New Blackmagic RAW Codec

Blackmagic Design unveiled the beta version of Blackmagic RAW, a new codec that combines the quality and benefits of the RAW format with the speed, ease of use and file size of traditional codecs.

Blackmagic RAW

The new codec was seen in full operation during the IBC show at the Blackmagic Design booth. The beta version for URSA Mini Pro cameras is also available via the Blackmagic Camera 6.0 Beta update. DaVinci Resolve 15.1 offers support for Blackmagic RAW files and can be downloaded free of charge from the company’s website.

Blackmagic RAW includes several technologies such as a chroma interpolation algorithm, extensive support for various metadata, and streamlined processing using GPU and CPU. It can be used to capture footage as well as for editing and color grading, all from a single file.

The new Blackmagic RAW moves some of the chroma interpolation into the camera, where it can be processed faster thanks to the physical media. This improves encoding efficiency to give users the same quality, flexibility, dynamic range and bit depth as RAW images, but with superior performance and a much smaller file size than traditional codecs. Because chroma interpolation is performed in-camera, editing programs such as DaVinci Resolve can decode the material faster. In addition, the use of the GPU and CPU not only speeds up the processing of AV files, but also facilitates editing and color grading.

Blackmagic RAW offers free development tools (SDKs) that allow any application to support RAW on Mac, Windows and Linux computers. These tools process the sensor characteristic metadata stored in the file along with Blackmagic Design colorimetry for accurate and consistent images throughout processing.

There is a lot more details and information about this new codec, and you can learn all about it here.