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Transcoding a Video with DaVinci Resolve on AWS

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TrackIt

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Written by Thierry Delran, DevOps Engineer

Due to the increasing demand for high-quality video content, efficient transcoding solutions have become essential in the media and entertainment industry. DaVinci Resolve, known for its advanced editing and color correction capabilities, is a popular tool used in video editing and production. Integrating this powerful software with AWS cloud infrastructure offers significant advantages such as scalability and faster processing times. Exploring how to set up DaVinci Resolve on AWS is a valuable topic for professionals seeking to optimize their video workflows.

The guide blow will walk readers through the process of setting up an environment to transcode videos using DaVinci Resolve on AWS.


Step 1: Setup an Amazon S3 Bucket

  1. Log into your AWS Management Console.
  2. Navigate to the S3 service.
  3. Create a new S3 bucket:
  4. Create an AMI role for the instance S3 access:


Step 2: Setup an Amazon EC2 Instance and Configure It

  1. Create a Key Pair:
  2. Launch the EC2 Instance:
  3. Connect to the instance through RDP to configure it
  1. Install the AWS CLI
  2. Install the Nice DCV Server:
  3. Install NVIDIA GRID Drivers:
1$Bucket = "ec2-windows-nvidia-drivers"$KeyPrefix = "latest"$LocalPath = "$home\Desktop\NVIDIA"$Objects = Get-S3Object -BucketName $Bucket -KeyPrefix $KeyPrefix -Region us-east-1foreach ($Object in $Objects) {    $LocalFileName = $Object.Key    if ($LocalFileName -ne '' -and $Object.Size -ne 0) {        $LocalFilePath = Join-Path $LocalPath $LocalFileName        Copy-S3Object -BucketName $Bucket -Key $Object.Key -LocalFile $LocalFilePath -Region us-east-1    }}
  1. Install Davinci Resolve:
  2. Optional: Create an AMI:


Step 3: Connect to the Instance via Nice DCV

  • In the EC2 Dashboard, select the instance and note its public IP.
  • Use the DCV client to connect to the instance, use the public IP as server to connect to.
  • The Username is Administrator and the password is the same one used to connect through RDP into the instance.


Step 4: Upload a Video File to S3 and Download it on the Instance

  1. Upload Video File to S3:
  2. Download Video File on the Instance:
1aws s3 cp s3://your-bucket-name/your-video-file .


Step 5: Transcode the Video File with DaVinci Resolve and Upload it to S3

  1. Open DaVinci Resolve on the EC2 instance.
  2. Open a new or existing project
  3. Import the Video File:
  4. Create a timeline for that video file
  1. Transcode the Video File:
  1. Upload the Transcoded Video to Amazon S3:
1aws s3 cp your-transcoded-video-file s3://your-bucket-name/


Note on Containerized Transcoding Jobs with DaVinci Resolve on AWS

Licensing could be a significant issue if the objective is to use DaVinci Resolve in a containerized environment. Below is an outline of the technical considerations and an alternative approach using FFmpeg, including the use of AWS Batch for job orchestration.


Licensing Challenges with DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve requires a specific license for each installation. When used in a containerized environment, the ephemeral nature of containers complicates the licensing process:

  • Persistent Licensing: Containers are typically stateless and short-lived, conflicting with DaVinci Resolve's persistent licensing mechanism.
  • Activation: Each new container instance would require manual activation, which is impractical for scaling and automation.


Potential Workarounds with On-Demand Instances

To use DaVinci Resolve while mitigating some of the containerization issues, On-Demand EC2 instances can be used:

  1. Instance Setup:
  2. Creating an AMI:
  3. Headless Operation:
  4. Automation:


Alternative Approach with FFmpeg

Given the complexities associated with DaVinci Resolve, FFmpeg presents a simpler and likely more cost-effective solution:

  1. Containerization:
  2. Job Orchestration with AWS Batch:
  3. Automation and Scaling:


Closing Thoughts

While using DaVinci Resolve in a containerized setup poses licensing challenges, utilizing on-demand instances with AMIs can provide a viable workaround. However, the alternative of using FFmpeg, particularly with AWS Batch, offers a more streamlined and cost-effective solution for video transcoding tasks on AWS. FFmpeg's flexibility and ease of containerization, combined with AWS Batch's powerful job orchestration and scaling capabilities, make it a preferable choice for scalable and automated transcoding workflows. demonstrated expertise in the Media & Entertainment (M&E) vertical to ensure a successful implementation.


About TrackIt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBiJ156cA2I


TrackIt is an international AWS cloud consulting, systems integration, and software development firm headquartered in Marina del Rey, CA.

We have built our reputation on helping media companies architect and implement cost-effective, reliable, and scalable Media & Entertainment workflows in the cloud. These include streaming and on-demand video solutions, media asset management, and archiving, incorporating the latest AI technology to build bespoke media solutions tailored to customer requirements.

Cloud-native software development is at the foundation of what we do. We specialize in Application Modernization, Containerization, Infrastructure as Code and event-driven serverless architectures by leveraging the latest AWS services. Along with our Managed Services offerings which provide 24/7 cloud infrastructure maintenance and support, we are able to provide complete solutions for the media industry.






About Thierry Delran