Had email from Boris saying Boris Red 5.5 now suceeds Avid FX. Does this mean there is a free download for this? And is it true?

JM

It is not free, but yes it is an updated version of AvidFX.  Essentially it's the same except most tasks are green dot (ie "sorta almost real time") effects.  Makes using it a bit more fun.

 

I bought the upgrade, not necessarily because I needed it, but because it came with the promise of a free upgrade later in the later (some kind of big new version).  

Of course, that was during it's first week of release.  No idea if the upgrade pricing or the free upgrade to the next version for free is still included.  

Thanks

what's the cost? Avid doesn't mention this and wonder if it means Avid FX won't ever be updated from now on

For upgrade pricing just go to BorisFX.com under their "RED" product page.  If it still exists, you'll see the upgrade pricing for AvidFX users.  

 

And yes, that means AvidFX, as you know it now, will probably never see another update.  However AvidFX (which is just Boris RED 5.0 repackaged) does continue to work all the way up to MC 8.1.  

http://www.borisfx.com/store/cart.php?target=product&product_id=784&category_id=432     Description
For users of previous versions of Boris RED or Avid FX. Boris Red 5.5 provides compatibility for Avid projects with existing Avid FX effects (filters, transitions, and titles) applied in the timelines to be used in Media Composer 8 and higher. All Avid FX effects will be seamlessly converted to Boris Red effects, maintaining these effects going forward to future versions. Real Time (RT) Editing, Transitions, Professional Text, and Advanced Composites Boris RED is the only integrated 3D compositing, titling, and effects application to deliver unparalleled performance to Avid Media Composer 8 , Avid Symphony 8, and Newscutter. An indispensable tool for post-production and broadcast professionals, RED offers a wide range of features right on your NLE timeline and adds a standalone engine for effects creation and rendering. RED integrates broadcast-quality text generators, paint, rotoscoping, a full suite of tools to create and extrude vector objects, true 3D shapes and animation, and the industry’s most comprehensive image processing filter suite. Your serial number will be delivered electronically when RED 5.5 is available for download.
Details
SKU:	BR550UESD
Price:	$ 295.00
Required Information

Is this "Boris RED 5.5 is the successor to Avid FX and now features green dot mode." what your email said? To me this reads as the words spoken after a Monarch dies  The King is dead Long live the King. (Avid FX is dead long live Boris Red 5.5)

John Mac:

Does this mean there is a free download for this?

No The latest versions of Avid FX continue to work with MC 8.x but Avid FX is no longer bundled with MC and no new versions will be released.

John Mac:

And is it true?

Boris Red 5.5 is the successor in so much as it can install and operate inside your MC 8 in exactly the same way that Avid FX has in the past.  (It is also a standalone version.)
There are significant improvements over Avid FX with Boris Red 5.5 some of which the tutorial the email referred to demonstrates 

You can upgrade your Avid FX to Red 5.5 by dealing directly with BorisFX.  (Pricing maybe a culture shock)