DaVinci Resolve AI FAQs: Common problems and fixes

AI tools and plugins in DaVinci Resolve can speed up complex edits, which help make tricky effects feel effortless. But they also introduce a new set of headaches. These can include things like sudden freezes/crashes and laggy playback. If you’ve run into “media offline” errors or watched your timeline grind to a halt after dropping in Magic Mask or Depth Map, you’re not alone. This quick DaVinci Resolve FAQ walks through the most common issues, why they happen, and what you can do to fix them.

If DaVinci Resolve keeps crashing the moment you apply an AI effect, it’s often a system bottleneck rather than a bug. Tools like Magic Mask, Face Refinement, and Depth Map use the Neural Engine to process frames. These tools are intensive on your graphics card. Which means that your system needs to have the hardware to keep up, otherwise crashes will probably happen.

Let’s go through the usual culprits that can cause DaVinci Resolve AI to crash. These can include things like:

And here are some quick steps to troubleshoot if you have come across any crashes when using AI tools with DaVinci Resolve:

If the crash keeps repeating, try applying the AI effect on a fresh clip or a clean timeline. This helps pinpoint the issue without risking your full project.

If your clips suddenly go offline after adding an AI effect, it’s usually linked to how DaVinci Resolve handles caching and file references. Effects like Magic Mask and Depth Map sometimes break the link between your source media and the timeline. AI plugins can also misbehave if you move or rename media folders outside Resolve. Cached renders may point to the wrong location or fail to regenerate properly.

If that doesn’t work, try temporarily turning off the AI effect. Once the media is online again, reapply it and force a fresh cache render.

Offline media errors can be frustrating, but they’re usually a sign that something small (like a folder change or corrupted cache) has tripped things up behind the scenes.

It’s quite common for your system to lag after applying a DaVinci Resolve AI effect. Certain AI tools ask a lot from your graphics card, especially when you’re working on footage that is 4K or higher. Stacking up effects on top of this, and you’ll notice a drop in performance very quickly.

Super Scale looks great but doesn’t play nice in real time. Save it for the final render, not for everyday timeline work. The same goes for the Depth Map. Use it on a few key shots, not across every clip unless your system is built for it. Lag is often caused by real-time processing demands, not an actual fault in the software.

DaVinci Resolve’s AI features can be demanding on their own. Now throw in a few third-party plugins, and things can start to wobble. Some popular OpenFX tools don’t always get along with the Neural Engine, especially when GPU memory is limited or cache settings aren’t dialled in. For this section, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular plugins that are available to try for free.

Neat Video is a popular denoising plugin and is great for restoring older clips or improving noisy handheld shots. The free trial lets you test the plugin in DaVinci Resolve, though it includes watermarks and limits output resolution.

When used alongside AI tools like Magic Mask or Face Refinement, Neat Video can overwhelm your GPU. These effects all process every frame in real time, and stacking them can lead to crashes. Here are some ways to resolve this:

DaVinci Resolve 16.1.1 and higher does not provide adjacent frames (fields) required by Neat Video during render if the “Video field processing” option is enabled in the project settings. A possible fix is to disable the “Video field processing” option in the project settings and manually set the scan type to “Interlaced” (if you work with interlaced video) in Neat Video itself.

Neat Video also maintains a dedicated page for known issues with DaVinci Resolve. Make sure to check this page out before diving deeper into troubleshooting, as you might be able to find what you’re looking for here if you’re running into any specific bugs.

Twixtor is a frame interpolation plugin from RE:Vision Effects that creates smooth slow-motion or speed-ramped footage by generating in-between frames. The free trial lets you test its core features, though it adds watermarks and disables advanced motion vector controls.

Twixtor analyzes motion data across frames, which is something DaVinci Resolve’s Depth Map and retiming tools also rely on. When used together (especially on high-res footage), the software can get confused or overloaded, which may cause crashes. Here are some ways to resolve this:

Twixtor causes frame artifacts or timeline instability when used on complex motion clips that have been heavily edited in Resolve. Possible fix: Render in place or isolate the problematic segment and then apply Twixtor to the clean, trimmed clip.

