[How to] Fix DaVinci Resolve Can't Import MKV, MP4, AVI, etc. Issue and Convert Videos to DaVinci Best Parameter Setting

Update on December 30, 2019

Can't import video to DaVinci Resolve? Videos in unpopular formats, especially many MKVs, some MP4s, AVIs, and those you captured by devices like MiniDV might not be supported by DaVinci Resolve, but we can still edit them by converting them to DaVinci Resolve video formats. And I’ll show you the best parameters settings for later editing/rendering in Davinci Resolve.

Here, you can free download the recommended DaVinci Resolve converter to started:

http://www.videoconverterfactory.com/download/hd-video-converter-pro.exe hd-video-converter-pro.exe

Q: I'm trying to work with .mkv in DaVinci and didn't find any DNxHD converter. Does anybody know how to import it? And the second question. I downloaded from YouTube 1920*1080*60 fps video 154 seconds long in .mkv format. The file size is 73 MB, it's only 3.8 Mbps. But the quality is amazing. When I'm exporting videos using YouTube 1080 best quality preset from DaVinci I get around 150 Mbps. The files after DaVinci's YouTube 1080 preset at the same 3.8 Mbps looks horrible. How can I export good quality files with lower bitrate?

- Asked by Sergey Zinchenko from Blackmagic Forum

A: To the first question: DaVinci resolve only supports certain types of video formats, and MKV is not included. Unsupported video formats, or rather the encoders packed within is very likely to be the root cause here.

To the second question: Can’t say how good “YouTube best quality preset” in DaVinci is, and it’s actually not. I’ll introduce you a good video converter that not only converts videos to DaVinci Resolve file type but also enables to adjust videos parameter for the best DaVinci Resolve rendering and YouTube uploading – we’ll get to these in a bit.

Mainstream formats that DaVinci Resolve supports:

Video: avi, r3d, m2ts, mp4, mxf, prores, dnxhd, mxf, dpx, cin, exr, mov, etc.

Audio: wav, aiff, mov, mp3, mp4, mxf, r3d, aac etc.

Note that even .mp4 and .avi are supported container formats, some MP4s and AVIs might not be supported by DaVinci Resolve due to the unsupported encoder packed within.

What We Like about It:

Video quality surely means much to any videoers, those with editing needs notably. In no situation is a lossy video converter acceptable nowadays, and we always appreciate small file size as much - both uploading & storage-wise. If you’d go with me for that matter, I say WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro, a decent video converter that can absolutely help in your DaVinci video editing, could be the best solution here. It can convert any video to be DaVinci-friendly; It implements a good trade-off between video quality and size with advanced coding technology; And it allows you to customize video parameter like bitrate, frame rate, etc. What’s more, it has a pretty simple GUI, now let’s see how it works.

Convert Videos for DaVinci Resolve for the Best Editing/YouTube Upload

Before start, please free download free download the software.

Step 1. Load Unsupported Videos into the DaVinci Resolve Converter

Launch WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro, click on “Converter” module to enter the converter section. Drag & drop the target files to the center or click “Add Files” button from the upper-left corner to add unsupported videos into the program. Then define the destination path at “Output folder” underneath.

Step 2. Adjust Video to the Best Parameter Setting

Click on the “Parameter settings” button on the right side, you’ll be led to a new window where you can customize video bitrate, framerate, aspect ratio, etc. When ready, hit “OK” to save changes and get back to the main workplace.

Hint: 1. Regular video bitrate for DaVinci editing is 30~60 Mbps.

2. Best settings for YouTube uploading. (Check out the YouTube upload spec)

Bitrate: Around 7500 kbps; For 1080p movies, 8000kbps SDR/10.000 kbps HDR.

Frame rate: 48,50,60 fps

Step 3. Convert and Export Videos

(Don't adopt DaVinci Resolve H.264 exporter for your uploads, you can also convert the exports in this program.)

Click on the output format section on the right side to choose the output video format. Locate the video category, choose the output video format by clicking on the corresponding video icon. Then click “Run” to start the conversion.

Recommendations:

For importing video to DaVinci and editing: DivX (DivX+MP3)

For YouTube uploading: MP4 (H.264+AAC). It’s the best DaVinci export format for delivering that is perfectly supported by YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, etc. and it as a matter of fact best fits all mainstream platforms.

At last...

How’s the outcome? I hope this article can be of help. If you have further questions or better suggestions on DaVinci Resolve parameter settings, you can contact me by clicking on my avatar, which will lead you to my Twitter page. Cheers!