The RTX 2080 Super card is enabled in the Vegas settings and the proxies are not an option--I tried to render out to a lower bit rate and 8 bit and it was wayyyy too slow to use and the same for making a proxy. I took the same footage into Adobe media encoder and it rendered out at a fraction of the time so it seems that Vegas is not using the GPU to decode the footage.

If it works smoothly and quickly in Premiere on the same system it should do the same in Vegas 18 so it seems to be a Vegas issue and not a problem with my PC.

On my inferior system I am getting 15-20FPS at best/full and full preview speed at preview/auto. I'm in 8-bit full mode in VP 18 and using the Intel decoder with legacy HEVC disabled.

I just created a proxy file for it- took < 3 min. and works okay.

I don't think anything is wrong with your system per se, but something with Vegas and your system is underperforming significantly.

I suggest sharing screenshots of preferences/ file i/o and performance monitor for your GPU upon playback (as I shared above- type performance monitor into the search box and scroll down to your NVIDIA card).

On my inferior system I am getting 15-20FPS at best/full and full preview speed at preview/auto. I'm in 8-bit full mode in VP 18 and using the Intel decoder with legacy HEVC disabled.

I had noticed in the task manager that I was not seeing anything going on in video decode while playing back the footage on my system.

I could try to do a full uninstall of the Nvidia studio driver and then put it back in and see if that does anything to fix the issue.

All the settings are the default settings, I reset Vegas (CTR/Shift while starting Vegas) and I cleared the cache

Try disabling legacy HEVC first and try to play back again.

I switched decoder to NVIDIA in file i/o but it's still decoding with the Intel QSV one on my CPU. It's possible the NVIDIA decoder doesn't support this file type, or doesn't support it in Vegas at this time. I assume you are on build 527.

As a workaround you might transcode 10-bit HEVC to ProRes in Media Encoder for use in Vegas. ProRes doesn't require GPU decoding to play back well.

Try disabling legacy HEVC first and try to play back again.

I had mentioned that I did that already and it helped a little bit but the playback is still very poor

Try disabling legacy HEVC first and try to play back again.

I had mentioned that I did that already and it helped a little bit but the playback is still very poor

I asked for you to do that in response to whether hardware decoding is doing anything or not. I don't expect it to make the performance suddenly good.

Try disabling legacy HEVC first and try to play back again.

I had mentioned that I did that already and it helped a little bit but the playback is still very poor

I asked for you to do that in response to whether hardware decoding is doing anything or not. I don't expect it to make the performance suddenly good.

Ah, I understand now what you meant,

Well, I just uninstalled the Nvidia studio driver using the Display Driver Uninstaller cleanup tool and re-installed the driver and that did not help.

This is what I am seeing in Task Manager in regards to GPU decoding

Standard-setting

https://www.dropbox.com/t/OjPDNTUhHpxCPPeG

HEVC Legacy

https://www.dropbox.com/t/mFvwt0KSUcUdY54v

It does not seem to be using the GPU for decoding

I even went to the Dell webpage and downloaded the most recent RTX 2080 Super card firmware update for my PC yesterday and that did nothing to fix the issue.

Not sure what could be the issue?

A plugin collection?

A codec conflict?

I switched decoder to NVIDIA in file i/o but it's still decoding with the Intel QSV one on my CPU. It's possible the NVIDIA decoder doesn't support this file type, or doesn't support it in Vegas at this time. I assume you are on build 527.

As a workaround you might transcode 10-bit HEVC to ProRes in Media Encoder for use in Vegas. ProRes doesn't require GPU decoding to play back well.

It works great in Adobe so I assume it is utilizing the GPU decoding in there--when I get a chance I can double-check on that in the task manager.

Yes, exporting it as ProRes in media encoder would be the workaround but I really would like to lock down why it is not working in Vegas. I thought that Magix had HEVC 10 bit playback working in the most recent build/s of the software? Yes, I am on 527

When you get a chance use tools to determine how the CPU and GPU are being used. Hardware decoding is one function of GPUs that can be leveraged for playback. Software uses other parts of the GPU as well (visible in task manager as 3D, Copy, etc. click around to see all the options). Vegas doesn't make great use of the NVIDIA CUDA cores.

If you made a screenshot just push the button next to the smiley face and upload an image right here as I did.
The first video shows CPU at 100%, so it's not fast enough to playback at best/full at full FPS. How is preview/auto?
In the second legacy video the CPU isn't doing much either so there's some other bottleneck. Definitely keep legacy off as this performance is poor.

