In collaboration with YouTube creator AramK, we bring you a series of Davinci Resolve 16 tutorials to help you get your video project off the ground.
Achieving Broadcast Safe Finish in DaVinci Resolve
In this tutorial, we will be achieving a broadcast-safe finish. We will be working with RAW film footage of a woman intently focused on painting. Classic teal-orange color grading has been completed beforehand to set up our colors.
To start, we’ll be looking at our REC 709 color spectrum window. That way, you can see what’s really going on with the color.
Broadcast Safe Settings
First, go into the project settings and click on the color management settings. You’ll see an option that reads “Broadcast Safe” and gives you an option to change your IRE levels.
There are three levels of intensity here, ranging from lenient to strict: -20-120, -10-110, and 0-100. We select the strictest option (0-100) and then check the box underneath to make the broadcast safe.
Once you click save on those settings, you should notice a slight change in the REC 709 spectrum window. The colors will compress but not enough.
Broadcast Safe Exceptions
Go to view and click display broadcast safe exceptions. You will see all the yellow and dark blue colors that lie outside the legal broadcast for REC 709.
To solve this, we go to hue vs saturation and bump up the teal color in the color curve. You can use a DaVinci Resolve plugin called ResolveFX Color to add gamut mapping. This compresses the saturation below our color warning, and we adjust as needed.
If you don’t use this plugin, you can achieve a broadcast safe finish by using hue vs saturation and the dropper. Using the dropper, select the warning areas and start adjusting the color curve as needed.
Watch On YouTube
Hit play on the video below to see AramK show you how to achieve broadcast-safe finishing in DaVinci Resolve.
Looking for a Particular Topic In the Video?
- Footage used– 0:29
- Color management settings – 0:55
- Change IRE levels – 1:05
- Display broadcast safe exceptions – 1:35
- Hue vs saturation – 1:58
- Plugin – 2:50
- Without plugin – 3:29
- Final result – 5:00
Key Takeaways
Using broadcast safe in DaVinci Resolve is an excellent way to perfect your colors if your video is going to be shown on TV.
Find the broadcast safe settings under color management, and then choose your IRE levels and click the box to make your video broadcast safe.
Either use the ResolveFX Color plugin or dropper tool to adjust the warning areas that appear when you view broadcast exceptions.
Keep in mind that every specific news channel or broadcast company has its own specifications. However, this is a good general rule of thumb.
Extra Resources
- Download the latest version of DaVinci Resolve for free
- Download free RawFilm stock footage shot on RED cinema cameras
Thank you for reading and watching! We will see you soon with another DaVinci Resolve tutorial.
