MXF files not visible in Linux

Hello,
I have installed Resolve 20.0.1 on Kubuntu Linux 25.04 following a tutorial find on dedoimedo.

Resolve starts normally, it sees my Nvidia CUDA 5080, but when I try to import MXF H264 videos I can't see anything.
The media are listed as audio only and even if I see the audio spectrum I can't hear anything and there is no video.
The files are MXF MPEG-4(AVC) h264. I can see them perfectly in VLC and even Kdenlive can see all the tracks (1 video and 4 audio), but Resolve can't handle them.
In attachment the output of VLC codec inspector.

Thanks to everybody
Franz

[Shrinivas Ramani]

H.264 and H.265 decode support is restricted to the Studio version of DaVinci Resolve. Please refer to the Codecs support document starting page 12 for supported formats in Linux.

As Shrinivas said, this is expected. The free version of resolve does not support H.254/5 in Linux. You can work around this by transcoding them to Dnxhr HQX with Shutter Encoder or your FFMPEG flavor or choice.

Do also note AAC audio is not supported, so transcode that too.


Sadly Resolve gives no way for users such as you to know this design choice. You have to go find a PDF hidden on BM website, its not even in the regular manual.

I find this all absurd and have placed a feature request last year to have error messages added for unsupported codecs, like you would expect from any software in the last 20 years. I would ask you please add your support here.

viewtopic.php?f=33&t=199305&hilit=+error+message

Thanks for the answers.
I must say that the free version of Resolve is quite useless in Linux without these codecs.
Video editing is not my job, I needed only some simple cuts, Resolve is for sure a great tool, but I don't need the added functionalities of the paid version.
I'll use Kdenlive for this simple editing.
Thanks again
Franz

Thanks for the answers.
I must say that the free version of Resolve is quite useless in Linux without these codecs.
Video editing is not my job, I needed only some simple cuts, Resolve is for sure a great tool, but I don't need the added functionalities of the paid version.
I'll use Kdenlive for this simple editing.
Thanks again
Franz

What I have heard is that it is dubious if any free linux h.264/5 codecs are licensed for 'commercial use'. So BM has pay the MPEG patent fee if they were to include codecs with resolve, and they obviously won't do that with a product they are not charging for.

It also seems like MPEG just doesn't bother chasing FOSS software like Kden that could be violating its patents, so most people get away with it. But someone with actual pockets like BM would not escape the attention of the MPEG lawyers.

Windows users get around this because MS includes a codec that BM is happy to use, but it doesn't support H.264/5 10 bit to annoyance of many users.


All this is why you see Google (Youtube) willing to spend their money to develop AV1, a codec they can use without having to write a check to MPEG.