Per file proxy or cloud streaming: choosing the right mode in DaVinci Resolve

The proxy or stream dilemma in DaVinci Resolve

An editor on a long form documentary needs proxies. The scrub has to feel instant on a laptop. The proxies are usually ProRes Proxy 720p on the SSD. Meanwhile, the colorist who picks up the cut wants the originals at full resolution. Noise reduction and grain matching on a 720p H.264 file are a non starter. The proxy and the original cannot serve both people without a compromise.

Proxy workflow in Resolve

Resolve has supported proxies natively for years. ProRes Proxy 720p plays back at 60 fps on Apple Silicon, even on a base M2 MacBook Air. The proxy file is roughly 5 to 8 percent the size of a 4K ProRes 422 original.

• Generate proxies through Adobe Media Encoder, Apple Compressor, or a server side tool.
• Drop the proxy folder in the Resolve Media Pool.
• Resolve indexes the proxies as regular .mov files.
• Cut on proxies offline.

This is the classic editorial workflow. It works for a single editor with a fast machine and a fast SSD.

Streaming workflow in Resolve

The alternative is to skip proxies entirely and stream the originals from cloud storage or a fast local storage server. Tools like LucidLink, or a high speed local network, deliver 4K ProRes 422 to Resolve in close to real time. Streaming preserves the full resolution, which the colorist needs. The trade off is that every scrub goes back to the source. A slow connection turns the timeline into a slideshow.

Why picking one mode for the whole project hurts

Most teams pick proxy for the whole project (editor wins, colorist suffers) or stream for the whole project (colorist wins, editor suffers on the road). On documentary or branded content where the editorial pass lasts weeks and color is a 3 day burst at the end, neither option fits both phases.

A different approach with Sanbila

Sanbila lets every file in a project be accessed in either mode, independently. The same file can be a proxy for one editor and a stream for the colorist, on the same project, at the same time.

• The choice is per file, not per project.
• Editors work on proxies cached on their SSD. Offline ready. Fast scrub.
• Colorists switch the hero clips to stream and grade on the originals at full resolution.
• On Studio and Enterprise plans, every member of the project sees the same files, with role permissions (Owner, Editor, Viewer).

Practical: setting up Resolve and Sanbila

1. Create a Sanbila project and import your rushes.
2. Generate proxies in 720p ProRes Proxy. Resolve loves it.
3. Open the Sanbila Virtual Folder in the Resolve Media Pool.
4. Cut on proxies for the editorial pass.
5. When color picks up, switch the files used in the timeline to stream mode. Resolve relinks transparently and the originals start streaming.