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Author Topic: DaVinci Resolve 14 vs. PowerDirector 15/16 - Anyone with experience of both?  (Read 13592 times)

fredjeang2

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Thanks for all the replies.

We’ve gone a bit off topic, but it all relates to Resolve in some way.

Just to be clear: if I want to get the best quality video out of my RX100 Mk 1, @ 25fps, I must...

1. Use AVCHD/50i 24M(FX)
2. Use a converter to make it work on Resolve.

Correct?

Thanks.

D.

Wonders! Hdcinrmatics converts effectively to Prores on PC!! Bang.

It's not that converting will increase the quality of your footage.
What's recorded is what is. No way back. No gain.
But it may avoid more sins when you will work with the file. On the paper...
That is important if you work with very compressed codecs and plan
To do an in-depth color correction, green screens etc...(still on the paper...)
It's a bit like if you were doing retouching with jpegs in Photoshop. You need something more
Robust to handle manipulations versioning, like a Tiff. But at the same time you need something light enough
So it does not slowdown the editing.
We have a contradiction: editing needs speed, color needs depth.
A 8bits jpeg would be perfect for editing but bad for retouching.
A 32bits tiff would be perfect for retouching but bad for editing.
So there are codecs such as Prores and Dnx that are designed to do
Both tasks relatively well.
Also it will ensure that you work with a "standardized" workflow.
But converting is not ideal because it consumes space very fast.
In an ideal world, your camera footage could be in Prores422 10bits or 444(4)...so
That is suitable for both editing and color grading. Only you would
Create proxies if required for speeding-up the edit, then relink to your highres material.

To resume: no gain in quality from your original footage.
If you can avoid the transcode, better.
You transcode if:
-Your footage is from a very compressed flavour and
You notice that it slows down the editing task.
-Or you plan to do heavy color manipulations. But no gain whatsoever.
-You want to ensure to work within a standardized workflow.
(So to avoid unconsistencies and uncompatibilities)

Ps: it is not that formats like AVCHD are bad. Think of a formula 1 GP.
For live coverage it's great. They need quality but light.
Now for feature film it is not great because in movie they create
Atmosphere, heavy grading, special fx, green screen...and it's being projected in theaters.
So they need heavier artillery.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2017, 09:04:32 pm by fredjeang2 »
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fredjeang2

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I forgot to mentionned that: don't worry too much about
The mystic of the "magic properties of transcoding to 10bits 444".
If it's not recorded from capture you will see nothing
And if you have banding you will have banding.
None of those things are going to improve your footage but yes
You'll run quickly out of space. That's the only gain you'd get.

If your original footage is 8bits 4.2.0
And you transcode to 10bits 4.2.2, you will slowdown the edit for sure then may need proxies. No need to say 4.4.4
You won't get any better in color because the info was not there from capture
And also the correct monitor.

I still read people doing 10bit 444 transcode from 8bit 420 footage that are able to see the differences on a 8bit monitor.
Or, claim that when they push color to some extremes (??) the file stands still...
For metaphysic visions we have Lourdes.

You won't do any better mask etc...

So if it was 8bits in capture stay with this honestly on the transcode.
The only benefit to transcode is that in certain cases,
And specialy with highly compressed material, the NLE
Prefer (work smoother with) DNx, Prores over Avchd for ex.
And also you get rid off possible compatibility issues.
But avoid the transcode like a plague if you don't have a good reason
and the mystic of transcoding to the highest possible values an original footage that was not designed so from capture.

Better trying to get the best image in capture as you can
And from a good original 8bits 4.2.0, doing subtle corrections to create
The look and atmosphere. IMO.



« Last Edit: November 04, 2017, 10:27:26 pm by fredjeang2 »
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Dinarius

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Just as a quick experiment...

I just shot 30 seconds of video on the RX100 Mark 1, set to AVCHD/ 50i 24M(FX)

Camera was set to Video/Manual Exposure, 1/50th second, aperature adjusted accordingly.

