Loss of video quality importing videos

Hi,

Since you have been using CapCut Pro without problems before and this “defocused / soft resolution” issue only started about a month ago, it is very likely a software decoding or color management problem, not your footage or drones.

Things to check first:

1. Footage integrity

   • Open the same D-Log M clips in QuickTime Player, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro.

   • If they look sharp there, then the issue is CapCut’s import / color pipeline, not your drones or footage.

2. CapCut import settings

   • In CapCut > Settings > Performance (on Mac), check if Hardware Decoding is enabled.

     • Try toggling it off → restart CapCut → re-import.

     • Sometimes CapCut misreads DJI H.265 footage on Apple Silicon when hardware decoding is on.

3. Project resolution & preview quality

   • When creating a new project, make sure resolution matches your footage (e.g., 4K 3840×2160).

   • In the preview window, set Preview Quality → “Original”. CapCut sometimes defaults to “Performance” (blurry preview).

4. Color space handling (DJI D-Log M)

   • CapCut doesn’t auto-recognize DJI’s log profiles properly.

   • When you apply LUTs in CapCut, the footage sometimes gets double-processed → results in softness and artifacts.

   • Instead, try:

     • Import raw D-Log M.

     • Manually add Color LUT → DJI official Rec.709 LUT (downloaded from DJI’s site, not CapCut’s).

     • Adjust contrast/sharpness manually.

5. Rendering test

   • Export a short 5–10s test clip at full resolution (4K, high bitrate).

   • Check if the exported file looks sharp.

   • If export is fine but preview is blurry → it’s just CapCut preview scaling.

   • If export is also soft → decoding or color pipeline issue.

Other fixes to try:

• Transcode footage before import
  Use DJI’s own converter or DaVinci Resolve / ffmpeg to convert footage from H.265 → ProRes 422 HQ.

  • CapCut handles ProRes much better on Macs and avoids decoding blur.

• CapCut Reset / Reinstall

  • Since you said you already changed settings with no luck, a full uninstall + reinstall may help (clear cache too).

  • Don’t worry: your Pro account is cloud-linked, so you won’t lose subscription or cloud projects.

• Check CapCut updates

  • Around a month ago CapCut pushed updates that caused GPU decoding issues for Apple Silicon users.

  • Make sure you are running the latest CapCut Pro version.

  • If you are already on latest and problem persists, rolling back may solve it until CapCut patch the issue.

Quick test plan for you:

1. Import one clip into CapCut and set preview quality → “Original.”

2. Apply DJI’s official Rec.709 LUT (downloaded, not built-in).

3. Export short clip in 4K.

4. Compare sharpness to original in QuickTime.

   • If export = sharp → only a preview issue.

   • If export = blurry → transcoding or decoding fix is needed.

Transcoding your DJI D-Log M footage to ProRes 422 HQ (or ProRes 422) before importing into CapCut is the cleanest way to fix the softness / defocus issue on Mac. CapCut sometimes struggles with DJI’s H.265 log files, but ProRes is much easier for it to handle.

Here is a step-by-step workflow for you:

Method 1: Using DJI’s Built-in Converter (Recommended)

1. Open DJI’s official software (DJI Assistant 2 or DJI LightCut).

2. Import your H.265 D-Log M clips.

3. Export/Convert to Apple ProRes 422 HQ (or 422 if you want smaller file sizes).

4. Import these new ProRes files into CapCut.

Advantage is that DJI preserves metadata & color science properly.

Method 2: Using DaVinci Resolve (Free)

1. Open DaVinci Resolve (free version is enough).

2. Import your D-Log M clips.

3. Go to Deliver tab.

4. Format: QuickTime → Codec: Apple ProRes 422 HQ.

5. Resolution: match your footage (4K).

6. Export → then bring those ProRes clips into CapCut.

You can also apply DJI’s Rec.709 LUT in Resolve during export if you want to skip LUTs in CapCut.

Method 3: Using FFmpeg (Fastest, command line)

If you’re okay with Terminal:

ffmpeg -i input.MOV -c:v prores_ks -profile:v 3 -c:a copy output_prores.mov

• profile:v 3 = ProRes 422 HQ

• profile:v 2 = ProRes 422 (lighter file size)

• This is very fast and doesn’t reduce quality.

In CapCut after transcoding

• Start a new project → make sure resolution matches your footage.

• Set Preview Quality → Original.

• Apply DJI Rec.709 LUT (or do grading manually).

• Export at 4K, high bitrate (60–80 Mbps or higher).

Your footage should look sharp, correctly focused, and color-accurate, with no “defocused mess.”