dolby-vision

/dolby-vision — Dolby Vision Render Pipeline

Full Dolby Vision delivery in one command: set the DV profile, run the analyzer, optionally adjust the midtone detail slider, and render.

Arguments

User provides a Dolby Vision profile version and optionally a format/codec and midtone adjustment.

Shorthand	DV Profile	Use Case
8.4 or social or streaming (default)	Profile 8.4	YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, streaming platforms. Player-led HDR-to-SDR mapping. Most compatible.
8.1 or broadcast	Profile 8.1	Broadcast, cable. Backward compatible with HDR10.
5 or cinema or theatrical	Profile 5	Theatrical/cinema. Dual-layer, highest quality. Requires Studio.
7 or ott	Profile 7	OTT streaming (Netflix, Disney+). Single RPU, mel/fel.

Workflow

1. Set Dolby Vision project settings

Use resolve_get_project_settings first to read current color science and DV settings. Then use resolve_set_project_setting to configure:

• colorScienceMode — should be davinciYRGBColorManagedv2 or davinciYRGB for DV workflows
• Dolby Vision version/profile — set via the appropriate project setting key
• Check that the project is in HDR (wide gamut / high dynamic range)

Read all project settings and look for any keys containing "dolby", "DolbyVision", "hdr", or "HDR" to find the exact setting names for this Resolve version. Common keys include:

• dolbyVisionVersion or DolbyVisionVersion
• dolbyVisionContentType
• hdrMasteringLuminanceMax
• hdrMasteringLuminanceMin

2. Run Dolby Vision analyzer

Use resolve_analyze_dolby_vision to scan the timeline and generate L1/L2/L5 metadata. This must complete before rendering.

Then use resolve_optimize_dolby_vision to refine the metadata for spec compliance.

3. Lower midtone detail (optional but recommended)

Dolby Vision content often benefits from slightly reduced midtone detail to avoid harsh HDR transitions. Unless the user says otherwise, lower the midtone adjustment:

• Switch to the Color page with resolve_switch_page("color")
• For each clip on V1, use resolve_get_item_properties to read current settings
• Use resolve_set_item_properties to lower the midtone detail slider
• A subtle reduction is typical: if default is 0, try setting to around -10 to -15
• If the user specifies a value, use that instead

Note: The exact property key for midtone detail varies by Resolve version. Read the clip properties first to find the correct key — look for keys containing "midtone", "midDetail", "MidDetail", or similar. If the property isn't available via the scripting API, inform the user they'll need to adjust it manually on the Color page.

4. Set render format for Dolby Vision

Use resolve_set_render_format_and_codec and resolve_set_render_settings:

For Profile 8.4 (social/streaming):

• Format: MP4
• Codec: H.265
• Set HDR metadata export enabled
• Resolution: match timeline (usually 3840x2160 for HDR)

For Profile 5 (cinema):

• Format: QuickTime or IMF
• Codec: DNxHR or ProRes (for intermediate), or JPEG 2000 for IMF
• Dual-layer output

For Profile 8.1 (broadcast):

• Format: MXF
• Codec: DNxHD/DNxHR or XAVC
• HDR10 compatible base layer

For Profile 7 (OTT):

• Format: MP4
• Codec: H.265
• Single RPU stream

5. Render

Use resolve_add_render_job then resolve_start_render. Poll with resolve_get_render_status until complete.

6. Save project

Use resolve_save_project after the render completes.

Example Interactions

User: /dolby-vision → Default: Profile 8.4, run analyzer, lower midtones slightly, render H.265 MP4.

User: /dolby-vision 8.4 → Same as default.

User: /dolby-vision 5 → Profile 5 cinema, run analyzer, render ProRes/IMF.

User: /dolby-vision 8.4 midtone -20 → Profile 8.4, lower midtone detail to -20, render.

User: /dolby-vision streaming no midtone → Profile 8.4, skip midtone adjustment, render.

User: /dolby-vision 7 to /Volumes/Exports/ → Profile 7 OTT, render to specified directory.