Resolve doesn't match timeline to first footage

I typically create a new project, import my footage, then drag a clip to the timeline to get started. Resolve then prompts to change settings to match the footage... or so I thought.

On attempting to export, I got a warning (which is nice, at least) that the render would be at lower resolution that the original footage. WTF, I thought.

Sure enough, although I had imported UHD footage, the timeline was only HD. Why? Looking more closely at that first "match footage?" dialog (having gotten used to Premiere presenting a similar dialog, I really didn't scrutinize it), it only offers to match the first-added clip's frame rate. Why? What about all of its other characteristics?

Screen Shot 2021-05-03 at 3.03.55 PM.png (70.09 KiB) Viewed 3768 times

Also, on exporting my cuts-only edit, I could find no way to select "match source footage" as the render format (all of the source footage was consistently encoded). Thus I have no reliable way to avoid recompression; I selected "avoid re-encoding," but is there an indicator anywhere that this is being honored for a given region of footage?

Thanks!

I usually set my Project Settings before adding my footage so I rarely see that prompt. Is there a reason why you don't?

I usually set my Project Settings before adding my footage so I rarely see that prompt. Is there a reason why you don't?

I also make project presets so I can call them up any time I need.
It's quite rare for me to output a finished program at the source clip resolution with unmodified clips in the timeline, especially with effects & grading throughout, so I never use the "Bypass re-encode" option in this case. It's only really useful if I'm just trimming some media to send out to a client.

What about all of its other characteristics?

https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=97260

I usually set my Project Settings before adding my footage so I rarely see that prompt. Is there a reason why you don't?

Thanks for the replies, guys. Yes, there is a reason: I usually want to make sure my program matches the source footage exactly. Editing applications I've used previously offer to match the characteristics of the first-used footage. In Resolve, I apparently have to open the inspector and examine the properties of the clip, then go into the project's properties and set them manually to match. This should not be necessary. Why offer to match only the frame rate? Especially when Resolve is going to call out the resolution mismatch later if you try to render!

It's quite rare for me to output a finished program at the source clip resolution with unmodified clips in the timeline... so I never use the "Bypass re-encode" option in this case.

Why not just keep "Bypass re-encode" on all the time?

I'm very often taking footage off a camera SSD, trimming away unneeded footage, and archiving only the useful portion. So these are quick, cuts-only edits that I don't want recompressing the footage.

And nobody weighed on how to ensure the output format matches the source footage exactly, so Resolve can indeed bypass re-encoding.

The difference is, frame rate is unchangeable once clips are added, but resolution can always be altered. Consider, for example, an instance where the user *wants* to change the frame rate to conform to the first added clip, but *not* the resolution. How many more check-boxes do we need now?

Maybe it's just easier to assume the user set the resolution with some purpose in mind. He/she can, at any rate, change it later.

The difference is, frame rate is unchangeable once clips are added, but resolution can always be altered. Consider, for example, an instance where the user *wants* to change the frame rate to conform to the first added clip, but *not* the resolution. How many more check-boxes do we need now?

A whopping ONE, in a dialog box that goes away. And, if it remembers your last choice as it should, you'll never even have to use it. That easy enough for you? Somehow other software manages to tackle this labyrinthine tangle of options with no inconvenience.

Maybe it's just easier to assume the user set the resolution with some purpose in mind. He/she can, at any rate, change it later.

Certainly easier, but not more sensible. Maybe we should assume that the user shot his footage at a particular resolution because that's the resolution he wants to work in.

You can check if the codec you are using will allow you to bypass reencode. There is a pdf on the Blackmagic Design support page that lists the supported codecs and one of the columns is for Codec Passthrough.

[That easy enough for you? ... Maybe we should assume that the user shot his footage at a particular resolution because that's the resolution he wants to work in.

