Cutsio Blog

How to Fix Black Frames in DaVinci Resolve

Direct methods for finding gaps, replacing missing clips, and cleaning render cache.

The best way to fix black frames in DaVinci Resolve is to delete hidden timeline gaps, clear the render cache, and relink missing proxy media.

Here are the direct methods to fix black frames in DaVinci Resolve.

What is the fastest way to delete hidden timeline gaps?

If your exported video suddenly cuts to a black screen for a fraction of a second, DaVinci Resolve is rendering a tiny, invisible sliver of empty space between two clips on your timeline.

To quickly delete hidden timeline gaps:

  1. Open the Edit page (Shift+4).
  2. Go to the top menu bar and click Edit > Select All (or Cmd+A).
  3. Click Edit > Delete Gaps.
  4. DaVinci Resolve will automatically scan the entire sequence, find every single microscopic sliver of empty space between your video clips, and instantly snap them together.

How do you clear a corrupted render cache?

If a clip on your timeline plays perfectly fine in the original source viewer but turns completely black when dragged onto the timeline, DaVinci Resolve has generated a corrupted temporary playback file (Render Cache) for that specific clip.

To clear a corrupted render cache:

  1. Open the Edit page (Shift+4).
  2. Go to the top menu bar and click Playback > Delete Render Cache.
  3. Select All.
  4. DaVinci Resolve will instantly wipe out the corrupted temporary files on your hard drive.
  5. The timeline will briefly turn red (indicating it needs to re-render), and the black frame will vanish, restoring the original video clip.

How do you fix unlinked proxy media?

If your entire timeline is filled with black screens but the audio plays perfectly, DaVinci Resolve is trying to read proxy files that were deleted from your hard drive or moved to a different folder.

To fix unlinked proxy media:

  1. Open the Media page (Shift+2) or the Edit page (Shift+4).
  2. Select all of the black clips in your Media Pool.
  3. Right-click the selected clips and choose Relink Proxy Media.
  4. In the file browser window, navigate to the highest-level folder on your hard drive that contains the missing proxy video files.
  5. Click Open (or Select Folder). DaVinci Resolve will instantly reconnect the proxy footage to the timeline, replacing the black screens with your video.