Main Concept MPEG-4 Full Codec Upgrade

me_again wrote on 2/3/2021, 3:12 AM

Greetings,

I've always felt that the finished video encoded with the default MP4 codec in MEP2021 wasn't brilliant, so I thought I would give the Main Concept a chance. At £3.99 I thought I had nothing to lose.

I bought, I activated, I rebooted, I loaded and encoded a short project, I opened the finished file and NOTHING, The file was 0 bytes.

I've NOT checkmarked Hardware Encoding as I know that I'm not supported in that department, and I've tried a lot of the presets all to no avail.

I read this topic https://www.magix.info/us/forum/rendering-a-project-to-mp4-gives-me-a-0-bytes-file--1244480/ and, if I've read it correctly, it's down to the Intel Chip but I don't have an Intel Chip just a humble GeForce RTX 2060.

Any Ideas?

AndyW

ps - The MC Codec works OK for "standard" mpg.

Comments

CubeAce wrote on 2/3/2021, 3:44 AM

Hi Andy.

Unfortunately a later model Intel GPU is needed for any form of hardware acceleration for export within MEP.

In that respect the codec will not help.

If you are talking about the quality of the finished file, then personally I prefer MEPs' MP4 offering over the older Main Concept version but in both cases the export settings have to be set up correctly which to my limited experience is much easier to do using the one supplied with the program. Getting setting wrong using the Main concept encoder results in what you are seeing. A file containing zero bytes. I've been there, read the book, seen the film, and got the T shirt. You have to be very careful wandering away from the set presets.

If you are talking about how smooth the program plays back files, that comes down purely to the hardware in use.

Ray.

me_again wrote on 2/3/2021, 3:54 AM

Greetings and thanks for the reply Ray.

Howevere as I said I am NOT trying to use Hardware encoding and the codec is failing using it's own presets.

AndyW

me_again wrote on 2/3/2021, 4:23 AM

Greetings

I seem to have it sussed. I usually encode with "calculate video effects on GPU" ticked as I've found a marginal decrease in encoding time.

The MC codec does not appear to like that. When I unticked "calculate on..." etc., the MC codec worked as it should do.

I assume "calculate video effects on GPU" works OK with an Intel GPU, but obviously not with my GeForce Nvidia. If so the it's another blow to us non-Intel users.

AndyW

CubeAce wrote on 2/3/2021, 4:41 AM

@me_again

Hi Andy.

Best to see if John EB or Peter pick up on this thread to see if they agree as to why that happened but the first thing you mentioned

I seem to have it sussed. I usually encode with "calculate video effects on GPU" ticked as I've found a marginal decrease in encoding time.

has been observed before in the past and looked at.

The MC codec does not appear to like that. When I unticked "calculate on..." etc., the MC codec worked as it should do.

That, I have never observed.

I assume "calculate video effects on GPU" works OK with an Intel GPU, but obviously not with my GeForce Nvidia. If so the it's another blow to us non-Intel users.

That depends. I have noticed that even if it is not ticked that depending on what effects are added to the project that an nvidia GPU can be pressed into service if you look at your Task Manager during the export. The vram however does not get pressed into service for some weird reason.

Although your Intel CPU does have a GPU, it is one that is now too old to be used in the current program.

Thank you for now putting your system spec details in your signature for future reference as it seems to have changed from your earlier postings.

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 2/3/2021, 5:14 AM

@me_again, @CubeAce

The 0 byte file size using HWA or calculating effects on the GPU has been a long standing issue of the MC codec.

Personally I do not use it.

The 'Calculate video effects on GPU' has variable effects on rendering times sometimes it helps, others it does not - I never use this option.

The one effect you should find that is accelerated using the RTX 2060 is the Vegas Stabilisation - does not matter what the program graphics settings are - I get 50 - 65% utilisation when rendering the stabilised video.

To find the actual version and build number of Windows - hold down the Windows key and press R, type in the dialog winver and Ok - latest version is 20H2.

HTH

John EB

me_again wrote on 2/3/2021, 5:21 AM

@CubeAce

Greetings Ray,

Thank you for now putting your system spec details in your signature for future reference as it seems to have changed from your earlier postings.

Odd. The only change I've made in months to my signature is to update the version of MEP - that was this morning.

As for the CPU having an Intel GPU, it may well have but it is not supported by my motherboard, so it's not a problem if it's too old. None. Not a chance. Zero. Zilch. Not in the equation. Not a sausage. B****r all.

AndyW

me_again wrote on 2/3/2021, 5:32 AM

@johnebaker

Thanks John. It's something I shall learn to live with.

AndyW

CubeAce wrote on 2/3/2021, 5:54 AM

@me_again

Hi Andy.

Prior to this morning I could not see a signature in any of your posts.

Ray.

me_again wrote on 2/3/2021, 6:16 AM

@CubeAce

I can't really comment. All I know is that my signature has been there for years, admittedly not always up to date.

Mind you, I may have written it in a code that only non-Intel GPU's computers can detect 👍

AndyW