I just bought this update, it is hideously slow, everything takes ages to "pre-load". video .mov won't play, just audio which is start stop. Wish I had not bothered.
Hi Richard.
Are you asking a question or just generally airing an opinion?
It's possible you didn't read the minimum specs to run the new version of MEP which has jumped a bit in hardware specification needs.
MEP will play mov. files. You may need to deactivate 'Use hardware acceleration where possible for playback' in the program settings to get MEP to show the mov. images in your video clips but my guess will be that it will make the preload times even longer than at present. The reasons for this is it is possible your processor does not have the correct Intel GPU version to run within MEP or if not using an Intel processor with an inboard GPU that the current AMD CPU is not powerful enough and that your nvidia graphics card does not have the required internal structures now to help out.
On the specs page for MEP 2021 it states.
System requirements.
All MAGIX programs are developed with user-friendliness in mind so that all the basic features run smoothly and can be fully controlled, even on low-performance computers. Some advanced program features demand more of your computer's processing power. To get the most from these features, your system should at least meet the recommended requirements. The technical data for your computer can be found in the control panel of your operating system.
So only expect the basic features to run smoothly on under performing hardware. This will not include the use of a lot of the effects within MEP.
Often people upgrade because they see a new feature they like or read the advertising without also reading the system specs that go with it.
With any software update or upgrade, always read carefully the new pc requirements and may sure your system exceeds minimum requirements if you expect to see improvements in performance.
Ray.
Hi
. . . . On the specs page for MEP 2021 it states . . . .
However does your computer at least meet the minimum specification required - we need more details of your computer system - see this topic for the details required.
John EB
Forum Moderator
Hi Ray and John,
Firstly thankyou for replies, I had a quick look at the forum and my first impression was that it was a very quiet place.
Ray, well yes I guess I was venting a little, I will re-tract my statement about being "terrible software", I've been using Magix for quite a few years with updates inbetween times. I've had good results so far, However I largely stand by my other comments about this 2021 update, it was not clear that it was a big shift in the way it works and needed different/upgraded hardware. It was like stepping back 20 years, it ran so badly that I've reverted to the previous version.......despite the claim it will run basic features smoothly.
So, perhaps my pc is not up to the job of running 2021 version.
Is tthe above info enough to determine this ?
Regards
Richard.
Hi Richard
From the information above your PC is better than the minimum requirements with respect to the processor, RAM and OS, however do you have a Nvidia or AMD graphics card installed?
If not then the specification is good, which then leads to the question why is it running so badly !
There are several factors which can affect performance:
. . . . .mov . . . .
Are the MOV files loading? If not then do you have Quicktime installed, if not install only the Essentials part - the player is not needed.
A MediaInfo analysis of one of the mov files would also help - post the results from the Text view
John EB
Hi Richard.
Well the processor is up to the job with the correct type of GPU. That should last a few updates yet. (I hope so, it seems to be the same generation of GPU as my own).
The ram seems good. The video card helps with smoother playback mainly dealing with the 3D graphics side of things. Magix suggests a 1050 or higher. I'm running a 1650 super (not bad value) with 32 GB of ram. With that I am finding the 2021 version smoother in playback without having to use proxy files too often using 4K material but export times are not much faster for me. A bit, but not overly noticeable. Your system should be playing back the mov. files although we have had reports (and being able to confirm) of it not handling the newest Canon top of the range DSLR video files.
If you have the free MediaInfo tool could you post the data from one of your mov. files for us to look at. It's John EBs' speciality. The link for the tool is in blue, above.
Ray.
Beaten again 😉.
Hi John.
Just a thought but if the last version of MEP was playing Richards mov. files doesn't that mean he already had QuickTime?
Hi Richard.
It may also be worth checking you have the latest Windows updates and drivers for your Intel GPU which is currently at version 27.20.100.8681
Ray.
Hi Ray/John,
The mov files are direct from my iphone6, nothing special. The older version plays them all instantly along with any audio files. Following is typical info.
My pc is a lenovo thinkcentre, generic apart from some std build options so probably not brilliant for video editing, but very useable for me. Glad to hear it's more or less up to the job. I am very reluctant to try the new version again as it was gutting to encounter such bad performance. I do expect software to "just work" these days being an old bastard, and having used pc's for longer than I care to remember, my patience is less than it needs to be.
🙂
Windows did a update just a few days ago.
Hi Richard.
