I'd render to MagixAVC with Mainconcept for a universally compatible file that's not too large to send. Give it a high enough maximum bitrate for scenes with detail.

I'd render to MagixAVC with Mainconcept for a universally compatible file that's not too large to send. Give it a high enough maximum bitrate for scenes with detail.

what presets is that?

I have been away from Vegas for a while but surprised so far some of the renders I have tried don't even play on my system which is part of why I made this post. for example the mp4 i just rendered wont open in qt player or Media Player. Clearly a deal breaker for anyone who would review the video...they would not wast the time.

I'd render to MagixAVC with Mainconcept for a universally compatible file ...

The recommendation was to use MAGIX AVC, but it looks like you've selected MAGIX HEVC which is why you're getting pop-up to buy the HEVC codec. AVC uses the years old H.264 compression standard whereas HEVC uses the more modern H.265 compression standard

Go to MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4 (the format just above HEVC) and select the template best matching your project (an '=' symbol should appear to the left of the best matching templates) but do not select any template with NEVC in the template name. The templates without NEVC use the Mainconcept AVC encode mode. To check this, click on Custom Template and look at the Encode Mode field.

CoPilot summarises the key differences between H.264 and H.265 as:

H.264 and H.265 are both video codecs, with H.265 offering better compression and quality at lower bitrates compared to H.264, making it ideal for high-resolution video streaming.

Overview of H.264 and H.265

H.264, also known as Advanced Video Coding (AVC), has been widely used since its introduction in 2003. It provides good compression efficiency and is compatible with a vast range of devices and platforms, making it suitable for various applications, including streaming, Blu-ray discs, and video conferencing.

H.265, or High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), is the successor to H.264, finalized in 2013. It improves upon H.264 by offering significantly better compression, allowing for the same video quality at about half the bitrate of H.264. This makes H.265 particularly advantageous for 4K and 8K video content. 

Key Differences

Compression Efficiency:

H.265 can compress video files by 25% to 50% more than H.264 while maintaining the same quality. This means that videos encoded with H.265 are generally smaller in size, which is crucial for streaming high-resolution content. 

Video Quality:

At the same bitrate, H.265 typically delivers sharper and more detailed images with fewer artifacts compared to H.264. This is due to H.265's ability to use larger coding tree units (CTUs) and more advanced encoding techniques. 

Compatibility:

H.264 has extensive support across a wide range of devices, including older hardware. In contrast, while support for H.265 is growing, some older devices may not support it natively. Most modern devices, however, are equipped to handle H.265. 

Use Cases:

H.264 is still widely used for online video streaming and is recommended for platforms like YouTube due to its compatibility and faster rendering times. H.265 is becoming the preferred choice for streaming services that offer 4K and higher resolutions, as it allows for better quality at lower bandwidths. 

Conclusion

Choosing between H.264 and H.265 depends on your specific needs. If you require compatibility with a wide range of devices and faster rendering, H.264 may be the better option. However, for high-resolution content where storage and bandwidth efficiency are critical, H.265 is the superior choice due to its advanced compression capabilities and improved video quality. 

Dexcon explained it well- MagixAVC is the setting just above MagixHEVC. You really do have to take care with your render settings.

Also, QT Player is antiquated, I use MPC Black, others like VLC.

Also, QT Player is antiquated, I use MPC Black, others like VLC.

What's wrong with the Windows Mediaplayer, default player in Windows?

Some of my native files will not play in it. Any 10bit won't, such as from Panasonic or DJI Mini 3 Pro. Rendered files, that's different.

Some of my native files will not play in it. Any 10bit won't, such as from Panasonic or DJI Mini 3 Pro. Rendered files, that's different.

My 10bit HEVC from DJI Osmo Pocket play, wonderwell. I never had the need to install a third party player, since WMP plays everything I have and use.

WMP is okay but has limited file type support and last I checked some gamma issues which is why I moved to MPC (want to accurately judge my footage).

@JHendrix If Windows gives a message that you need an hevc plugin, it's probably from an early win10. I keep some of the free OEM versions here online from Microsoft-UK that are for the 2 oldest win10 releases:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DPx86A1zHZFjqTAID8M10I8Kwp2wpi-o

... but suggest trying to update Windows 1st. It's been a few years since I needed to use them. Maybe because I've been using win11. Magix MainConcept Hevc will yield the best quality render. But if the reviewers might be using older machines or inadequate hardware, a higher bitrate avc/mp4 would be the best compromise.

