DaVinci Resolve vs Final Cut Pro 11
Final Cut Pro 11 Test
So, Final Cut Pro 11, DaVinci Resolve 19.1, and the Apple Mac Mini M4 came out within one week. I have been dying to know which editing software can compute video frames faster. So, I started creating a timeline in DaVinci Resolve 19.1 and exported a Final Cut Pro XML file to share into Final Cut Pro 11. However, I could not get any files to link correctly, so I changed game plans and started with Final Cut to send to Resolve instead of using the oldest FCPXML format supported 1.11.
The first thing I learned with Final Cut Pro was that I needed a special Red Apple plugin to support red raw files from the Red Komodo camera. After installing the red workflow installer from here, I could load all my test video files into the Final Cut Pro 11 library and timeline except for Blackmagic raw files. Support for Blackmagic Raw is coming to Final Cut 11; it’s just not there yet.
To export, I used the default H264 master preset from the share sheet menu. The 13-minute timeline took 9:58 to render out the UHD video file from the Mac Mini M4.
DaVinci Resolve 19.1 Test
To load the same footage and timeline into DaVinci Resolve 19.1, the studio version, I exported the fcpxml 1.11 file and imported it into Resolve. All files are connected except for three video clips from a Sony FX3, which I think has to do with how Resolve and Final Cut see timecodes on MP4s differently. However, I just decided to force-quickly conform to those three clips manually with the right-click option.
To render the UHD, 3840x2160, timeline out, I used the Quick Export button directly from the Edit Page of DaVinci Resolve. This preset encodes with a lower data rate than Final Cut Pro, but since it's a simple default, it makes a great test case for most users. The render time took 7:26 from the same Mac Mini M4.
One important thing to note is that DaVinci Resolve does not require an extra plugin for Red Raw support. However, Apple ProRes RAW will not work at all in Resolve, but it will in Final Cut. My suggestion for any production that uses ProRes RAW is to convert to ProRes 4444 directly after the shoot.
Conclusion?
So is DaVinci Resolve 19.1 faster than Final Cut Pro 11 on the new Mac Mini M4 running Sequoia? Well, yes, on this export test, it saved more than a couple of minutes. And that time could be exponentially saved on longer videos for things like long presentations or church sermons. But will it help you edit faster and get more work done easier? I think that all depends on your experience and comfort level with the software.
For me, nothing comes close to DaVinci Resolve for overall basic to high-level pixel-peeping video post-production, and I hope the resources I can provide you here on Creative Video Tips enable you to create whatever you feel compelled to.
