Apple should learn from Blackmagic Design how a respectful company should treat its flagship NLE software. Again, Blackmagic has pushed a vast upgrade to Resolve. DaVinci Resolve 18.5 includes tons of new stuff, features, and AI tools regarding all pages and aspects (Media, Cut, Edit, Color, Fusion, Fairlight, and Deliver). Highlights are below.

DaVinci Resolve 18.5

Blackmagic Design did it again. DaVinci Resolve 18.5 introduces dozens of new tools including four new AI tools, over 150 feature upgrades, and major updates to the Cut page. Editors can now transcribe audio within clips to search for media based on narrative content, or quickly generate subtitles for timelines with the automatic speech-to-text feature. DaVinci Neural Engine AI can also analyze and automatically sort audio clips based on classification, and on the Fairlight page, audio tracks can now be grouped for faster mix automation and editing. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Explore the highlights below:

What’s new in DaVinci Resolve 18.5

Key Features

1. Multiple cut page improvements.
2. Support for Blackmagic Cloud Presentations.
3. DaVinci Neural Engine-based subtitles from audio in Studio.
4. DaVinci Neural Engine powered text-based editing in Studio.
5. Support for Universal Scene Description based workflows in Fusion.
6. New Fusion multi-merge tool to composite and manage multiple layers.
7. Multiple remote monitoring improvements.
8. Support for fast per-timeline backups.
9. Per-timeline Resolve Color Management.
10. Support for edit and mix groups in Fairlight.
11. Support for AI-based audio classification in Studio.

Media page

1. Support for AI-based audio classification in Studio.
2. Support for fast per-timeline backups.
3. Support for additional automatic smart bins.
4. Import and export timelines using the OpenTimelineIO format.
5. New 2x Enhanced Super Scale algorithm.
6. Ability to set Super Scale settings for media from the inspector.
7. Metadata panel support for marker sub-clips.
8. Ability to clear in-out ranges for multiple clips.
9. Ability to change the starting timecode for multiple timeline selections.
10. Ability to reorder favorites in media storage.
11. Ability to clear recent media history in the source viewer.
12. Support for custom pixel aspect ratios in clip attributes.
13. Improved proxy linking for clips without timecode.

Cut page

1. Support for subtitles in the cut timeline.
2. Enlarge a track by clicking on an icon in the track header.
3. Options to display clip names and indicators.
4. Improved smart indicator and edit point display.
5. Out-of-sync indicators for edited sync clips.
6. Automatically detect and create captions from timeline audio.
7. Perform DaVinci Neural Engine scene cuts in the cut timeline.
8. Add audio, video, and subtitle tracks.
9. Split and join adjacent clips.
10. Ripple option to toggle ripple edits on the main track.
11. Add markers and set the default marker color.
12. Ability to create split edits by rolling or trimming audio.
13. Alt or Option trim to bypass ripple and add a gap on the main track.
14. Trim and extend the edit clip start or end to play head.
15. Resync misaligned synced clips.
16. Reorganized the toolbar for quick access to view options and edit actions.
17. Right-click on smooth cut to access favorite transitions on the toolbar.
18. Cut page track numbering uni ed with other pages.
19. Export current frame as still from media, cut and edit viewers.
20. New motion graphic effects templates and transitions in cut and edit.

Edit page

1. DaVinci Neural Engine-based subtitles from audio in Studio.
2. DaVinci Neural Engine powered text-based editing in Studio.
3. Ability to add and delete keyframes using keyboard shortcuts.
4. Ability to modify keyframes during playback on the edit timeline.
5. Export current frame as still from media, cut and edit viewers.
6. Ability to drag video tracks to reorder in the track index.
7. Ability to stabilize multiple selected clips from the timeline.
8. Retime curve now invokes the speed curve by default.
9. Grades from attended multi-cams are copied to multicam angles.
10. Ability to manage to render caches across projects.
11. Ability to manually relink missing VFX Connect clips.
12. Ability to select all clips under playhead in cut, edit, and Fairlight.
13. Ability to set key shortcuts for timeline view options and volume controls.
14. Smoother video updates when the system cannot play in real-time.
15. Improved text wrapping for caption previews in the subtitle inspector.
16. The timecode display window now shows timecode entry previews.
17. The Export Edit Index action is now part of the edit index options.

