DaVinci Resolve

Video editing software with color correction, visual effects, 4K and HD.

In terms of video editing software, very few titles come close to the completeness and number of options and tweaks available as DaVinci Resolve does.

As a commercial video editing platform, DaVinci Resolve is classified as a freemium product which offers many of its core functions as free for personal use. Yes, the program is free for personal use and included many features that both novice and even advanced users can take advantage of.

The video editing program is actually quite popular among professionals as it includes many advanced features for creating and editing video projects. Two of the most important features that are present in this application are video stabilization and advanced color correction which allows for the creation of professional-grade video clips.

Setup and installation

Upon first installation of DaVinci Resolve, users will be prompted to install the main application along with a couple of extras include PostgreSQL. Once everything is setup, an optional tour of the program may be viewed before being able to create a project in SD, HD or UltraHD. New projects can be opened with a default view similar to Apple Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro if you’re used to either of those layouts.

The main work spaces which provide access to different functions of the program include media library, cut, edit, fusion, color, Fairlight and deliver.

A ton of high quality effects, stabilization, color correction and Fusion FX

DaVinci Resolve comes packed with pretty hefty functions. While editing a video track, its advanced color correction abilities come second to none. The color wheels provide a quick and easy way to change the video’s output with an image preview of the frame while adjusting lift, gamma, gain and offset. The scopes provide a visual representation of the adjustments and whether there’s too much of one color present in the frame.

Color correction tools include color compressor, color space transform, contrast pop, gamut limiter, gamut mapping and invert color.

The video stabilization feature is an advanced and professional way to create buttery smooth video flow and because the algorithms are advanced, the time it takes can take a considerable amount of time depending on your graphics processor and CPU.

Some of the effects in the Fusion toolbar include blur, light, refine, revival, stylize, texture, transform and warp. The templates that come with the Fusion pack are different looks, shaders, stylized text and motion graphics effects.

A number of other standard video editing features are certainly present with this highly recommended application so have a browse through and check out many of the advanced tools and enhancements.

Hardware accelerator for Intel, AMD and NVIDIA

As the program utilizes several modern technologies that take advantage of the GPU and CPU, the application comes included with out-of-the-box support for the most widespread and powerful chips. It’s been optimized for AMD and Intel CPUs and can utilize the advanced computing functions of NVIDIA RTX video cards.

As the effects, modifications and enhancements offered by DaVinci Resolve are quite resource intense, it’s recommended to use this video editing suite on higher-end systems although mid-range PCs should be able to cope with many of the basic editing tasks.

Video exporting to YouTube, H.264, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere

When your project is finally completed, DaVinci Resolve can export the entire video or sections of it to a slew of different file formats using varied video and audio encoding codecs. It does have a few useful presets for different video types such as high definition YouTube videos, vimeo uploads, H.264, Final Cut Pro and Premiere XML. It can also just export the audio format and naturally can export videos with complete customization of resolution, video size, crop, format and codec.

Once a video has been queued in the render queue, the last part of the process is waiting. Depending on the size, optimizations and corrections involved in the video project, this could take a while.

Conclusion

All in all, DaVinci Resolve is a very comprehensive video editing application suite that does have a high learning curve. With that said, the quality of video and the numerous enhancements the program can apply to scenes and clips can produce some stunning results.

Features of DaVinci Resolve

• Integrates with Vimeo and YouTube.
• AI features: automated features like facial recognition, shot matching and stabilization.
• Collaboration: shared projects and remote editing for faster team workflows.
• Color grading: high-end primary and secondary tools for creating stunning looks.
• Fairlight audio: advanced audio post-production with up to 1,000 channels.
• Fusion VFX: powerful node-based effects for creating photorealistic images and animations.
• HDR grading: real-time HDR grading with a wide range of color spaces and color levels.
• Interoperability: full integration with all major NLEs, cameras and formats.
• Motion graphics: 2D and 3D motion graphics with high-end transitions.
• Multi-user: multiple editors working simultaneously on the same project.
• Network rendering: distributed rendering across multiple computers.
• Professional editing: timeline-based editing, trimming and media organization.
• Smooth playback: real-time playback of effects and nodes with no rendering.
• Stereoscopic 3D: support for 3D editing and color grading in multiple formats.
• Templates: customizable titles and effects templates for easy reuse.

Compatibility and License

DaVinci Resolve is provided under a freeware license on Windows from audio and video editors with no restrictions on usage. Download and installation of this PC software is free and 18.1.4 is the latest version last time we checked.

What version of Windows can DaVinci Resolve run on?

DaVinci Resolve can be used on a computer running Windows 11 or Windows 10. Previous versions of the OS shouldn’t be a problem with Windows 8 and Windows 7 having been tested. It runs on both 32-bit and 64-bit systems with no dedicated 64-bit download provided.

Other operating systems: The latest DaVinci Resolve version from 2023 is also available for Mac.

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