I would assume the answer to your question as to why it is not working is that Vegas isn't using NVIDIA decoding for this file type yet.
(I also assume you are playing back without any Fx or cropping applied to the file, so plugins won't be an issue. Codecs are a red herring- Vegas uses its own decoders for HEVC.)
Your file is working here with Intel QSV decoding, but you have an AMD CPU so that doesn't help you.

If you can set the camera to record 10-bit 4:2:0 AVC instead of HEVC you can probably work with it directly in Vegas. I don't think there is any way to improve performance with Vegas today with your setup other than proxy files, transcoding or filming with easier to edit formats. NLEs all have their weaknesses.

When you get a chance use tools to determine how the CPU and GPU are being used. Hardware decoding is one function of GPUs that can be leveraged for playback. Software uses other parts of the GPU as well (visible in task manager as 3D, Copy, etc. click around to see all the options). Vegas doesn't make great use of the NVIDIA CUDA cores.

If you made a screenshot just push the button next to the smiley face and upload an image right here as I did.
The first video shows CPU at 100%, so it's not fast enough to playback at best/full at full FPS. How is preview/auto?
In the second legacy video the CPU isn't doing much either so there's some other bottleneck. Definitely keep legacy off as this performance is poor.

I would assume the answer to your question as to why it is not working is that Vegas isn't using NVIDIA decoding for this file type yet.
(I also assume you are playing back without any Fx or cropping applied to the file, so plugins won't be an issue. Codecs are a red herring- Vegas uses its own decoders for HEVC.)
Your file is working here with Intel QSV decoding, but you have an AMD CPU so that doesn't help you.

If you can set the camera to record 10-bit 4:2:0 AVC instead of HEVC you can probably work with it directly in Vegas. I don't think there is any way to improve performance with Vegas today with your setup other than proxy files, transcoding or filming with easier to edit formats. NLEs all have their weaknesses.

Last year around this time I did use the AVC version of that codec and it did work. This was a long shoot so to save card space and hard drive space I used the HEVC codec instead as I thought Magix had resolved the issues with playback.

I don't know why the CPU was at 100% in the first video (Standard GPU setting) I may have been uploading something to Google Drive that caused that...The CPU is at 15% now when playing the footage on the timeline and still has no GPU utilization for decoding going on that I can see.

Playback does not change regardless if it is on best quality or preview quality it is still like 1 to 2 fps

Would it be possible for one of the Vegas developers lurking on this forum to download the sample footage and simply tell me if my RTX 2080 Super card should be decoding this HEVC footage so it can playback at 29.97 FPS on the timeline? Proxies are not an option because the encoding of the footage without GPU decoding support is painfully slow. I luckily have access to Adobe Media Encoder and it can output it to ProRes on the same system pretty quickly but if I did not have that work around this would be fairly problematic for me.

Hi. I tested many of HEVC files comes from my camera, 8bit and 10 bit. And my conclusion is simple - Vegas + Nvdec decoder is bugy during decoding 10bit files especially when you change framerate in project or clips. That need to be fixed. 8bit goes fine in every variant 100- 400Mbit.

EDIT: I downloaded your file. On my 5900X + RTX2060 it also does not go smooth. GPU decoding does not work with this file. So all goes on CPU. Despite CPU is only 50% loaded it stutters a bit.

On left if your file, on the right is my file that Vegas decode with GPU. File comes from Fujifulm XT3

@Richvideo Hi Richard. The Hevc 420 10 bit file you are using appears to be supported for decoding in the Nvidia Matrix https://developer.nvidia.com/video-encode-and-decode-gpu-support-matrix-new

I tried it on a Nvidia GPU only laptop and no Nvidia decoding is taking place, it staggers along. I guess it's not supported in VP18.

If you are on the fence re: upgrading to VP19 I can test your sample when VP19 comes out and report back here. There's no guarantee that it will be supported in VP19, wait and try I guess.

@Richvideo I can confirm @LukasDr's results using a sample XT-3 clip that he previously made available, thanks Lukas. The decoding is visibly taking place in Task Manager for the XT-3 file but not for your file.

Although the AG-CX350 and XT-3 files basic specs are similar Hevc 10 bit 420 UHD etc, the XT-3 file I tested was ALL-I whereas yours is long GOP. So maybe VP already supports the ALL-I but not the IPB version of 10 bit 420 files.

If you have a sample clip from the AG-CX350 in ALL-I that theory could be confirmed, but not sure if your camera supports Hevc 10 bit 420 ALL-I.
 

