greyed out features in PL become active. Simple.
With VP and FP though, you don’t just get activation codes that unlock greyed out features, you also get installers for stand alone applications. It is not obvious that you do not need to install and activate these stand alone applications to get at their features within PL and in fact all you have to do is enter the activation codes into the relevant dialog inside PL. Unsurprisingly therefore the vast majority of people simply install and activate the stand alone applications, doing which of course also unlocks the greyed out features in PL. Consequently most people perceive VP and FP as add-ons. The fact that these stand alone applications can be also invoked as plug-ins within the likes of Photoshop or Lightroom reinforces this perception that VP and FP are add-ons.
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my understanding, if you pay extra to use the tools that those unlock, then they are add-on, doesn’t matter if they are already within PL, you can’t use those greyed out tools unless you pay the extra to unlock them. PL Elite isn’t complete without VP and FP, the fact that they can be use as stand alone have nothing to do for being add-on. it is an addition if you pay to use extra.
IMO DxO should just rename Essential to Elite+ which would include VP and FP, so then you’ll have the choice of a complete software and another choice to get the software with option to buy off the missing VP and FP is you need them.
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I agree with you completely. I really like the way you explained it. I totally understand that many users are confused by this. That is why I take great pains to explain, over and over again, that Viewpoint and FilmPack features accessed from within PhotoLab are not add-ins or plugins depending on what term some people would use. As a general rule I don’t bring the standalone versions into the discussions because it complicates my main point with regard to how those additional licenses allow access to Viewpoint and FilmPack from within PhotoLab.
Mark
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I actually like that idea. I never liked the existence of the Essential version which is a woefully crippled product. But, an Elite+ version without the standalone versions of Viewpoint and FilmPack while more expensive than Elite alone, could be priced far lower than purchasing all three components separately along with their standalone versions. I have been advocating for something similar for years.
Mark
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Filmpack is named FILMPACK.
So it is supposed to be a kit to reproduce film rendering.
All tools which are necessary to basically output raw to bitmap should be part of PL.
And a luminance mask is one of them.
It is a really basic tool found about everywhere else.
Photolab miss a lot of basic tools. If they begin to sell them as option, euhhh …
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But what they do is mixing all that to push people who does not want-need filmpack to buy it.
Not a good strategy.
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DxO are currently offering several time-limited, bundled deals - as long as those prices aren’t going to be cut again on Black Friday.
Although, I can’t find similar bundles for upgrading, even though I started out with the PL/FP/VP bundle.
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While emulations are a major component of FilmPack, there is a lot more to it, including several features that I feel are indispensable.
Mark
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Those bundle prices are weird. It is cheaper to buy the bundle of PL + FP and add VP separately for 99€, than buying the bundle that includes all three.
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Hmmm. Yes, I see what you mean.
This does not change the fact that basic tools to output RAW to bitmap should be part of photolab and not sold as option which push to by FILMpack.
A basic luminance mask put in grey in front of your face to push to buy FILMpack when this is a basic tool in about every other software means what it means.
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There seems to be some odd differences between the € pricing and the UK £ pricing. As can be seen in the DxO Shop bundle prices for the UK below, the complete PL, FP, VP bundle is cheaper than buying PL +FP, and then VP separately.
Except it is a very good strategy for making money if it