DaVinci Resolve 18 Review: The Future of Post-Production

DaVinci Resolve has come a long way from its origins as a color correction tool. With the release of version 18, it has evolved into a fully-fledged post-production suite encompassing video editing, color grading, visual effects, motion graphics, and audio editing. It‘s a true all-in-one solution used by everyone from YouTubers and indie filmmakers to major Hollywood productions. Best of all, there is an extremely capable free version in addition to the paid Studio version.

In this in-depth review, we‘ll examine what makes DaVinci Resolve unique and assess its strengths and weaknesses compared to other non-linear editing (NLE) and post-production software. Let‘s dive in and see if it lives up to the hype.

User Interface and Ease of Use

Upon launching DaVinci Resolve for the first time, you‘re presented with an intimidating array of buttons, menus, and panels. There‘s no doubt that Resolve packs in a ton of features, and the flip side is that it will take time for new users to find their way around. However, spend some time with it and the logic of the interface starts to click.

Resolve splits its key tasks into different workspaces called "pages". The Media page is where you import, organize and preview your media. The Cut page provides a streamlined interface for fast editing. Edit is a more traditional NLE timeline. Fusion is for VFX and motion graphics. Color is a full-featured grading environment. Fairlight is for audio post. And Deliver is where you export and render your finished project.

You can customize the UI by rearranging panels, creating custom keyboard shortcuts, and even editing the appearance of buttons and palettes to your liking. Resolve supports a very wide range of file formats, codecs, and resolutions including 8K footage and beyond. It can also integrate with other post-production tools and hardware control panels. So while it might not be the simplest software to pick up, it rewards those who put in the time to learn it.

Editing Tools and Functionality

While Resolve is best known for its color correction features, its editing toolset has grown impressively capable, especially with the addition of the Cut page in version 16. You have the choice of working on a traditional multi-track timeline in the Edit page, or rapidly building a cut in the streamlined Cut page interface which lets you edit clips directly in the viewer or timeline.

All the standard trimming tools are there – ripple, roll, slip, slide – as well as clip speed changes, freeze frames, stabilization, dynamic zoom, and multicam editing up to 9 angles. The Edit page timeline is easy to navigate with color-coding and labeling options to organize your project. Audio waveforms can be displayed directly in the timeline for precise syncing.

Resolve‘s editing might not be quite as evolved as dedicated NLEs like Premiere Pro or Avid Media Composer, but its editing toolkit is now comfortably complete enough for the vast majority of projects. And of course, you have the immense benefit of keeping your entire post workflow inside of one app.

Color Correction and Grading

Color is where Resolve truly shines. Its roots are as a high-end color grading system, and it continues to be an industry-leader in this domain. The Color page offers a variety of tools and interfaces for manipulating color, contrast, and exposure – color wheels, curves, primaries bars, and log wheels.

Colorists will feel at home with features like Power Windows for isolating corrections to specific parts of the image, qualifier selections for grabbing a particular color range, extensive LUT (look up table) support, and the ability to build your own custom LUTs.

Resolve also keeps up with the latest developments in HDR (high dynamic range) and wide color gamut grading, with specialized tools and scopes to help manage HDR deliverables. An impressive new addition in version 18 is the object mask which can automatically track and isolate moving objects in a shot using AI and machine learning.

Fusion Visual Effects and Motion Graphics

Fusion is a powerful node-based compositing environment that comes built into Resolve. If you‘re not familiar with node workflows it can look daunting at first, with clips and effects joined together via spaghetti-like lines. But spend some time learning its logic and it becomes a quick and efficient way to build up complex effects.

Fusion‘s 2D and 3D compositing tools, particle systems, and motion tracking compare favorably with much more expensive dedicated VFX software. It‘s a deep toolset that even many advanced Resolve users have yet to fully explore. Titles, animations and motion graphics can also be quickly created in Fusion.

You can also expand Fusion‘s capabilities with ResolveFX and OpenFX plugins. The Fusion page is one of Resolve‘s most unique selling points as a post-production one-stop shop, and its accessibility will only improve as more users take the plunge into learning it.

Fairlight Digital Audio Workstation

Resolve‘s audio capabilities have taken a big leap forward with the integration of the previously separate Fairlight audio editing software. You can record, edit, sweeten, mix and master your project‘s audio without leaving Resolve.

