[Postman]

Video Satellite and Video Satellite LE are very different products, despite similarity of name. Probably not an upgrade, but a separate license purchase. "Video Satellite" is only available through a reseller such as your local dealer, not online. It's been that way since it was introduced, which probably made sense then but not as much now. It is an iLok authorization that plugs into the Media Composer's workstation, to enable the Video Satellite features that are built into every Media Composer since 3-something (5-something on Mac I think). Pro Tools HD, HD-native, or HDX required, also need a Sync (hopefully SyncHD) interface, especially if you have an Avid hardware interface on Media Composer.

I mostly love mine, but it sometimes throws various errors that you would think shouldn't happen, and I find myself switching to the Composer screen to either dismiss a dialog box that cannot be dismissed from Pro Tools (shift-click the RED satellite button on PT will dismiss many of them), or sometimes just trying to initiate play from MC to sort of "clear out" a short string of errors. And then, there is the occasional Composer crash or error-recovery message for no obvious reason, and PT just refuses to play until I figure it out.

For a top of the line pair of Avid systems, their joint operation feels kind of precarious sometimes but for the most part they run well together, and in my case sync is ABSOLUTELY SOLID AND PREDICTABLE. So, for me, the spotty inconvenience is worth it.