Conversly, if Lukas can supply, or test an XT-3 Hevc 10 bit 420 UHD file thats not All-I we could see if its just an IPB issue.

Camera spec sheet has “MOV: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile, H.265/MPEG-H HEVC Main10 Profile” but not clear if All-I is supported.

@LukasDr @Richvideo Ok, no need to. I found that the video clips that Lukas had previously made available were one of each. i.e. DSCF5433.MOV is ALL-I and DSCF5878.MOV is of IPB type. Both from XT-3, HEVC 10 bit 420. I find that both of Lukas's files are decoded by VP18, shows in TM.

Your file type, although very similar to Lukas's DSCF5878.MOV file is not decoded in HW by VP18.

So maybe VP has to implement HW decoding on a manufacturer by manufacturer basis as well as general codec type.

Hi guys

Here are sample files to download. 4K, All-I and LongGOP, HEVC 10 bit H.265

Both files are being decoded on my VP18 and RTX2060, hmm.

LongGOP: https://1drv.ms/v/s!ArT6bvS-V574l6Y2drL9BWLNj6RaKw?e=xcmjg2

ALL-I: https://1drv.ms/v/s!ArT6bvS-V574l6Y3otOHCRha9JO9Ag?e=WADwgf

Hi guys

Here are sample files to download. 4K, All-I and LongGOP, HEVC 10 bit H.265

Both files are being decoded on my VP18 and RTX2060, hmm.

LongGOP: https://1drv.ms/v/s!ArT6bvS-V574l6Y2drL9BWLNj6RaKw?e=xcmjg2

ALL-I: https://1drv.ms/v/s!ArT6bvS-V574l6Y3otOHCRha9JO9Ag?e=WADwgf

I see video decoding going on for both of these files in TM but I am still only getting 1 to 2 fps playback on both--these were 60fps clips maybe if it was 29.97 or 24fps I would be getting higher fps on the timeline??

@LukasDr Thanks for those uploads, from my previous post I had already two of your clips that helped in testing. @Richvideo I suspect that VP could maybe do better in deciding Lukas's clips using Nvidia. Your clip doesn’t appear to be decoded at all using Nvidia.

Can your camera output an All-I codec?

@LukasDr Thanks for those uploads, from my previous post I had already two of your clips that helped in testing. @Richvideo I suspect that VP could maybe do better in deciding Lukas's clips using Nvidia. Your clip doesn’t appear to be decoded at all using Nvidia.

Can your camera output an All-I codec?

The camcorder can record HD in MOV, in P2 codecs such as AVC LongG and AVC Intra for ENG production, and HD/SD in AVCHD format for legacy productions.

It has some All-I codecs listed but I don't think I have used them yet; the camera is my friend's camera that I rent once in a while for my shoots so I have not fully explored it.

Last year I used a codec from that camera with similar specs but it was AVC instead of HEVC and Vegas handled it fine

sample:

https://www.dropbox.com/t/I0yyoFIPGvfcVjba

EDIT: I noticed that this clip is not being decoded by RTX 2080 either but the CPU seems to be playing it back fairly smoothly.

@Richvideo "I noticed that this clip is not being decoded by RTX 2080 either but the CPU seems to be playing it back fairly smoothly."

Same here, plays aok on Nvidia only laptop, no HW Decoding. it's actually 10 bit 422, IPB, but its AVC not Hevc.

@LukasDr I downloaded your two new clips, both have HW decoding in VP. The 29.970 fps ALL-I clip plays at full fps, but as in previous testing the 59.940 fps IPB clip staggers, even with HW decoding. Both are Hevc.

I think that the combination of Hevc, IPB (Inter-frame), no HW decoding, 10 bit, is really going to put any machine under pressure.

@Richvideo "I noticed that this clip is not being decoded by RTX 2080 either but the CPU seems to be playing it back fairly smoothly."

Same here, plays aok on Nvidia only laptop, no HW Decoding. it's actually 10 bit 422, but its AVC not Hevc.

@LukasDr I downloaded your two new clips, both have HW decoding in VP. The 29.970 fps ALL-I clip plays at full fps, but as in previous testing the 59.940 fps IPB clip staggers, even with HW decoding. Both are Hevc.

I think that the combination of Hevc, IPB (Inter-frame), no HW decoding, is really going to put any machine under pressure.

@JN I played the same HEVC footage from my camera in Adobe Première on the same PC and it plays butter smooth so my system has no issue with playback of footage with those specs. It is only in Vegas that it is struggling.