The .MTS file loads and plays perfectly in Resolve 14. Left and right audio channels both playing.

File properties are: Video 1920x1080/22kbps/ : Audio 256kbps/stereo/48kHz.

So, all seems well.

The only problem remaining is iPhone footage.

Thanks again for all the replies.

D.
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Dinarius

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Ps.

When dragging files into Media for editing, Resolve keeps bringing up warning that file settings differ from project settings.

I have set up Project Settings for 25fps/1080 HD.

1. What other settings in the files might be different from Project Settings, to stop this warning appearing?
2. When the warning dimples appear, should I choose Change File Settings (to match Project Settings), or should I leave unchanged?

Thanks.

D.
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Dave Rosser

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Ps.

When dragging files into Media for editing, Resolve keeps bringing up warning that file settings differ from project settings.

I have set up Project Settings for 25fps/1080 HD.

1. What other settings in the files might be different from Project Settings, to stop this warning appearing?
2. When the warning dimples appear, should I choose Change File Settings (to match Project Settings), or should I leave unchanged?

Thanks.

D.
If I read your post before this correctly you are recording your video at 24 FPS not the 25 FPS you have set in Resolve.
By the way where do you live?  Here in the UK we have the PAL standard for video which is locked to our 50Hz mains frequency so we use 25fps or 50 FPS.  In the USA the mains frequency is 60Hz so framing fate is 30 or 60 FPS.  The 24 FPS setting is a legacy one to match the old cine film standard.  So to sum up if you live in North America with a camera for that market shoot at 30 FPS and set Resolve to 30 FPS, If in Europe the settings are 25 and 25 FPS.
Dave
« Last Edit: November 05, 2017, 01:23:39 pm by Dave Rosser »
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Alan Klein

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Slightly off topic.  But I use Adobe Premiere Elements V12 with my RX100-IV.  I make slide shows including video clips, music, to be displayed on my 4K 75" UHDTV. Is there any reason to upgrade my Elements to a later Elements or to Resolve or Power Director or another program and what benefits?

Dinarius

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Doh! Of course, you’re correct.

I had been following this tutorial for setting the RX100, and was misreading it. He is presumably suggesting to shoot at 24 in order to achieve 25fps.

Which still leaves my remaining question: I presume I change to my chosen Project Settings (25fps) at the point of import into Resolve?

Thanks again.

D.
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Dinarius

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If I read your post before this correctly you are recording your video at 24 FPS not the 25 FPS you have set in Resolve.
By the way where do you live?  Here in the UK we have the PAL standard for video which is locked to our 50Hz mains frequency so we use 25fps or 50 FPS.  In the USA the mains frequency is 60Hz so framing fate is 30 or 60 FPS.  The 24 FPS setting is a legacy one to match the old cine film standard.  So to sum up if you live in North America with a camera for that market shoot at 30 FPS and set Resolve to 30 FPS, If in Europe the settings are 25 and 25 FPS.
Dave

Ps. Yes, Europe based. But, the R100 Mark 1 doesn’t appear to offer capture at 25fps, son it looks like I have to capture at 24 and output at 25. I presume that’s ok.

Thanks.

D.
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fredjeang2

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Ps. Yes, Europe based. But, the R100 Mark 1 doesn’t appear to offer capture at 25fps, son it looks like I have to capture at 24 and output at 25. I presume that’s ok.

Thanks.

D.
Yep
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fredjeang2

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Slightly off topic.  But I use Adobe Premiere Elements V12 with my RX100-IV.  I make slide shows including video clips, music, to be displayed on my 4K 75" UHDTV. Is there any reason to upgrade my Elements to a later Elements or to Resolve or Power Director or another program and what benefits?
I understand from your post that you are displaying slide shows of your still images that have
Already been optimized in an app such as PS and what you do is
To display those with musical background on your UHDtv?
If so, all you'd really need is any basic NLE to make your editorial that can export in UHD.
I see no reasons to involve yourself into the steep learning curve
Of Resolve unless you'd want to dig further into motion imagery seriously. IMO.