You really need to look at the file using MediaInfo in the text view. It will show you the complete file information we need.
Here is an example.
General
Complete name : F:\2018\Magix project folder\Military Odyssey Tour\DJI_0052_EFA23745.MP4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : JVT
Codec ID : avc1 (avc1/isom)
File size : 1.97 GiB
Duration : 3 min 35 s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 78.6 Mb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2019-08-25 12:04:12
Tagged date : UTC 2019-08-25 12:04:12
Comment : DE=None, Type=Normal, HQ=Normal, Mode=P
gpt : +0.20
gyw : +5.80
grl : +0.00
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L5
Format settings : CABAC / 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=30
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 3 min 35 s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 78.4 Mb/s
Maximum bit rate : 80.0 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 50.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.756
Stream size : 1.97 GiB (100%)
Title : DJI.AVC
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2019-08-25 12:04:12
Tagged date : UTC 2019-08-25 12:04:12
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 3 min 35 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 4.87 MiB (0%)
Title : DJI.AAC
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2019-08-25 12:04:12
Tagged date : UTC 2019-08-25 12:04:12
Other
Type : meta
Duration : 1 s 0 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Default : No
You will see that your iPhone is producing files with a variable frame rate to save space on the iPhone.
Which version of MEP were you using before that could play them? Try a file the old version of MEP could play and see if that works.
Variable frame rate files don't play well with Video editors. I suspect you are now using a newer iPhone?
You should be able to set the phone to record constant frame rate videos. That will cure the playback problem. For files already recorded at variable frame rates they will need to be converted to constant frame rate videos using Handbrake or a similar tool to work. Some files may work anyway. A lot depends on how fast the frame rates change in the file as it varies with the speed of the action within the frame.
Ray.
Hi Ray,
example mov file:-
General
Complete name : E:\Pictures\Jeep\Aug2020\IMG_1285.MOV
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : QuickTime
Codec ID : qt 0000.00 (qt )
File size : 62.3 MiB
Duration : 33 s 585 ms
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 15.6 Mb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2019-12-09 15:37:16
Tagged date : UTC 2019-12-09 15:37:50
Writing library : Apple QuickTime
com.apple.quicktime.make : Apple
com.apple.quicktime.model : iPhone 6
com.apple.quicktime.software : 12.4.2
com.apple.quicktime.creationdate : 2019-12-09T15:37:16+0000
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4
Format settings : CABAC / 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=30
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 33 s 585 ms
Bit rate : 15.5 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 29.970 (29970/1000) FPS
Minimum frame rate : 28.571 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 30.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.249
Stream size : 61.9 MiB (99%)
Title : Core Media Video
Encoded date : UTC 2019-12-09 15:37:16
Tagged date : UTC 2019-12-09 15:37:50
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 33 s 585 ms
Source duration : 33 s 646 ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 96.0 kb/s
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Channel layout : C
Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 395 KiB (1%)
Source stream size : 396 KiB (1%)
Title : Core Media Audio
Encoded date : UTC 2019-12-09 15:37:16
Tagged date : UTC 2019-12-09 15:37:50
Other #1
Type : meta
Duration : 33 s 585 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Other #2
Type : meta
Duration : 33 s 585 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Looking at the iphone6 (not upgraded yet) the video capture is set at constant frame rate.....from what I can see.
The old version of mep which plays the video files ok is 18.0.1.209 (UDP3)
Regards.
Richard.
Hi Richard.
Yup.I thought so. It's variable frame rate and why MEP is having such a hard time of it.
It's in this bit of your files' data.
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 29.970 (29970/1000) FPS
Minimum frame rate : 28.571 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 30.000 FPS
MEP is just not able to produce the added frames necessary to fill in the gaps that would occur to produce an output file.. It's not just the missing frames but trying to maintain a viable GOP structure. MEP unfortunately can't do this so for files like that you need to convert them using another free program called Handbrake that can produce a file that is a constant frame rate and MEP can handle.
Others with the same problem in the past said they found a setting within the iPhone to produce a constant frame rate. I have no idea how to do that as I am an Android user.
So see if you can get the iPhone to produce constant frame rate footage or use Handbrake.
Personally I see it as a way to keep Apple users using other Apple products. If you had an iMac or similar using their video editor it would probably work out of the box, so to speak.
Having said that it not a purely Apple problem. Other major players are beginning to do the same with their video encoding and we are seeing a lot of people across the board with the same problems.
