Achieve Consistent Video Colors: Optimal DaVinci Resolve Export Settings for QuickTime and YouTube

Matti Haapoja

Understanding the Color Shift Problem [0:00]

• Video files often look different after exporting from DaVinci Resolve.
  • Colors and contrast may not match the graded version within the editing software.
  • This discrepancy is common when viewing on QuickTime or uploading to YouTube.
• The goal is to ensure consistent color and contrast across DaVinci Resolve, QuickTime, and YouTube.

Essential DaVinci Resolve Preferences [1:21]

• Access DaVinci Resolve preferences (DaVinci Resolve > Preferences...).
• Navigate to the 'General' tab under 'System'.
• Check the following options:
  • Use 10-bit precision in viewers if available [1:25]
  • Use Mac display color profiles for viewers [1:28]
  • Viewers match QuickTime player when using Rec.709 Scene [1:30]
• Save the changes to apply these settings.

Key Project Settings for Color Management [1:37]

• Open Project Settings from the bottom right gear icon.
• Go to 'Color Management' in the left sidebar.
• Set 'Output color space' to either:
  • Rec.709 (Scene) [1:51]
    • This is the preferred setting for a simpler workflow.
  • Rec.709-A [1:54]
    • Rec.709-A stands for Rec.709 Apple.
    • Both generally achieve similar results, but there's a key difference in workflow.

Crucial Export Settings for Consistent Color (Deliver Page) [2:22]

• Navigate to the Deliver page (rocket icon).
• Scroll down to 'Advanced Settings'.
• Configure the following:
  • Color Space Tag: Rec.709 [2:29]
  • Gamma Tag: Rec.709-A [2:36]
    • This is the most important setting for achieving consistent color and contrast.

Why Rec.709-A Ensures Consistent Colors on YouTube [2:52]

• QuickTime players correctly interpret the chosen gamma tag [3:01].
• YouTube, however, assumes all uploaded videos are in Rec.709-A, regardless of the metadata you tag [3:19].
  • If you export with a different gamma tag (e.g., Gamma 2.4), YouTube will still interpret it as Rec.709-A, causing a visual shift in colors and contrast [3:29].
• By editing and exporting in Rec.709-A (or equivalent setup), you align your output with YouTube's default assumption, ensuring colors look the same in DaVinci Resolve, QuickTime, and YouTube [3:50].

Understanding Rec.709 (Scene) vs Rec.709-A in Project Settings [4:25]

• If 'Output color space' is set to Rec.709-A in Project Settings: [4:40]
  • You must manually apply a 'Color Space Transform' effect to Rec.709-A on your clips in the color grading node tree.
• If 'Output color space' is set to Rec.709 (Scene) in Project Settings: [4:54]
  • With the preference "Automatically tag Rec.709 Scene clips as Rec.709-A" enabled (see 'Essential DaVinci Resolve Preferences' above), DaVinci Resolve handles the conversion automatically.
  • This streamlines the workflow, eliminating the need for manual CST on every clip.

Important Notes on Video Playback Software [5:39]

• VLC media player does not utilize color profiles or gamma tags [5:40].
  • Videos exported with these settings will likely appear different in VLC compared to QuickTime or YouTube.
• QuickTime reads and applies color profiles [5:52].
• YouTube assumes Rec.709-A for all videos, effectively ignoring other specified gamma tags [5:54].

General Export Settings for Optimal Quality [7:01]

• These settings aim to provide a high-quality starting point before YouTube's compression.
• Format: QuickTime [7:37]
• Codec: H.264 [7:42]
  • While H.265 offers smaller file sizes, H.264 is reportedly better processed by YouTube for final quality.
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Ultra HD (4K) [7:58]
  • Even if your footage is 1080p, exporting in 4K gives YouTube more data, resulting in potentially better quality after YouTube's re-compression.
• Frame Rate: Timeline Frame Rate (e.g., 23.976 frames per second) [8:21]

Advanced Export Settings [8:25]

• Quality: Restrict to 80,000 to 100,000 kb/s (kilobits per second) [8:27]
  • Adjust based on internet speed or urgency (lower for faster uploads).
• Encoding Profile: High [8:51]
• Entropy Mode: CABAC [8:54]
• Multi-pass encode: Enable this option [9:02]
  • Improves quality but increases export time. This helps ensure each frame has the appropriate amount of data based on its complexity.
• Key Frames: Automatic (or 30 frames) [9:06]
• Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square [9:28]
• Data Levels: Video [9:36]
  • This specifies how black and white levels are interpreted.
• Color Space Tag: Rec.709 [9:50]
• Gamma Tag: Rec.709-A [9:54]
  • Reiteration of the most critical color setting.

Additional Tips for Color Grading Workflow [10:00]

• Sharpening: [10:00]
  • Avoid excessive sharpening to combat YouTube compression, as it can introduce 'clarity' and undesirable effects.
  • If sharpening, consider slightly reducing the 'Mid/Detail' setting in DaVinci Resolve's 'Blur - Sharpen' tools to mitigate excessive clarity [10:48].
  • Sharpening after adding film grain can help retain grain quality instead of appearing mushy.
• Monitor Calibration/Display Profile: [10:56]
  • Some professional colorists grade in color profiles like DCI-P3 which are less bright and harder to work with [10:58].
  • However, most end-user displays (sRGB/Rec.709) are calibrated differently [11:21].
  • The speaker prefers to use the default Mac display profile because it better represents how most viewers will see the content [11:41].
  • Grading in a dark room can cause your pupils to dilate, making your eyes work harder to focus, potentially leading to eye strain and inaccurate color perception. It's recommended to work in a brighter, balanced environment [12:08].