Beginner question for the specialists - Stuttering playback

Hi,

first time video cutting in DaVinci Resolve 15

While I used optimized media to cut the 2.7k (2750x1530) clips, I feel some clips are still stuttering in the final 1080 HD output.
Could someone with a good knowledge of DaVinci Resolve 15 be so kind to have a look and suggest the best output settings to have a smoother playback?

I know there are still other issues (blown highlights, some pans to fast) with the video, but let's focus on smoother playback for now. Thanks.

Optimized Media Format & Render Cache are DNxHR HQX. Proxy Mode is on 1/4 Resolution, Render Cache on "User", Fusion Memory Cache on "Auto".
I used the YouTube 1080 preset with Mp4 & H. 264 when rendering. Network Optimization is on, Framerate 29.97. Quality restr to 10000Kb/s.

Footage was shot with a Mavic Pro in 4K @ 24 frames/sec initially and has been batch converted to 2.7K with "Any Video Converter".
I plan to shoot in 2.7k @ 60f/s in the future. I'll leave 4k for the future.

Here is the link:
https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.c...a ... ple+HD.mp4

I'm on a HP Z800 workstation with Windows 10 Pro, the free version of Resolve 15.1 and the following specs:

Intel Xeon X5650 x 2. 67Ghz Dual processor with 12 cores = 24 logical processors
72GB Ram
Nvidia Quadro 5000 GPU

Hardware upgrade is unfortunately not an option at the moment.

Thanks so much!

Franziska

I use Resolve on a Mac but consider the following.

From the Playback tab on the top of the program set the Render Cashe to “Smart” a red thin line will appear on the timeline and change to blue when it is rendered. Playback should be better.

At Resolves core is the best Color Correction in a NLE system. I have a Hero monitor that is calibrated for accurate color. This 1080 monitor is connected by a blackmagic Ultra Studio Mini Monitor. The playback is excellent, better than the edit timeline window monitor in the Resolve software that can stutter. I understand you don’t want to invest in hardware at this time but you will like the results. Ask PC people on this connection.

If your acquisition frame rate is 24 and delivery frame rate is 29.97 it means that you either have a frame rate conversion or a 3:2 pulldown added somewhere in the pipeline.

I'm going to bet you have a frame rate conversion happening somewhere, possibly in Resolve and that's causing the stuttering. If your source clips in Resolve are flagged as 24 use optical flow option for speed changes and see if that improves the conversion. But optical flow is guaranteed to introduce spatial artifacts in some shots.

Thanks guys!

Guess thats the core to the issue. Recording was in 24fps with a Mavic Air.
When final rendering the project for Youtube HD I can only export with 29.97fps, even when I set the project fps to 24fps.

Three questions:

1)
How can I adjust the export render framerate to 24fps? Will that help? The stuttering in the finished movie is the annoying part, stuttering in DaVinci is less of an issue.

2)
As I want to shoot usually that I can upload to YouTube, what setting should I use?
The Mavic Air offers:
4k@24fps, 4k@25fps, 4k@30fps? Which of them should I use in general for 4k
2.7k@24fps, 2.7k@25fps, 2.7k@30fps? Which of them should I use in general for 2.7k
The 48fps, 50fps, 60fps are for slowmo, are they?

I understand its best to record at 4k or 2.7k and render the HD from there rather than recording in HD only.

3)
I wrote I do not want to upgrade hardware, still I do have a very good offer for an NVIDIA GTX 1060 card.
I do NOT need a Quadro card for akk the other softwares I am running. So would it help in 4k editing to swap the old Quadro 5000 for a GTX1060?

Thanks so much.

I'd appreciate a simple answer, I am a video newbie

Franziska

@Igor
Where do I set this;

"...If your source clips in Resolve are flagged as 24 use optical flow option for speed changes and see if that improves the conversion. But optical flow is guaranteed to introduce spatial artifacts in some shots..."

Project is set to 24fps, clips where taken in 24fps. So export should be24fps too, no?

@Jim
I see the red line, but in some areas it does not change to blue...

@Igor
Where do I set this;

"...If your source clips in Resolve are flagged as 24 use optical flow option for speed changes and see if that improves the conversion. But optical flow is guaranteed to introduce spatial artifacts in some shots..."

There is a global setting in Project Settings (Shift+9) that will affect all clips.

You can also select one or more clips on the timeline, open the Inspector pane on the right and override the global setting on per-clip basis. I generally keep global in Optical Flow and override on per-clip basis.

But if your project FPS matches the source clip FPS then there is no time remapping going on and these settings won't have any effect.

Thanks again. I'll try that.

Shame I have those issues, because in general I like the movie (at least for a first timers video).
At least I learned now that I have to make sure framerates and resolutions are consistent.

Regarding future projects:
So in general I'll shoot at 2.7k@30fps in the future. Along the lines that most users will use primarely HD and some 4k that seems a good compromise.

If I need a slomo shot I'll need to adjust upfront to 60fps.
Question though, sometimes one realises later that slomo would be nicer. What than? Sometimes one can not retake shots? Would it not be best to shot as high a framerate as possible? Downgrade should always be possible, but upgrade would be hard to do and result in poor quality.

If I would want to post on YouTube primarely what would you suggest as a kind of standart setting?
Is 2.7k@30fps a good choice?
Or would 2.7k@48fps be a better choice to cover the occassional need for slomo arising in post production.

The Mavic Air can shoot:

4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 24/25/30fps
2.7K: 2720×1530 24/25/30/48/50/60fps
FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120fps
HD: 1280×720 24/25/30/48/50/60/120fps

Thanks for your input, really appreciate it.