Resolve 11.2 - a significant upgrade for Blackmagic camera and Avid users

Resolve

Resolve 11.2, announced today, has some useful upgrades, including one that will make it easier to move between raw files and more "conventional" colour spaces

The headline feature of this new release, 11.2, is improved CinemaDNG RAW image processing with "soft clipping". This is a big enhancement for users of Blackmagic cameras. Interestingly, the feature will "dramatically improve" images when moving to reduced colour spaces like Rec 709, using new algorithms to minimize hard clipping.

There's better round-tripping for Avid users and DNxHR encoding and decoding minimises the need for transcoding when moving between the two manufacturers' systems.

Being able to retain the appearance of high dynamic range in smaller colour spaces is something that should prove useful to users of Blackmagic cameras in very typical circumstances.

We can't wait to try this feature out and will report back when we do!

The full press release from Blackmagic is given below

Blackmagic Design announces DaVinci Resolve 11.2 with improved CinemaDNG processing

Blackmagic Design today announced the immediate availability of DaVinci Resolve 11.2, which adds improved CinemaDNG RAW image processing with new soft clipping features, improved round trip workflows with Avid Media Composer 8.3, DNxHR support and more.

DaVinci Resolve 11.2 is available for download now free of charge for all existing DaVinci Resolve customers.

DaVinci Resolve 11.2 includes improvements to CinemaDNG RAW image processing that makes working with files shot on Blackmagic digital film cameras look even better than before. Customers can take advantage of new colorspace transform enhancements when decoding RAW files for more realistic Rec. 709 and P3 colorspace images. New soft clip options are now available when converting high dynamic range CinemaDNG RAW images into Rec. 709 colorspace. That means customers will get dramatically better images when moving to reduced color spaces because colors are transformed using new algorithms designed to minimize clipping and provide amazing results.

DaVinci Resolve 11.2 also makes it easier to work with Avid editors because you can now move both high resolution media and sequences back and forth between the two systems. New DNxHR encoding and decoding lets customers work natively and share the same high resolution media files, and improved AAF import and export lets editors and colorists round trip projects with Media Composer 8.3 more accurately and reliably than ever before.

Additional features in DaVinci Resolve 11.2 include the ability to select RGB pixel order when working with DPX 2.0 files, new flag and marker support in ColorTrace, and support for the Red SDK 5.3.

“We are extremely excited to release this update for DaVinci Resolve and Resolve Lite,” said Grant Petty, CEO of Blackmagic Design. “The new CinemaDNG color algorithms are an incredible improvement in image processing technology. This new processing turns wide dynamic range RAW images into HD Rec. 709 in a way that retains more color detail and subtlety, making pictures look more natural and lifelike than ever before, especially when working with digital film cameras from Blackmagic Design! We think it’s an amazing innovation that extends DaVinci Resolve’s incredible image quality and helps customers get even more from their Blackmagic cameras simply by opening up their existing RAW files in this new DaVinci Resolve 11.2!”