In the run up to NAB, Blackmagic’s Grant Petty held an online briefing detailing several new products and updates to DaVinci.  Known as Blackmagic Cloud, the combined hardware/software system is designed for editors, VFX artists and others to collaborate via the cloud in realtime.  Chief among the new products is Blackmagic Cloud Store, a new network storage solution with four 10G Ethernet connections and a parallel memory core said to simultaneously sustain maximum possible transfer speeds on each 10G Ethernet port.  At an MSRP of $9,595, it is a somewhat pricey item for Blackmagic, but it is designed for facilities and the cost is largely a factor of the very robust flash memory included.  However, to serve the smaller and individual user, they have also introduced the Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini at $2,995, and the Blackmagic Cloud Pod at only $395.  Petty makes the point that their approach does not require an ongoing subscription.  After you buy the hardware, you would only pay your cloud storage provider.  He used Dropbox sync in the demo for users to cache files locally and share them with everyone in their network. 

Other new products include HyperDeck Shuttle HD, a new recorder/player designed for use on the desktop as an on demand media player. It supports recording and playback for ProRes, DNx and H.264 files as well as PCM or AAC audio. It also has a built in teleprompter function which could prove very handy.  An Extreme version of HyperDeck includes 4K HDR as well as advanced H.265 4K recording with a touch screen user interface with built in scopes and HDR screen.

If all that wasn’t not enough, DaVinci Resolve 18 has also been announced with a host of new updates in the areas of cloud support for remote collaboration, proxy workflows, AI based Resolve FX, improved subtitling, and Fairlight audio.

DaVinci Resolve 18 Features Include:

• Support for Blackmagic Cloud to host and manage cloud based project libraries.
• New Blackmagic Proxy Generator App automatically creates and manages proxies.
• Ability to choose between working with proxies or camera original files.
• Support for intelligent path mapping to relink files automatically.
• Improved project library performance for private server.
• New object mask recognizes and tracks movement of thousands of objects automatically.
• New depth map generates 3D depth matte of a scene in DaVinci Resolve Studio.
• New surface tracker for tracking warped surfaces in DaVinci Resolve Studio.
• Refined ultra beauty tool in Resolve FX beauty for advanced corrective work.
• Expanded subtitle support for TTML and XML timed texts, and embedded MXF/IMF.
• Support for reversing shape, iris and wipe transitions in the edit page.
• New 5×5 multicam enables viewing of up to 25 simultaneous different angles.
• Faster GPU accelerated paint tool with smoother strokes.
• Support for live previews when using the Text+ color picker.
• Ability to convert historical fixed bus projects to FlexBus in project settings.
• Improved Dolby Atmos immersive mixing, including Binaural monitoring.
• Decomposition of nested timelines with all track data including FX and automation.
• Innovative space view scope in Fairlight shows position and relationship in 3D space.

DaVinci Resolve 18 public beta is available now for download from the Blackmagic Design website.  To view Grant Petty’s complete presentation, visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVjP6RVFjPg