There's logic and consistency in offering to change a setting which can't be altered later, but leaving other user preferences alone, on the assumption the user knows better than the software what he's doing (ever heard of "resolution independent"?). Not everyone wants this level of prompting and second-guessing. In several years on this forum, I've never seen your request stated here before.

Which isn't to to say it's not worth consideration, but please ... I think you're mistaking a personal interest in this feature for a universal one. It's not as if there's a shortage of option and configuration choices, as things stand. One common criticism of Resolve is that there are already too many switches. More prompting is just more clutter.

There's logic and consistency in offering to change a setting which can't be altered later

That's a limitation of this software. You can mix sources with different frame rates in one timeline, so why can't you change the timeline frame rate? I'm not even complaining about it, but the immutability of frame rate isn't some universal truth of editing applications.

Not everyone wants this level of prompting and second-guessing.

But the prompt is already being presented. Why half-ass it? Letting you select (or ignore) a checkbox to match the timeline format to the first clip completely or only match the frame rate is no inconvenience. Don't like it? It can default to off and you will never be pained to roll your cursor onto it and click a button.

I think you're mistaking a personal interest in this feature for a universal one.

Give me a break. This is a normal feature in other editing applications, certainly in Premiere. It's an obvious convenience feature, akin to a word processor offering to style pasted text to match its destination. A quick search reveals plenty of references to it. Example: https://www.reddit.com/r/premiere/comments/7pmoba/helphow_to_get_premiere_pro_to_ask_to_match/

You can check if the codec you are using will allow you to bypass reencode.

Thanks for the codec chart, but again this means inspecting the footage properties and making sure there is no default or inadvertent setting (or bug) that will trigger a re-encode. It's clear that non-interframe-compressed codecs can be losslessly cut, but there can be several flavors of a codec.

For example, if I shot in ProRes HQ I have to make sure that the render isn't inadvertently in plain ProRes 422. And also the frame rate better match. And what if I've muted or deleted an audio track? Is Resolve smart enough to remux the original video with the now-silent audio without recompressing the video?

We don't know, unless there's a bar on the timeline that shows which footage will be recompressed. The timeline on the Deliver page is a perfect place for that. There are loads of potentially accidental changes that will trigger recompression.

And despite all of the YouTube, streaming, and other rendering presets (talk about clutter)... is there one that simply lets us output in the original format and codec of each clip when rendering individual clips? Or matching the format declared for the whole timeline... which would be really handy if Resolve offered to match it to the first clip as mentioned.

I agree 100% with the Original Poster. It should adopt ALL the characteristics of the first footage dropped.

It boggles the mind that this has been requested by high-profile users since 2016(!) and is still not implemented. viewtopic.php?f=33&t=97260

It boggles the mind that this has been requested by high-profile users since 2016(!) and is still not implemented. viewtopic.php?f=33&t=97260

"High profile users" as in "persons with lots of posts"?

Guys, if you want it, great, you've made your view known. But please, the absence of this feature is not an insult to thinking people everywhere. Some of us view projects settings as preceding clip import and don't welcome more prompts, more boxes, more dialogues, etc. Of course, we could make it an option. Or make an option to make it an option.... At some point maybe the software just has to let you screw up.

Some of us view projects settings as preceding clip import and don't welcome more prompts, more boxes, more dialogues

Great, because none of those is requested here. Now... if only we could get the render-job UI cleaned up. That must really annoy you, and I would wholeheartedly back any diatribe against it.

ImportDialog.jpg (23.39 KiB) Viewed 3462 times

The question "Would you like to change your timeline frame rate and video format to match?" is not unambiguous:

Does "change" refer to a
1. change of the timeline frame rate
OR
2. to a change of the video frame rate?

It says video format, not frame rate.

Therefore, it's asking whether to change the frame rate and video format of the timeline.

It says video format, not frame rate.

Therefore, it's asking whether to change the frame rate and video format of the timeline.

Now I get it, thank you!

Now I get it, thank you!

Welcome!