Blackmagic Forum

I added an mp4 as an offline reference clip, and in Resolve it's media offline, even though on the media page in the file browser section, I can preview it just fine. Add it as an offline reference, and I get a media offline clip instead.
???

I can load the clip, but it's still not working as an offline reference.

Is there a way to remove offline reference clips from a project?

Confirmed... I just created a new project, conformed an EDL, and tried linking an MP4 as the offline reference... the offline reference shows as media offline, even though Resolve plays it. Looks like offline reference is broken in beta 2.

try converting to prores

I think the answer actually is to do with timecode.

This isn't a bug, the timecode of your offline reference just has to match the timeline you are matching it to.

It doesn't have to match exactly though, for example maybe your timeline has an ident and your reference does not, or the other way around - but for the places where both reference and timeline have matching timecode, they will play together. For the places where the timeline cannot find matching timecode from the reference, it will show as media offline, because those places do not exist.

And so if changing your sequence timecode to match whatever your mp4 is at doesn't work then it will be because mp4 files do not support timecode properly.

I'll give that a try then.. I wish it would provide a more meaningful message for situations like this, rather than basically an "it's broken" message that makes it look like a bug. Sigh.

Thanks!

+1 what Tom says.

I'd also do a conversion to a NLE-friendly format.
I use ProRes Proxy or any comparable codec for reference clips.