An issue has been observed in recent versions of DaVinci Resolve (19 and the latest 20 beta) concerning the rendering cache. Specifically, when the rendering cache is set to “Smart,” playback ceases with a “Media Offline” message immediately after the render bar becomes blue. While disabling the cache resolves the playback issue, this negates the performance benefits for projects with significant effects and color grading.
Investigation indicates that certain user-defined project presets may be the cause, leading to the generation of invalid cache files. The following steps provide a potential solution:
- Open the project exhibiting the problem.
- Navigate to the project settings (located in the lower right corner).
- Load the default project preset.
- Configure the desired settings (resolution, frame rate, etc.) and save the changes.
- Evaluate the rendering cache functionality. If playback is now successful, create a new custom preset based on these settings using the three-dot menu in the upper right corner.
- For any other affected projects, open them and apply this newly created preset.
