Hardware is dying. Software is alive and kicking. This may be an oversimplification, but with the democratization of media creation, content providers are demanding more cost effective and integrated systems in all areas of the production pipeline. The trend in post started in the edit suite with the introduction of Final Cut Pro, which sparked edit systems such as Avid to move from hardware-based, turnkey systems to file-based software that could be installed on the customer’s own computer network. The trend has expanded from offline editing into the online arena. Now, in addition to color-timing tools tied to editing software, high-powered grading and finishing platforms are now being offered as software-only programs in addition to their hardware based set-ups.
Providing on-set, editing and color correction systems for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux computers, Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve 10 is not limited by the performance of the computer it’s running on because it is based on a cluster of high performance GPU cards, so processing is always real-time. The performance can be upgraded by adding extra GPU’s to handle 4K resolutions, stereoscopic 3D and real-time grading direct from raw camera files such as ARRI RAW, RED RAW and Sony RAW files. DaVinci Resolve 10 operates with virtually all video file types available. New formats include JPEG 2000 decoding and encoding, as well as AVI clip decoding and playback. DaVinci Resolve 10 has upgraded on-set tools, upgraded editing features, support for OpenFX plug ins as well as new tools for delivering final project masters to cinemas.
New editing features include full multi-track editing with 16 channels of audio per clip and unlimited video and audio tracks in the timeline. Audio can be synced, trimmed and dragged independently to the timeline. Other new editing features include extensive ripple, roll, slide and slip clip-trimming support, which display dynamically on the timeline and viewer. The viewer also allows split-screen display to show in and out points of adjacent clips.
DaVinci Resolve 10 can be used for stereoscopic 3D projects with full support for left- and right-eye clips in the media pool and the edit timeline. Using timecode and reel name, the system will automatically associate the left and right eye of the stereoscopic clips.
Integration of popular film and television industry tools allow timelines to be moved into and out of DaVinci Resolve and edit software such as Final Cut Pro, Avid and Premiere Pro. The enhanced editing features allow for online finishing of edits from NLE software using the original camera RAW files. Scenes that might need additional editing can be moved back to the NLE software so editors can use the tools they are most comfortable with.
When an edit to be onlined includes mixed frame rates, mixed media types, multiple audio tracks and even color corrections, DaVinci Resolve 10 will support import of that project via XML and will online it including a full translation of all these elements while rendering the master from the original RAW camera files. DaVinci Resolve 10 becomes a tool to online work for cinema release and generate the Digital Cinema Package file directly from the camera RAW files.
Upgraded color correction features in DaVinci Resolve 10 includes support for industry standard OpenFX plug ins with an unlimited number of plug ins per clip, unlimited power windows per corrector node and the new Gradient PowerWindow that lets colorists quickly add a gradient across the image. New color correction features include copy and paste of tracking data, motion effects including spatial and temporal noise reduction and motion blur effects.
For project delivery, DaVinci Resolve 10 includes full audio track visibility in the deliver window timeline as well as EasyDCP integration so users can render directly from their project timeline into a Digital Cinema Package for release to theaters. The system allows rendering from the camera RAW file directly to the Digital Cinema Package files at 32-bit float.
The free DaVinci Resolve Lite includes the same high quality processing as the full DaVinci Resolve with unlimited color correction nodes, however it limits projects to SD and HD resolutions, a single processing GPU and a single RED rocket card. Stereoscopic 3D features, 2K, noise reduction, power mastering, remote grading and sharing projects with an external database server are features only offered in the full version of the system.