Continuum is a professional plugin suite packed with visual effects! It’s commonly used in commercial and broadcast workflows. Boris FX Continuum was one of the tools used in Everything Everywhere All at Once, helping the VFX team create high-impact visuals with a small, self-taught crew and a modest budget. The free trial includes full functionality with watermarks, so you can test effects directly inside Resolve.

Continuum is a powerful and resource-heavy tool. When combined with AI tools like Super Scale or Magic Mask, it can slow DaVinci Resolve down significantly. Some effects also use their own caching or real-time rendering systems, which may clash with DaVinci Resolve’s AI pipeline, which will cause performance issues and/or crashes. Here are some ways to resolve this:fla

Continuum plugins can freeze or crash during playback or rendering when Resolve is using CUDA as the GPU processing mode (typically on NVIDIA systems). This happens because some Continuum effects are optimized for OpenCL and may conflict with CUDA-specific memory handling. Possible fix: Go to Preferences > Memory and GPU, switch GPU processing mode from CUDA to OpenCL.

Red Giant Universe is another popular plugin suite offering a wide range of motion graphics tools! The free trial includes full access with watermarks and is managed through the Maxon App.

Universe plugins are GPU-accelerated and often stack multiple effects in real time. When used alongside other AI tools (especially Depth Map or Face Refinement), they can cause DaVinci Resolve to freeze. These issues tend to pop up more frequently in long timelines or when several effects are applied back-to-back, which leads to random crashes. Here are some ways to resolve this:

If DaVinci Resolve isn’t loading Red Giant Universe plugins or certain effects crash Davinci Resolve when first applied, you can try the following:

If you’ve tried all the fixes mentioned above and DaVinci Resolve is still crashing, then it might be time to reach out to support. You can do this in several ways, such as posting on a forum or even contacting the company directly.

By sharing all the right info upfront, you can save a lot of time/guesswork for you and the people who are trying to help. So let’s start by gathering all the right things, which can include:

There’s a large community of editors who’ve likely run into the same problem that you have. Here are some good places to start asking:

If your issue seems tied to a specific plugin, try the developer’s own support forums:

DaVinci Resolve AI can do incredible things! Like automatically isolating people from backgrounds, improving detail in low-resolution clips, and handling time-consuming tasks like rotoscoping or face refinement. It’s all incredibly fun to work with! Which is why the last thing you want to deal with is crashes and sluggish performance issues. So remember to always keep in mind the best practices and good habits when working with AI workflows. And remember, you can always ask the community or official support team for help.

The most common DaVinci Resolve problems involve crashes, media offline errors, and AI tools like Magic Mask or Depth Map slowing down playback. By following these fixes, you can troubleshoot effectively and get back to editing without frustration.

Q: What are the most common DaVinci Resolve issues?
The most common DaVinci Resolve issues include crashes, freezes, media offline errors, and laggy playback. These problems often occur when using AI-powered tools like Magic Mask, Depth Map, or third-party AI plugins.

Q: How do I fix “media offline” in DaVinci Resolve?
Check file paths and relink your media. Media offline errors usually happen when source files are moved or renamed. Right-click clips, choose Relink Media, and point DaVinci Resolve to the correct folder.

Q: Why does DaVinci Resolve keep crashing?
Crashes often occur when using AI tools or heavy effects. Update your GPU drivers, reduce timeline resolution, or disable GPU-intensive AI features like Depth Map until rendering.

Q: What AI tools in DaVinci Resolve cause problems?
Magic Mask and Depth Map are the most common culprits. They’re powerful AI features, but can cause lag or crashes, especially on lower-end systems.

Q: How do I fix laggy playback in DaVinci Resolve?
Lower your timeline resolution and generate optimized media. AI effects like Magic Mask add strain, so using proxy files or render cache can smooth playback.