License key registration and management
You normally enter the license key only once, when you register it (except in cases such as reinstalling the OS). NyXGridEncode is a one-time purchase with no fixed term of use.
How to register a license key
Requirements for license key registration
- A license key, sent by email at the time of purchase
- Internet access on the PC being registered, at registration and at least once every 14 days after that
You do not need to create an account. Registering and verifying a license key never sends your email address.
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1
Receiving the license key
Once payment is complete, the license key is sent to the email address entered at checkout. A license key consists of 6 blocks of 6 alphanumeric characters.
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2
Opening the License window
Open the License window from the Help menu and select "Register" to open the Register License Key window. The key is entered in 6 separate boxes; paste the whole key into the first box and it is split across all 6 boxes automatically.
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3
Checking with "Verify"
Before registering, you can check the edition, the expiry date and how many of the allowed PCs are already using the key. Verifying does not use up a registration.
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4
Completing registration with "Register"
Select "Register". When registration succeeds, the key entry window closes and "Registered." appears in the License window. "Register", "Verify", "Revalidate", "Release" and "Replace" all require a network connection. On later launches, the available features are determined from information stored on the PC, so startup never waits for a connection. When the PC is online, the license is also checked in the background.
Number of PCs covered by one license key
The number of PCs that can be registered at the same time is set by edition. Even at the limit, you can select a PC you no longer use and replace it.
The PCs already registered are listed, each with the date it was last used.
Select one PC from the list. No action is required on that PC.
The selected PC is released, and the PC you are using is registered.
If you register while at the limit, the registered PCs are listed together with the date each was last used. Select the one you no longer use and the replacement completes immediately. There is no need to release it in advance.
A PC is identified from several pieces of information. You have to register the key again after changing the computer name or the number of logical processors, reformatting the system drive or reinstalling the OS. If a majority of the identifying information still matches, the PC is treated as the same one and no additional registration is used. Changes to the GPU, memory or data drives have no effect.
A PC that joins distributed encoding as an agent does not need a license key. All it needs is the same auth token as the controller, and it does not count toward the number of PCs you can register. Even without a license key, the limits on the number of GPUs used at the same time and the number of jobs allowed in the queue do not apply to an agent.
Releasing a PC from within the application is limited to 3 times in any 30-day period. The replacement described above does not use up that allowance, so the limit is not reached even if you move to new PCs or reinstall repeatedly.
Redundancy with a standby controller
ProPlus lets you register two PCs with one license key. If you register the second PC as a standby controller, you can switch to it and continue distributed encoding when the controller PC fails.
- 1Prepare
Register the same license key on the second PC as well. In normal operation, it can take part in encoding as an agent.
- 2Keep a backup
On the controller PC, export the settings and the queue regularly.
- 3Switch over
Change the mode of the second PC to a controller mode, and import the exported settings and queue.
- 4Change the connection
On each agent, change the connection target to the host name or IP address of the second PC.
Notes
- Switching is manual. The product does not switch controllers automatically.
- The imported queue is the one from the last export. Jobs added after that are not included.
- If the second PC runs as an agent in normal operation, it counts toward the 5 agents.
Continued use in an offline environment
After registration, NyXGridEncode runs by checking the information stored on the PC itself. If no network connection is available, it keeps running for the periods shown below.
Even after NyXGridEncode has switched to the free limits, reconnecting to the network restores your edition's features at the next launch, or at the next periodic check while it is running. There is no need to register again.
Conversion itself continues even when the license cannot be verified. Only the number of jobs allowed in the queue, the number of GPUs used at the same time, folder watch and distributed encoding are restricted. Jobs already running are processed through to the end.
The license is checked in the background once at launch and periodically while NyXGridEncode is running. If a check cannot reach the server, it is retried at shorter intervals. Startup never waits for a network connection.
Information sent for license verification
Items that are sent
- The license key
- The product version
- Hashed values used to identify the PC (apart from the computer name, the underlying values are not sent)
- The computer name (used to select which PC to release)
- The license ID (used for checks after registration, when releasing a PC and when attaching or detaching add-on licenses)
If your computer name contains your real name, that name is sent. When a PC is registered, replaced or released, when an add-on license is attached or detached, and when a license key is reissued, the server records the source IP address of the request.
For details on how this information is handled, see the Privacy Policy. If you keep using NyXGridEncode free of charge without registering a license key, it makes no license-check connection at all. The update check for NyXGridEncode and the external tools (on by default; you can turn it off in the settings) only reads the latest version information and does not send the license ID or any information that identifies the PC.
Questions about licensing
Can one license key be used on several PCs?
It depends on the edition. Standard and Pro can be registered on 1 PC, and ProPlus on 2. Even at the limit, you can select a registered PC and replace it. PCs that join distributed encoding as agents do not count toward this number.
Do I have to register again after reinstalling the OS?
Yes. Reinstalling the OS changes part of the information that identifies the PC, so the license key has to be registered again. If a majority of that information still matches, the PC is treated as the same one and no additional registration is used. If it is identified as a different PC and the limit has been reached, select the previous PC from the list shown in the Register License Key window and replace it. This replacement does not count toward the limit of 3 manual releases in any 30-day period.
Can I release a PC that will not start because of a hardware failure?
Yes. Register the same license key on another PC. If the limit has been reached, the registered PCs are listed together with the date each was last used; select the failed PC and select "Replace". No action is required on the failed PC itself.
Can the product be used on a PC that is never connected to a network?
Continuous use on a PC that is completely isolated from any network is not supported. In addition to the initial registration, the PC needs a network connection at least once every 14 days. From the last successful license check, NyXGridEncode runs without restriction for 7 days, then for a further 7 days while showing the number of days remaining. After a total of 14 days it switches to the free limits. Once the PC connects and the license is verified again, your edition's features are restored.
Do agents in distributed encoding also need a license key?
No. All an agent needs is the same auth token as the controller. There is no need to open the License window on an agent.
What is the difference between the license ID and the license key?
The license key is the string you enter in NyXGridEncode to register your license, and it should be kept private. The license ID is a number assigned to each license, used to identify which license an inquiry concerns. The one you enter to register is the license key. Both appear in the email you receive when you buy a license.
Can a lost license key be reissued?
Yes. On the reissue page linked in your purchase email, enter the email address you used when you bought the license. We then send you a confirmation link that lets you reissue the key. Reissuing releases every PC registered up to that point, so any PC you keep using must be registered again with the new license key.
Can I get a refund?
If you contact us within 14 days, counting from the day after the purchase date, we refund the full amount, whatever the reason. A refunded license ceases to be valid. This does not limit any rights you have under the consumer protection laws of your country or region. See the Terms of Service for the detailed conditions.
Do I have to pay for updates?
Updates within the same major version (1.x) are free of charge. Because this is a one-time purchase, there is no time limit on use.
For refunds, transfer and prohibited uses, the Terms of Service apply.
For the open source software used by this product, see the Open source licenses page.
For the License window and its messages, see chapter 13 of the User manual.