Ps: my bad. I didn't read your post carefully enough. You include video also.
Does PP elements work for you so far? As you are used to it, the logical upgrade
Would be PP. I ignore what limitations has PP elements over the full version. You can check
In Adobe and see if what PP has to offer to you is worth the extra time/money.

Now, you can sink into the Resolve fever so that you are using a top industry
Standard color software that has good editing capabilities.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2017, 02:20:08 pm by fredjeang2 »
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Alan Klein

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Ok thanks.   I guess I'll stick with premiere.

fredjeang2

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Ok thanks.   I guess I'll stick with premiere.

Blackmagic does not want you to buy Resolve. They gift it.
That's a mastercase marketing.
They want you to buy their control surfaces, their cameras, their monitors, their storage racks etc...they sell gear, not softwares. Resolve is the trap to capture clients. From a marketing point of view it is brilliant.
They put on the market an icon of professional color for free. One used by many high-end colorists for decades. They add to it editing capabilities on the fly and bang: the all world bites of course.
Imagine: you and me, the next door girl with her consumer dslr can now cut and color in an app that not a long time ago costed a fortune. All the young generation will cut Resolve, color Resolve, conform Resolve...
That will become the new FCP affair.
Then, Blackmagic will spread their gear.

The other side of the coin, most casual users or enthousiasts, rookies, think that because they color in a pro app that has a pedigree, the imagery is going to improve at the speed of light because of 32bits...blabla...Resolve color science...blabla... That is not true. In capture you got what got. 8bit 4.2.0 consumer cams are not going to shine by magic in any color/comp. Resolve is not going to cure the sins.
The problem is that the all chain has to be consistent, from camera to color driven by colorists who know what they are doing. Not just putting Luts in nodes to get the film look in 32bit.
That has become completly absurd.

Most of resolve customers could color with the same if not better results in Avid + Baselight edition or even FCPx. To use the full potential of Resolve you have to be a full time colorist.
So many people are living in a dream, have color visions, hear voices, ghostly apparitions, trapped into the marketing buzz.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2017, 04:28:59 pm by fredjeang2 »
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Dinarius

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In Resolve/Project Settings/Master Settings/Video Monitoring, I had left Video Format set to HD 1080PsF 25, instead of HD 1080p 25. When I selected and saved this, the warning window about different settings when loading a file no longer appeared. Progress, of sorts....

When viewed in Windows Explorer, the file properties of the Sony RX100 file under Audio states; "Channels 2(stereo)", which is fine.

However, in Resolve......

1. If I scroll across a Sony file in the Resolve Media folder, both audio channels play back - though it sounds like mono - which is fine too.

2. And, when I load the file into a timeline, both audio channels appear in the timeline, but only the left channel plays back.

3. If I highlight the file in the timeline and right/click and choose, Clip Attributes/Audio, I see that Format is set to Mono. If I change this to stereo, then both channels play back.

a. Why aren't both channels playing back by default?

b. The wave-forms of both channels look identical, suggesting Mono.

Lastly, in Settings/Presets, it would be nice if the Preset you have loaded was indicated somewhere. Is it possible to make a preset be the default for all projects? (For the foreseeable future, I will be 25fps/1920x1080).

Thanks.

D.
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Dinarius

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Overcame my iPhone footage sound problems by using a very neat piece of freeware called HandBrake to convert the .avi to .mp4.

Now my only problem is to work out how to make the iPhone footage the same size (aspect ratio) in Resolve as the Sony footage.

If I convert the iPhone footage (using HandBrake) and change the aspect ratio to 1440x1080, it changes, but it still appears in Resolve as wider than the Sony 1440x1080 footage.

I can't work out why.

D.
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