DaVinci Resolve 19 integrates Snapdragon X Elite processor

In a significant technological development, Blackmagic Design has announced that DaVinci Resolve 19 now supports Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor, promising substantial performance enhancements for users. Specifically, the integration is said to result in up to 4.7 times faster performance for AI tools such as the Magic Mask and twice the speed for the Smart Reframe feature on computers using this new processor.

The announcement underscores the optimisation of DaVinci Resolve 19's Neural AI Engine with NPU acceleration, marking an important milestone for professionals relying on the software for video editing and post-production. DaVinci Resolve 19 public beta 3 for Windows ARM with Snapdragon X Elite is available for download, bringing the upgraded capabilities to users immediately.

Apart from hardware support, DaVinci Resolve 19 introduces more than 100 new feature upgrades. Key among these include the ColorSlice six vector palette for rich, film-like tones, and Ultra NR, a dedicated denoise mode in the Color Page's spatial noise reduction palette. These capabilities are geared towards enhancing the quality and efficiency of the colour grading process, a crucial component in professional video editing.

The new IntelliTrack AI feature, powered by the DaVinci Neural Engine, has been introduced to facilitate improved tracking and stabilisation capabilities. It is designed for application in both the Colour and Fusion pages and extends its utility to the Fairlight page where it is used to track motion and automatically pan audio. This innovation allows editors to achieve precise audio panning, creating a more immersive soundscape by linking audio to the movement of people or objects in 2D and 3D spaces.

In terms of audio, the UltraNR mode enables significant digital noise reduction while maintaining image clarity, especially when combined with temporal noise reduction for scenes with motion. For cinematic aesthetics, the film look creator FX allows users to add various filmic properties, including halation, bloom, grain, flicker, gate weave, and vignetting. These features can be further fine-tuned using the intuitive controls for exposure, subtractive saturation, richness, and split tone, closely mimicking the distinct characteristics of big-screen visuals.

Another notable feature is the AI-based dialogue separator FX, which allows customers to isolate dialogue from background sound and room reverberation. This feature comes with controls for voice, background, and ambience, enabling users to remix or reduce competing sounds effectively. It is particularly beneficial for field recordings and interviews conducted in noisy environments.

Advanced transcription capabilities in DaVinci Resolve 19 enhance the workflow by editing clips based on transcribed text. The AI-powered speech-to-text transcription can detect multiple voices, allowing users to assign names to different speakers, refine text-based search and text replacement operations, and generate sub-clips. Users can mark in and out points to edit or delete text, with these changes reflected directly on the timeline.

Furthermore, the software features a new ducker track FX that automates level management of audio tracks, dynamically lowering the volume of background music or noise when dialogue is present. The music remixer track FX lets customers adjust the levels of various instruments, mute specific tracks, or reshape a vocal piece into an instrumental. This flexibility aids in customising the music mix to suit the overall style of the project.

Commenting on the release, Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty expressed enthusiasm for the enhanced computational efficiency brought by the Snapdragon X Elite and Windows optimisations, highlighting the potential for improved creative workflows on lightweight machines with extended battery life.

In summary, DaVinci Resolve 19's support for the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor and the extensive list of new features reaffirms Blackmagic Design's commitment to equipping video professionals with cutting-edge tools to enhance their productivity and creative capabilities.