But this is not just a MEP problem. I know other people with other major editing programs having similar problems or their systems crashing.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Ray.
Hi Ray,
I used Handbrake to give me a fixed 30fps for a file:-
General
Complete name : E:\Pictures\Jeep\Aug2020\Img 1285-1.m4v
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 25.4 MiB
Duration : 33 s 623 ms
Overall bit rate : 6 341 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2020-10-01 21:52:42
Tagged date : UTC 2020-10-01 21:52:42
Writing application : HandBrake 1.3.3 2020061300
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 4 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 33 s 567 ms
Bit rate : 6 181 kb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 30.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.099
Stream size : 24.7 MiB (97%)
Writing library : x264 core 157 r2935 545de2f
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=2 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=12 / lookahead_threads=2 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=1 / keyint=300 / keyint_min=30 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=30 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=22.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=20000 / vbv_bufsize=25000 / crf_max=0.0 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2020-10-01 21:52:42
Tagged date : UTC 2020-10-01 21:52:42
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 33 s 623 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 161 kb/s
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Channel layout : C
Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 663 KiB (3%)
Title : Mono
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1
Encoded date : UTC 2020-10-01 21:52:42
Tagged date : UTC 2020-10-01 21:52:42
Possibly this might solve a problem I always had with frame rates and audio being out of sync when I downloaded video from a dashcam to phone, then phone to pc....then exported....I had to mess with framerates to get a sync'd audio to video........so I have a way to get fixed frame rate......I still need to prove this
With renewed hope I loaded the 2021 version again, and tried the new fixed frame rate file...same result, very slow, audio breaks up, big delay waiting for pre-load and no video......I cannot use it.
So I ran the older mep version, it runs both types of video instantly without a problem........I just don't know...... :(
I will be going iphone11 soon.....maybe that might help some......
Regards
Richard.
Hi
I am not saying this is going to solve your problem but, having a discreet Nvidia or AMD video card can have a big effect on playback smoothness in the latest iteration of MEP and VPX with the new Infusion Engine 2. As @johnebaker asked earlier - does your PC have a 2nd GPU installed and showing up in Task manager (and showing activity) and in Control panel?
BTW your handbrake re-encode is showing a much lower bit rate in Media Info compared to you original file. You may want to up the Bit rate in Handbrake settings so that you do not lose too much quality. Further more, I do not use Handbrake but I think there is a way to output a file at a changed Frame Rate while retaining the files attributes (BR etc.) without having to re encode the whole file.
Peter
@johnebaker @Scenestealer @RICHARD-BRUNT
Hi Richard.
On top of Peters' comments of which I agree, that you are losing information in the file if you are not keeping to the same bit rate of encoding, that within MEP make sure your project settings are set to files settings as much as possible. I notice the files are giving a 44kHz sample rate for the audio track and your project also needs to be set to 44kHz and not 48kHz which could be what MEP is trying to set as a default sample rate for a project.
And yes, the audio sync problem you had earlier with your files is related to the variable frame rate of the files.
It's doubtful a new phone will fix this problem and may make it worse as newer phones tend to use newer codecs with possibly harsher variations of their current encoding procedures. As far as I'm aware it's only done to save storage space on the phone. Is there an Apple iPhone forum where you could possibly find out more?
[Edit]
No need to look, I found tons of other people having the same problem with lots of other video editing software over at the iPhone forum. Use the blue link to have a look.
Ray.
Hi Gents,
Thanks for all your help, whilst it has given me little better understanding of the problems and pitfalls with frame rate etc. I still cannot reconcile the fact that my older version has more or less played all the video files from my phone without any issue, whilst the 2021 version just fails completely. I've re-loaded the software a few times, ran the video files though handbrake, but still its just a big fail. If the video files needed some sort of pre modification before mep could use them, then why does'nt it ? Perhaps there is something perculiar with my system setup. I've reverted to the 2020 version 19.0.1.18 which works as I would expect. Perhaps one day I will have a look again, but for now.....sorry...version 2021 sucks 😡
Hi Richard.
I don't think there is anything peculiar about your setup. I recall others having the same problems with MEP 2020 and I guess it depends a lot on how much and how fast frame rates change within a given amount of time and the amount of compression involved but that's a guess on my part as I've never used phone footage for video work. If you are finding MEP 2020 more stable for your use then I would stick with what is best for you. You wouldn't be the first to do that and I doubt you will be the last.
Good luck and I hope things improve for you.
Ray.