The Fairlight page offers up to 2,000 tracks at 192kHz quality with real-time EQ, dynamics, and plugins. The Fairlight audio engine automatically manages plugin processing to maximize performance. A variety of VST and AU audio plugins are supported, in addition to the included FairlightFX plugins.

Fairlight also keeps Resolve up to date with the latest immersive 3D audio formats, offering full Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D mixing environments. You can create object-based 3D panning for pinpoint placement of sound. While Fairlight might not have displaced ProTools in high-end audio post workflows yet, it packs more than enough features for the majority of video projects.

Collaboration and Multi-User Editing

Resolve offers compelling collaboration features for multi-user teams. Built-in chat and timeline presence let editors communicate and work together inside of Resolve. You can have multiple users editing the same project simultaneously, with changes synced live between systems.

Powering this collaboration is an underlying PostgreSQL database that serves as Resolve‘s project server. Settings like user access controls, timeline locking, and version management are available. Cloud hosting of project databases lets teams collaborate remotely with ease.

Collaboration functionality is an area where Resolve has an edge over competitors, many of whom have only recently started to explore cloud-based workflows. Resolve‘s collaboration features help it fit well into existing studio pipelines.

Hardware and Performance

One of Resolve‘s strengths is its optimization for a variety of hardware configurations. The software makes extensive use of GPU acceleration for processing-intensive tasks like 4K/8K playback, color correction, and Fusion rendering. It supports Apple Silicon, Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA GPUs.

Resolve benefits from a powerful workstation with a fast CPU, plenty of RAM (32GB or more), and one or more high-end GPUs. But it can also run capably on more modest systems by intelligently managing system resources in the background. It offers a variety of tweakable performance and cache settings to get the most out of your particular setup.

Resolve supports a wide range of I/O hardware for capture and output, including Blackmagic‘s own DeckLink and UltraStudio devices which offer advanced HDR and 12-bit video support. Many colorists and audio editors also use a dedicated hardware control panel with Resolve to access its tools more quickly.

Pros and Cons

There are many reasons to consider adding Resolve to your editing arsenal. But no software is perfect, and there are some potential drawbacks to be aware of as well.

Pros:

• Full-featured free version makes it accessible to all
• Extensive tools across editing, color, audio, VFX
• Industry-leading color correction capabilities
• Fusion integration for VFX and motion graphics
• Flexible multi-user collaboration tools
• Frequent updates and new features
• Supports latest HDR, 8K, and immersive audio formats
• Runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux

Cons:

• Steep learning curve coming from other NLEs
• Editing tools not quite as mature as Premiere or Avid
• Some stability issues with very large projects
• Smaller selection of third-party plugins vs competitors
• Occasional bugginess after major updates
• Collaboration features require good network infrastructure

Price and Value for Money

One of the most compelling arguments for Resolve is its price. The free version offers nearly all of the features of the paid Studio version, with just a few exceptions like noise reduction, optical flow-based speed retiming, some Resolve FX plugins, stereoscopic 3D tools, and a few other advanced features. For the majority of users, the free version has all you need.

If you do want the advanced features, the Studio version is $295 for a perpetual license with a year of updates – no subscription required. Compared to $600/year for an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, or $240/year for Avid Media Composer, Resolve Studio is a bargain.

Conclusion

DaVinci Resolve has grown from a powerful color grading tool to a remarkably complete post-production solution at an unbeatable price. Its all-in-one approach lets you stay inside one app from first cut to final delivery. The depth of its feature set across the post-production spectrum is astonishing.

While it might not yet match dedicated NLEs in editing, Resolve‘s editing toolset can now handle the vast majority of projects capably. In color and finishing it remains an industry leader. Integrated Fusion VFX, Fairlight audio, and multi-user collaboration sweeten the deal.

With a compelling roadmap and a track record of frequent exciting updates, Resolve feels like it has a lot of momentum behind it. As the product continues to mature, we wouldn‘t be surprised to see it convert more editors away from the traditional NLEs.

If you‘ve been curious about DaVinci Resolve, there‘s never been a better time to dive in. The learning curve for Resolve is real – this is a deep, full-featured package. But it rewards the time you invest in it, and the free version means you have nothing to lose by trying. We think Resolve will only keep growing in popularity in the years to come.