Fusion page

1. Support for importing Universal Scene Descriptor (USD) files.
2. Introduction of the USD toolset for managing USD assets.
3. Support for USD Hydra-based renderers including Storm.
4. New multi-merge tool for compositing multiple layers.
5. Support for a native AI-based depth map tool in Studio.
6. GPU accelerated Clean Plate.
7. GPU accelerated Anaglyph.
8. Up to 3x faster renders when using the Fusion splitter tool.
9. Find in the media pool for clips and MediaIns on the Fusion page.
10. Support for OpenEXR DWA compression in Fusion savers.
11. Support for BMD Film Gen 5 in Fusion’s CineonLog tool.
12. Support for previewing individual shape tools.
13. Project setting option to disable tone mapping for Fusion conversions.

Color page

1. Per-timeline Resolve Color Management.
2. Support for matte finesse post-filter controls in Magic Mask.
3. Ability to undo Camera RAW changes for each clip.
4. Ability to set a composite mode in the corrector node.
5. Support for marker overlays and annotations in the viewer.
6. Support for showing missing LUTs as a viewer overlay.
7. Ability to manage missing LUTs from the LUT manager.
8. Ability to sort stills, LUTs, and PowerGrade albums in the gallery.
9. Generated LUTs now include spatial Resolve FX DCTL effects.
10. Automatic background refresh of gallery stills for multi-user projects.
11. Improved highlight mode behavior during HDR grading.
12. Ability to copy and paste Vivid HDR trim metadata between clips.
13. Improved performance when grading HDR footage.
14. Up to 2x faster spatial noise reduction in Apple silicon.
15. Improved tracking and cache management for Magic Mask.
16. Support for Dolby Vision controls in DaVinci Resolve Mini panels.
17. Support for color warper controls in DaVinci Resolve Mini panels.
18. External matte node labels now default to the matte file name.
19. The node label is now retained when converting to a shared node.
20. Support for Leica L Log color management.
21. Color space and gamma options are now organized by vendor.

Fairlight page

1. Support for edit and mix groups in Fairlight.
2. Improved elastic wave pitch handling with a voice-specific option.
3. Support for nesting VCAs.
4. Enhanced Dolby Atmos support in Studio.
5. Support for voice isolation in Studio for Linux.
6. Support for dialog leveler for Linux.
7. Improved metering previews for muted or soloed tracks and monitors.
8. Ability to set key shortcuts to scroll to selected tracks in the mixer.
9. Track solos are now retained across project sessions.
10. Ability to pan busses.
11. Ability to select all clips under playhead in cut, edit, and Fairlight.
12. Ability to designate track and bus monitor sources from the index of the track.
13. Multiple voice isolation improvements in Studio.
14. Fairlight FX Monitor Control allowing third-party Rewire integration.
15. Ability to stream and spot from applications like Soundminer.
16. Shift modifier action for 0.1 dB resolution automation level trimming.

Below you can find a high-level recap of the great Resolve master – Casey Faris. That would be a modest summary of Resolve 18.5, We are pretty sure he will release more videos focusing on specific features and elements regarding the new version. Check it out:

Note: Studio version vs. Free

As a reminder, it needs to be noted that the free DaVinci Resolve 18.5 includes all of the same high-quality processing as DaVinci Resolve Studio 18.5 and can handle unlimited-resolution media files. However, it does limit project mastering and output to Ultra HD resolutions or lower. DaVinci Resolve 18.5 only supports a single processing GPU on Windows and Linux and 2 GPUs on the latest Mac Pro. If you need features such as support for multiple GPUs, 4K output, motion blur effects, temporal and spatial noise reduction, de-interlacing, HDR tools, camera tracker, multiple Resolve FX, 3D stereoscopic tools, and remote rendering, you should consider upgrading to DaVinci Resolve Studio 18.5. As Blackmagic says: “We hope you do decide to upgrade as your facility grows and you do more advanced work!”. And they are right!

Final thoughts

As said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s amazing how fast Blackmagic moves. Furthermore, it’s funny to think that a few years ago, Resolve focused only on Color. Now, it’s getting bigger and better as a whole post-production comprehensive solution. And the price… no need to say more. Haven’t you tried Resolve? Well, it’s free. Just verify that you have above the minimum requirements. More info you can find on the Resolve Support Page. FCP anyone?

Product List

Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers. 

• Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Studio, Activation Card
  • BUY on B&H
  • BUY on ADORAMA