Thanks John, that is is much appreciated.

The problem still persits (Video Pro X 18.0.1.95).

I bought the Concept Codec because it lets me export mpeg4 with more than 192kB/s audio quality - in theory. (HVEC is still limited to 192kB/s max. I need at least 320kB/s.) I switched off hardware acceleration. During mixdown no video and audio sizes are shown ("not available") and the free disk space is nearly constant. After the mixdown is finished, the resulting file has 0 bytes.

Hi @hilch,

I am not sure if this addresses the problem, but I use the Main Concept codec and render with Intel QSV but only with the AVCHD-Transport stream preset. Every other preset renders a 0 byte file. The transport stream file gives me an AC-3 audio file with a 384kb/s audio stream.

Hi @terrerad,

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a try. Yesterday I was able to export an MP4 file with Main Concept codec after I switched off the "Use hardware acceleration if available" option in the program settings. (Before I only had switched off all hwa related options in the encoder settings.) But it was no fun: Encoding took 3 times the duration of the video length and let the fans scream. Nevertheless I got a file with better audio quality. I wouldn't want to do it this way all the time. ;-)

@hilch @johnebaker @CousinIT @terrerad

I don't know if this page will help anyone but it could explain why if some values are not set correctly you get an export of 0 bytes.

Ray.

Hi @CubeAce,

I see, the audio should be calculated LONGLONG hnsSampleDuration = ( nAudioSamplesPerChannel * (LONGLONG)10000000 )/nSamplesPerSec;.

Well, duh! 😉

So don't they do any bugfixing at Main Concept? 😕

@hilch

My understanding is that the MC Codec has not been actively developed for some years.

Jeff

@hilch @emmrecs

Hi jeff.

Isn't the main concept codec a third party product? So not really a Magix problem?

Ray.

@emmrecs @hilch @terrerad @CubeAce

Hi

My understanding is that the MC Codec has not been actively developed for some years.

This quote from MC's website:-

"MainConcept is a reliable partner with the most complete codec collection worldwide. They not only offer all professional audio and video codecs, but also provide us with full parameter access and top-notch image quality for our professional video editing applications like VEGAS Pro."

CTO, MAGIX SOFTWARE GMBH

Actually it is not that MC have not developed their Codec but that the MC encoder version in MEP / VPX is more than 10 years old.

Their H.265 encoder is at the forefront and AFAIK components are used in MEP / VPX via the Intel encoder and NVENC encoding.

Peter

@Scenestealer @CousinIT @emmrecs @hilch @johnebaker @terrerad

Here is Main concepts case study for Magix.

Ray.

If the MC MP4 exporter doesn't work properly, Magix should remove it.

@AAProds

Hi Alwyn

. . . . If the MC MP4 exporter doesn't work properly, Magix should remove it. . . . .

It works - just do not use Hardware Acceleration on an Intel processor - it is this that results in 0 byte files irrespective of the encoding codec.

The HEVC MC codec works fine with HWA on an Intel processor

John EB

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

That article is a good find and confirms a few bits of my understanding of the puzzle and fills in a few blanks. It leaves a few unanswered questions though!

1. So it appears that the Magix Default encoder is more designed around Main Concept's components and codecs than I realised. While I have referred to it as the Intel encoder in the past it is probably more about a simple implementation of Intel QSV for HW encoding and should also be called a Main Concept encoder (Whaddya think about that Alwyn! 😄😄).

2. Given that in 1).... the elephant in the room is why can't Magix enable H.264 HWA encoding on the Nvidia Nvenc chip as well as HEVC. My suspicion is still that it is a licensing tie up with Intel and QSV that may conflict with Nvidia's Nvenc use.

3. The article confirms (more than once) that a Software encode is still going to be higher quality than the best GPU Hardware Accelerated encode.

4. They state that the Default encoder uses the MC software components so why is a SW encode so slow when using the Default encoder than when using the older additional MC encoder?

@johnebaker

It works - just do not use Hardware Acceleration on an Intel processor - it is this that results in 0 byte files irrespective of the encoding codec.

As I have stated many times - an AVCHD H.264 Transport Stream HW encode produces a proper file with the MC encoder but you need to select Intel QSV at the top dropdown of the Advanced Encoder settings window.

The HEVC MC codec works fine with HWA on an Intel processor

Interesting that if you select this when you have the Program settings set to enable the MC codec the Advanced Encoder settings window becomes the Default window.

Peter

@Scenestealer @emmrecs @johnebaker @terrerad @hilch @CousinIT

Hi Peter.

I think it has been over a decade now, possibly two since any software developer used only their own code to produce a complete product.

Software developers are a bit like the car industry. They assemble many pieces of code to work together as a package, selecting working partners to help provide the pieces needed.

Unlike the car industry though where they mainly (but not exclusively) are dealing with physical components. Once they have a chunk of code they have it, hence licensing agreements to cover the intellectual property rights and therefore the time and money spent in developing the code and further development (where applicable). Unfortunately these license agreements are the reverse of what you would expect. Often code is offered for free for X amount of copies of the program to be sold to help a product get going sales wise, but once established will pay increasing amounts back as larger volumes of the program are sold and the program gets established.

I think this is why some codec abilities get removed over time. They become too much of the overall cost of purchase if the purchase price cannot, for whatever reason, be raised to a level that does not affect sales profits. Subscription is one way around with a constant revenue stream or have a program you can ask a premium for, because of its perceived strength of performance within a given market.

Maybe more codecs could be acquired through additional payment for those that need them. Alleviating the need for a given software company to have them as inclusive offerings.

Ray.

@Scenestealer

While I have referred to it as the Intel encoder in the past it is probably more about a simple implementation of Intel QSV for HW encoding and should also be called a Main Concept encoder (Whaddya think about that Alwyn!)

I've got the concept, Pete. I think! 😂

All I know is that the "third-party" MC encoder (when you select it in Import/Export) did a visibly better job at simple fade transitions at low bitrate than the "MEP default" MC encoder (for want of a better name).