• What are the requirements accessing encoding in Dolby Vision using Resolve?
• Is Dolby Vision encoding supported on Linux based Resolve systems?
• Is Dolby Vision encoding supported on a M1 Mac running DaVinci Resolve?
• Which Profiles are supported for encoding in Dolby Vision?
• Which Profile should I choose for a Dolby Vision encode?
• What are the recommended settings for the H.265 (HEVC) encoder?
• Are these Dolby Vision encodes meant to be delivered to Studios/OTT services?
• Can I run a Dolby Vision encode straight from my Resolve Timeline?
• Is it possible to encode in Dolby Vision from an imported Dolby Vision Master or Mezzanine file, like a Dolby Vision IMF?
• Do these encodes preserve any existing Dolby Vision metadata?
• Why do Profile 5 encoded files display “untagged” NCLC metadata tags?
• Does Resolve support the import/decoding of Dolby Vision encoded files?
• Which Dolby Vision Mastering Display must be selected when encoding to Dolby Vision?
• Which Dolby Vision version must be chosen for encoding to Dolby Vision?
• Must the Resolve Output color space settings match to the intended encoding parameters?

 

What are the requirements accessing encoding in Dolby Vision using Resolve?

Each of the following requirements enables Dolby Vision encoding capabilities in Resolve Studio 18.

• The Dolby Vision Mastering and Playback Annual License
• Mac systems supporting Resolve Studio 18

 

Is Dolby Vision encoding supported on Linux based Resolve systems?

Not at this time. Dolby Vision encoding is currently supported on Windows and Mac operating systems.



 

Is Dolby Vision encoding supported on a M1 Mac running DaVinci Resolve?

Dolby Vision encoding is supported on Apple silicon and Intel (min. Haswell microarchitecuture).


 

Which Profiles are supported for encoding in Dolby Vision?

The following Dolby Vision Profiles are supported using Resolve:
 

• Profile 5 (Dolby propriety format) – supported by all Dolby Vision devices. Most commonly used for OTT services and side loading content on TV’s and other devices. 

• Profile 8.1 (cross-compatible to HDR10 devices) 

• Profile 8.4 (cross-compatible to HLG devices) 

Learn more about in our Dolby Vision Profiles and Levels Specification.



 

Which Profile should I choose for a Dolby Vision encode?

This depends on what you need the encoding for.

Use Profile 5 if you want to keep your analyzed (L1) and optionally trimmed (L2/L3/L8) Dolby Vision metadata and if you want to review the encode on Dolby Vision devices, only.

Use Profile 8.1 if you haven’t created any Dolby Vision metadata (as it will be generated on a frame-by-frame basis during the encode) and also need cross compatibility to HDR10 devices.

Use Profile 8.4 if you haven’t created any Dolby Vision metadata (as it will be generated on a frame-by-frame basis during the encode) and if you are going to upload the encode to a online platform like Vimeo or BiliBili or you also need cross compatibility with HLG devices.



 

What are the recommended settings for the H.265 (HEVC) encoder?

As with all video encoding, there are a number of important settings that will affect the quality of the output file.  Most of these settings are not specifically related to Dolby Vision encoding, but to the H.265 codec that is used for all Dolby Vision encodes in DaVinci Resolve.

On Windows, you must select MP4 or MOV, H.265 and Main10 profile to encode to Dolby Vision. H.265 is very complex to encode so we recommend using hardware accelerated encoding, such as the Intel Quick Sync encoder, as this will create the fastest encodes. The Native encoder option can also be used.

On Mac, you must select MP4 or MOV, H.265 and Main10 profile to encode to Dolby Vision. The encoder should default to hardware H.265 and this should be used.

There are many factors that impact the data rate chosen for a video encode, including resolution, frame rate, required file size and particularly the content of the video image so care should be taken when selecting a suitable data rate.  However, as a suggestion for typical low frame rate content, Quality should be set to a minimum of 15,000 – 20,000 Kb/s for UHD and 10,000 – 15,000 KB/s for HD encodes.

When encoding to Dolby Vision, the ‘Color Space Tag’ and ‘Gamma Tag’ in the delivery pane (Advanced Settings) are not used. The Dolby Vision encoding configures these settings automatically for the selected profile.



 

Are these Dolby Vision encodes meant to be delivered to Studios/OTT services?

No, Studios require Dolby Vision to be delivered as a mezzanine file, like a Dolby Vision IMF or a QuickTime ProRes with an accompanying Dolby Vision XML file so they can run the encoding on their own. These encodes are designed more for review and approval or file sharing purposes.



 

Can I run a Dolby Vision encode straight from my Resolve Timeline?

Yes. If you haven’t created any Dolby Vision metadata yet, you could run a Profile 8.4 encode that will generate Dolby Vision metadata during the encoding process and is suited best for delivery to filesharing services like Vimeo and BiliBili. Use Profile 5 if you have already created Dolby Vision metadata.



 

Is it possible to encode in Dolby Vision from an imported Dolby Vision Master or Mezzanine file, like a Dolby Vision IMF?

Yes. To preserve the imported Dolby Vision metadata select encoding to Profile 5.



 

Do these encodes preserve any existing Dolby Vision metadata?

Profile 5 will preserve any existing Dolby Vision metadata – either created inside Resolve or imported from a Dolby Vision IMF or XML. Profile 8.4 and 8.1 will discard any existing metadata and create new frame-by-frame Dolby Vision metadata during the encoding process.
Learn more about Dolby Vision metadata analysis modes in this article.



 

Why do Profile 5 encoded files display “untagged” NCLC metadata tags?

Profile 5 encoded files use 2-2-2 metadata tags as it’s using the IPT color space which is displayed as “untagged” in QuickTime player.



 

Does Resolve support the import/decoding of Dolby Vision encoded files?

When importing a Dolby Vision Profile 8.1 or 8.4, the base layer is imported without metadata. Dolby Vision metadata is created during the encoding process to all Dolby Vision Profiles.
The import of Profile 5 encoded files is currently not supported in Resolve Studio public beta.



 

Which Dolby Vision Mastering Display must be selected when encoding to Dolby Vision?

When encoding to profiles with auto generated metadata (Profile 8.1 and 8.4) select the closest mastering monitor to match the project.
 
For Profile 5 encodes with Dolby Vision metadata, the Dolby Vision Mastering Display must match the selection that has been used creating the mezzanine.



 

Which Dolby Vision version must be chosen for encoding to Dolby Vision?

For a non-Dolby Vision mastered project or mezzanine, the CM version here is ignored. The bitstreams will always be created in CMv4.0.
For a Dolby Vision mastered project or mezzanine, the CM version must match the Dolby Vision project and only Profile 5 can be used to retain the existing Dolby Vision metadata.



 

Must the Resolve Output color space settings match to the intended encoding parameters?

No. The output color space should match the monitor. The Dolby Vision encoder will convert the output color space to match the selected Dolby Vision profile automatically.

 

If you have questions that are not covered in this article, feel free to ask them via the forum .