Best OBS Settings for DaVinci Resolve

Configuring OBS Studio correctly is essential for capturing high-quality, low-latency raw footage that imports seamlessly into video editing software like DaVinci Resolve. This guide provides the optimal settings for OBS Studio, focusing on maximizing video quality, eliminating hardware latency, ensuring editing software compatibility, and avoiding common issues like variable frame rates.

Output Settings (Advanced Mode)

To configure your recording settings, navigate to Settings > Output and change the Output Mode at the top to Advanced. Select the Recording tab.

• Recording Format: Set this to Fragmented MP4 (.mp4) or MKV. MKV is the safest option because if OBS or your PC crashes, your recording will not be corrupted. You can set OBS to automatically convert these to MP4 for DaVinci Resolve by going to Settings > Advanced and checking Automatically remux to mp4.
• Video Encoder: Select a hardware encoder to reduce CPU overhead and latency. Use NVIDIA NVENC H.264 or HEVC (for Nvidia cards), AMD HW H.264/HEVC (for AMD), or QuickSync (for Intel). HEVC (H.265) offers better compression, but H.264 has the highest compatibility with older hardware.
• Audio Encoder: Choose Linear PCM. This captures uncompressed, high-fidelity audio that is ideal for post-production editing in DaVinci Resolve.

Encoder Settings (CQP for Editing)

For raw editing footage, do not use CBR (Constant Bitrate). Instead, use CQP (Constant Quantization Parameter), which allocates bitrate based on the complexity of the scene to ensure consistent visual quality.

• Rate Control: CQP
• CQ Level: Set between 15 and 20. A lower number yields higher quality but larger file sizes (15 is excellent for high-detail raw footage; 20 is a great balance).
• Keyframe Interval: Set to 2s (or 1s). DaVinci Resolve needs regular keyframes to scrub smoothly through the timeline. Avoid setting this to 0 (auto).
• Preset: P5: Slow (Good Quality) or P6: Slower (Better Quality). Avoid P7 unless you have a high-end dedicated GPU, as it can introduce rendering lag.
• Tuning: High Quality
• Multipass Mode: Two Passes (Quarter Resolution)
• Profile: High

Video Settings (Frame Rate and Resolution)

Navigate to the Video tab. To prevent editing issues, DaVinci Resolve requires a constant frame rate.

• Base (Canvas) Resolution: Match this to your monitor’s native resolution (e.g., 1920x1080 or 2560x1440).
• Output (Scaled) Resolution: Match this to your Base Resolution to avoid downscaling, which saves processing power and maintains pixel-perfect quality.
• Downscale Filter: Lanczos (if scaling is necessary), otherwise leave as default.
• Common FPS Values: Set to 60 (or 30 depending on your project needs). Ensure this matches your DaVinci Resolve timeline frame rate exactly to prevent audio sync drift.

Advanced Color Settings

To ensure the colors you record in OBS look identical when imported into DaVinci Resolve, adjust the color settings in the Advanced tab.

• Color Format: NV12 (for 8-bit recording) or P010 (for 10-bit HDR recording).
• Color Space: Rec. 709 (the standard for HD video).
• Color Range: Limited. While “Full” sounds better, many video players and video editing suites (including DaVinci Resolve) default to Limited range for H.264/H.265 workflows. Selecting “Full” often results in crushed blacks and washed-out highlights upon import unless manually calibrated.