@3POINT my DJI 10bit will not play, neither with 10bit 422 from Panasonic. Otherwise I too wouldn't need anything either.

@Reyfox I assume that DJI doesn't create different 10 bit files.

@3POINT the only way to know is to have the file to test. I know for sure that WMP will not play Panasonic 10bit 422 and that is more than enough to use another software for playback.

I can only report what is happening on my computer. Maybe WMP is missing something, I don't know. But if you want to test for yourself, here is a link to both DJI and MOV from Panasonic you can download.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zZVlnaUivJwaivmg3gNFqv3GnmcMkOkx/view?usp=sharing

@Reyfox Thanks for sharing. Indeed your files don't play in my WMP.

Fortunately my DJI Mavic mini AVC, my DJI Osmo Pocket AVC, my DJI Osmo Pocket3 HEVC 10bit play in WMP and HEVC from my Samsung S24. Also HDV and AVCHD files from my previous older cameras do play in WMP, as all AVC files I have from earlier Action cams I had. Also everything I render to AVC/HEVC plays in WMP... so for me no urgent need to install a third party media player.

@3POINT at least this quells my fears that there might be something wrong on my end. With the DJI Mini 3 Pro, I shoot D-Cinelike. And depending on what I am recording with my Panasonic camera will determine what I have to use to do a quick preview. If I shoot 4K 8bit, WMP plays it. If I don't shoot D-Cinelike with the drone, that too will play with WMP.

I only installed MPC-BE because I couldn't play back my files. VLC will play back the Mini, but not the Panasonic.

@Reyfox most important is that both files play in Vegaspro.

@3POINT they play back just fine in Vegas! Usually when I get home after shooting, I want to quickly see what I've done and what won't make it into the Project Media, so had to look for something that would play what I have.

@3POINT they play back just fine in Vegas! Usually when I get home after shooting, I want to quickly see what I've done and what won't make it into the Project Media, so had to look for something that would play what I have.

Yes I checked that. For fast checking/previewing footage you can also use the Vegas explorer to preview your footage before importing into the Project Media.

MPC also has MediaInfo built into it (file properties) which I find useful for quick checks of footage. It's helpful to have s versatile player, especially when VEGAS isn't decoding a file properly, to see if it's an issue with the file itself.

@3POINT I've never used the Vegas Explorer. Dabbled with it, but "muscle/brain" training has me going through the footage without having to open Vegas. But, I will start looking at it from that standpoint. What stopped me from using Explorer is the long time is takes to list all my drives. If I click on anything else in Vegas, the "white screen of death" appears along with "Vegas not responding". So I never bothered with it. But if I leave it alone, things will work and can add assets to the timeline immediately. Glad you mentioned it again.

@3POINT I've never used the Vegas Explorer. Dabbled with it, but "muscle/brain" training has me going through the footage without having to open Vegas. But, I will start looking at it from that standpoint. What stopped me from using Explorer is the long time is takes to list all my drives. If I click on anything else in Vegas, the "white screen of death" appears along with "Vegas not responding". So I never bothered with it. But if I leave it alone, things will work and can add assets to the timeline immediately. Glad you mentioned it again.

@Reyfox It's only the first time when you explore the content of a folder, that it needs some time to generate the thumbnails of all media in that folder. Next time when you explore that folder thumbnails are directly shown. VP23 explorer has some additional features that makes editing easier and is worth to take a look at.

@JHendrix If Windows gives a message that you need an hevc plugin, it's probably from an early win10. I keep some of the free OEM versions here online from Microsoft-UK that are for the 2 oldest win10 releases:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DPx86A1zHZFjqTAID8M10I8Kwp2wpi-o

... but suggest trying to update Windows 1st. It's been a few years since I needed to use them. Maybe because I've been using win11. Magix MainConcept Hevc will yield the best quality render. But if the reviewers might be using older machines or inadequate hardware, a higher bitrate avc/mp4 would be the best compromise.

yeah i did a window 10 update and that solved the local playback issue.

I have to upload the final video to a portal and since i dont know if it will be streamed or played off reviewers desktops I will stuck with avc. temping to include both but probable too confusing for random reviewers like One: HighestQual-Offline and two: Streaming.

But for avc I have been doing test renders with these settings. It comes out OK but I want to max it out. What could i change to get the very best qual?