The nerf was warranted because the value of DC was going up as we progressed in ilvl. On the ptr, a 420 piece was worth less than a 340 piece if the 340 was your on DC. That is stupid. It is fixed.
DC is still going to be a strong trait (current estimates put it at 15-20 ilvl, give or take) and the other buffs more than compensate. Overall, prot is significantly stronger going into 8.1. And the AoE damage is still quite insane.