DaVinci Resolve 21 Beta 4 (21.0b4) is now available, bringing several important improvements across AI tools, Fusion, color management, editing workflows, and overall stability. While this update mainly focuses on bug fixes and performance enhancements, it also introduces a few highly useful new features for professional editors and creators.

If you are planning to update, there is one important compatibility warning you should know first.

Important Compatibility Notice

Blackmagic Design has worked to keep project libraries compatible with DaVinci Resolve 20.3.2. However, any project that is created or opened in DaVinci Resolve 21 Beta 4 will no longer be accessible in version 20.3.2.

Before updating, it is highly recommended to:

• Create a full project library backup

• Create separate backups of important projects

This is especially important for professional editors working on client projects.

What’s New in DaVinci Resolve 21 Beta 4

Insta360 I-Log Support Added

DaVinci Resolve now supports Insta360 I-Log gamma in color management. This improves workflow compatibility and grading flexibility for creators using Insta360 cameras.

AI CineFocus Quality Improvements

The AI CineFocus tool has received visual quality improvements, resulting in cleaner and more natural cinematic depth effects.

This is especially useful for creators who rely on AI-powered background blur and cinematic focus effects.

HDR Workflow Enhancements

Users can now choose the trim pass for:

• Dolby Vision

• HDR10+

• HDR Vivid

This update gives professionals more control over HDR mastering workflows.

Fusion Animation Improvements

Fusion’s keyframe editor now supports:

• Motion paths

• Additional modifiers

This makes animation workflows smoother and more efficient inside Fusion.

Final Cut Pro 12 FCPXML Support

DaVinci Resolve 21 Beta 4 now supports importing and exporting Final Cut Pro 12 FCPXML files, improving cross-platform workflow compatibility.

Major Bug Fixes

RAW & Color Fixes

Several color-related issues have been fixed, including:

• Crushed highlights in Canon CR2 and CR3 images

• Purple highlights in certain Fujifilm RAF images

• Color decoding issues in some DNG files

Photo Page & Resolve FX Fixes

Blackmagic has fixed multiple issues related to:

• Photo crop and transform alignment

• Resolve FX Warper

• Face Refinement alpha handling

AI Blemish Removal has also been improved, reducing unwanted artifacts and shimmer issues.

Magic Mask Improvements

Magic Mask rendering issues have been addressed, including:

• Incorrect render resolution

• Problems with clips containing handles

Editing & Timeline Performance

This update improves timeline responsiveness, especially in complex projects with many clips and visible keyframes.

Other fixes include:

• Marker offset corrections

• Vertical timeline viewer fixes

• Audio sync improvements

• Multicam audio handling fixes

Fusion & Fairlight Stability Fixes

Fusion users will notice fixes for:

• Floating windows

• Dual-screen layouts

• Paint tool behavior

• OpenEXR loading issues

Fairlight automation display issues on Retina displays have also been fixed.

Additional Improvements

Other improvements include:

• Better music retimer handling

• Remote Monitor installation on Windows

• Panasonic P2 file recognition fixes

• Improved background rendering behavior

• General performance and stability enhancements

Final Thoughts

DaVinci Resolve 21 Beta 4 may not be a massive feature-packed update, but it delivers important workflow refinements, AI improvements, and stability fixes that many editors will appreciate.

Fusion users, colorists, HDR professionals, and creators using AI tools will benefit the most from this release.

If you decide to update, make sure to back up your project libraries first to avoid compatibility issues.