Latest Version of Resolve is Being Promoted as Capable NLE

Blackmagic Design announced a little bit of everything at NAB this morning, with products ranging from a new $495 Teranex-branded 12G-SDI mini-converter — the Teranex Mini is rack-mountable in groups of three per rack, with AC power, XLR connections, ethernet remote control, and an optional "smart panel" with a color LCD — to new variations on its camera products.

Blackmagic Design Micro Cinema Camera (with Blackmagic Video Assist)

The tiny Super 16-format Micro Cinema Camera ($995), including a connection for remote operation using PWM and S.Bus model aircraft control protocols, was probably the most striking piece of gear. It uses an MFT lens mount and reaches a claimed 13 stops of dynamic range.

The similar-looking Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K ($1295) is designed for live UHD production via 6G-SDI, with UHD frame rates up to 30p and HD frame rates up to 60p. It adds PTZ and B4 lens controls. And a new Blackmagic Video Assist ($495), powered by Canon-compatible LP-E6 batteries, monitors HD and, over 6G-SDI, UHD video on a five-inch HD monitor and records 10-bit 4:2:2 ProRes formats to SD cards.

But the marquee product was arguably the well-loved DaVinci Resolve 12, which got a raft of new editing features that Blackmagic says position it as legitimate pro NLE software.

"Over the years, we have worked hard to build in improvements in each release," Blackmagic founder and CEO Grant Petty said in an email announcement to customers delivered before the show opened. "This year, I feel we have added more new features to DaVinci Resolve than we have in the last five years combined."

Indeed, Blackmagic touted Resolve's context-sensitive trimming tools, multicam editing, real-time transitions (including OpenFX plugins and transitions from FCPX), optical flow retiming, motion-path controls in the timeline viewer, titling tools, multitrack timelines, and mixed format timelines. Blackmagic made a tentative overture toward editors at NAB last year, but this year the feature set seems well fleshed out.

How good are Resolve's editorial features, really? We'll find out when users get a chance to stress-test them. The price, at least, is right — DaVinci Resolve Lite software, minus stereoscopic workflow, real-time “power mastering" capabilities, and some GPU-accelerated noise-reduction capabilities, is a free download.

Returning to cameras, the Ursa got some upgrades, including a new 4.6K (4608×2592) Super 35 sensor with a claimed 15 stops of dynamic range. The camera will be available in EF- ($6,995) and PL- ($7,495) mount versions, and a "4.6K turret upgrade" for existing Ursa owners runs $1,995 for the EF mount and $2495 for PL. Along with news of those sensors, said to be coming in "late July", is a $1,000 price cut to the current Ursa models. 

The Ursa Mini is a more lightweight entrant in the line-up, but with the same 4K and 4.6K sensor options and a five-inch HD touchscreen. Prices range from $2,995 for the 4K EF-mount URSA Mini to $5,495 for the 4.6K PL-mount. And an Ursa viewfinder using an HD OLED display is coming in July for $1,495.

The ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, aimed at live sports production, adds 12G-SDI to the ATEM line-up for UHD 2160p60 support. It also has an extra-large media pool and two built-in HD/UHD multi-viewers, distinguishing it from other ATEM switchers. It's due in June for $5,995. Users can record to the new HyperDeck Studio 12G (May; $2,495), which also supports frame rates up to 2160p60. Also new with 12G-SDI is the Smart Videohub 12G 40×40 multi-rate router (May; $4,995), designed as a direct replacement for the 6G-SDI Smart Videohub.

Blackmagic also debuted the UltraStudio 4K Extreme ($2,995, June), featuring quad-link 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 as well as hardware support for real-time encoding to ProRes and (with the first, free update scheduled soon after launch) H.265.

Last but not least, Blackmagic has its Fusion 8 Studio VFX software running on Mac OS X and Linux at its booth. The new versions are expected to be available in Q3, with a public beta release sometime before then; the Windows version remains a free download.