The $199 will get you a perpetual non expiring license. Perpetual meaning it will never cease to work. You will be able to open and save any project you have already created, and create new ones as you wish. What DOES "expire" is your ability to upgrade that license to a new version of Pro Tools. So, if during your 1 year plan, Avid releases PT 13, you will get that as part of your plan. When your plan expires, you will have access to whatever the latest version was when your plan expired. If at a later date you want to "upgrade" that license, you will essentially have to re-purchase a new licence at full cost if you have let your plan lapse.
Pro Tools licensing FAQ
You also have access to the
"bonus plugins" during the term of your support plan. Those however will stop working when your plan expires, if you don't renew.
Driver updates are completely separate from the Pro Tools plans. You don't have to be on any plan, or even own Pro Tools to get driver updates.
Joel