M2T vs MP4 files

Kahuna wrote on 2/19/2011, 2:20 PM

I've recently purchased a Sony digital camera that produces .MP4 video files. My older Sony camcorder produces .M2T files. When I load the .MP4 files into the timeline, no mater what combination of project properties and Preview options I select the. MP4 display is so jerky (5-9 fps) that editing is almost impossible. On the other hand when I load .M2T files into the same timeline the playback in the Preview window is smooth and seemless (29 fps). Does this playback problem have something to do with RAM and Dynamic RAM? Why do I have 4 GB of RAM on my motherboard, however, VMS is indicating that only 1GB is Max Available?

Comments

Eugenia wrote on 2/19/2011, 4:07 PM

Movie Studio Platinum 10 has better support for MP4 files. MP4, which usually uses h.264 and AAC underneath, requires a lot of more CPU power than Mpeg2 that .m2t is. You have a fast enough PC, with enough RAM. As long as your project properties are set properly, your preview window is set to "preview/auto", and you are only adding plugins after the editing/cutting is done, you should be having a fast-enough playback experience with these files.

Steve Grisetti wrote on 2/19/2011, 5:22 PM

I would expect you'd get much more efficient results with a 1440x1080 M2T file, if you edited it with the HDV project set-up.

Kahuna wrote on 2/19/2011, 5:29 PM

Thank you for responding. Selecting Project Properties, then, Match Media and using Preview/Auto with no transition effects the playback is still jumping around from 8 to 20 fps. I still think it has something to do with VMS not recognizing or seeing all of the on-board memory I have. Curious under your Options, Preferences, Video tab is your Max Available value one forth of your actual RAM quantity?

Eugenia wrote on 2/19/2011, 5:52 PM

No, RAM has nothing to do with your problem here. That setting in the Preferences it's not about video preview RAM, but about pre-rendering, something else.

If you still have trouble with that kind of MP4 file after all these tips, I think you have either an underpowered PC, or bad installation, or you might want to try instead the TRIAL version of Vegas Pro 10, which has more optimizations. Vegas Pro 10.0c is faster than Platinum 10, and stabler, because its engine is 8 months newer (they share the same codebase, but Platinum 10 was never updated with a free update, so Pro has an edge today).

Also, make sure you don't run other heavy apps. Open the Task Manager, without anything loaded, and see if your CPU spikes or not. If yes, and you can't determine what's causing it, it might be spyware etc. These can have a huge impact in performance.

musicvid10 wrote on 2/19/2011, 6:34 PM

Kahuna's system specs indicate there should be few problems previewing AVCHD at more than 8-9 fps. If Kahuna is using VMS 10, there is another problem somewhere. Do reduce your Dynamic Preview RAM. Do check your threads. Keep digging.

Kahuna wrote on 2/19/2011, 9:44 PM

Yes, VMS 10 is employed. Paid in full and downloaded directly from Sony’s site. No boot- leg software installed and computer is pristine contrary to an earlier suspicion. Even though Sony's Minimum System Requirements indicates one can run VMS 10 on an inexpensive, bare bones basic platform, I'm of the opinion the Sony developers test and qualify the VMS derivative of V Pro on higher end platforms and never experience the bugs mere mortals endure.