Vegas prefers Intel iGPUs for decoding but that doesn't help you.

You could reencode them with software lile ShutterEncoder or Handbrake which should result in stable AVC files.

Still, it would be better if they improved decoding for your GoPro media and your GPU. Perhaps file a support ticket and offer your sample files and a link to this thread in hopes Vegas staff can help troubleshoot?

But now I've been spoiled (between crashes) by how smooth the playback is of clips with effects and stabilization applied without the legacy AVC decoding enabled, where do I go from here? A new GPU? I will have to browse the forum ;)

You didn't turn off GPU processing, you're using the older sony decoder that doesn't use GPU decode, so it means more CPU use, GPU processing should remain the same except if you don't have enough CPU to generate the frames

Is that the actual problem that you're running out of CPU so getting lagging on playback where you did not before ?

Vegas prefers Intel iGPUs for decoding but that doesn't help you.

You could reencode them with software lile ShutterEncoder or Handbrake which should result in stable AVC files.

Still, it would be better if they improved decoding for your GoPro media and your GPU. Perhaps file a support ticket and offer your sample files and a link to this thread in hopes Vegas staff can help troubleshoot?

Thanks, but unfortunately, it's not just the GoPro footage, it happens if I have a project containing only my Panasonic Lumix footage or just my Mavic footage, it crashes with any of it unless I have the legacy AVC decoding enabled.

But now I've been spoiled (between crashes) by how smooth the playback is of clips with effects and stabilization applied without the legacy AVC decoding enabled, where do I go from here? A new GPU? I will have to browse the forum ;)

You didn't turn off GPU processing, you're using the older sony decoder that doesn't use GPU decode, so it means more CPU use, GPU processing should remain the same except if you don't have enough CPU to generate the frames

Is that the actual problem that you're running out of CPU so getting lagging on playback where you did not before ?

 

No. Firstly, let me clarify, in 13 and now 19, I can take 4K footage from my Panasonic or GoPro and 2.7K footage from my Mavic Mini, drop it on the timeline and it will play beautifully in Best (Full), a breeze. BUT, when I have a clip with applied FX, depending on which ones, in 13 (and now 19 with legacy AVC decoding enabled), playback becomes choppy across those clips. As an example, in my current project I have an 8 second clip (subclip) that is reversed and stabilized. Playback of this clip with legacy AVC decoding enabled, is at 1.5FPS and CPU around 30%. (As I don't use many intensive FX, this has never really been a problem, I would just review that section by doing a dynamic ram preview.) With legacy AVC decoding off, this same clip plays back at the full 25FPS smoothly with just a couple of the tiniest micro glitches, and CPU at 4%. So, being able to preview everything on the timeline, even with heavier FX, smoothly at the full 25FPS is very nice and so I just have to figure out how I can disable legacy AVC decoding without having frequent random crashes.

Oh, and thanks for the little insights, I really don't know what's going on "under the hood" as they say ;)

The other thing you could try is the new decoder without the GPU decoder turned on. Untick Legacy AVC decoder, and set hardware decoder to OFF. Working on the possibility it's the GPU decoding causing the crashing and not necessarily the newer Vegas decoder (SO4) without GPU decoding.

One thing you may now notice is the S04 decoder is not as efficient as Legacy decoder, it uses more CPU, when it's using GPU decoding that part doesn't matter so much. With your 3900x and the 30% CPU use with Legacy you should have plenty of CPU overhead but no idea if it will help with your frame rate with the applied fx on timeline playback

The other thing you could try is the new decoder without the GPU decoder turned on. Untick Legacy AVC decoder, and set hardware decoder to OFF. Working on the possibility it's the GPU decoding causing the crashing and not necessarily the newer Vegas decoder (SO4) without GPU decoding.

One thing you may now notice is the S04 decoder is not as efficient as Legacy decoder, it uses more CPU, when it's using GPU decoding that part doesn't matter so much. With your 3900x and the 30% CPU use with Legacy you should have plenty of CPU overhead but no idea if it will help with your frame rate with the applied fx on timeline playback

Ah, thanks for this, but unfortunately, that is one of the first things I tried and it still crashed (assuming you mean "GPU acceleration of video processing" set to off).

@Vincent-Brice If I couldn't use my GPU for processing i'd throw Vegas down the stairs and never use it again. I mean to turn GPU decoding off, but keep using Magix decoder (sO4)

@Former user Haha yes. Thanks, I'll try it and report back 👍

@Former user My grandson has my old PC so I swapped the GPU's, my RX 5500 XT for my old Radeon R9 380 and with all Vegas settings back to default, it has not crashed once. No matter what I did to confuse it, cutting, sliding, overlapping, applying FX, all in quick succession, it would just keep going and refused to crash. So, the problem has to be with the Radeon RX 5500 XT. So, I will stick with the R9 380 for now, but as it does struggle a bit across some FX I'd be happy just to get another GPU if I new which one worked well with Vegas 19. Any suggestions?

So, the problem has to be with the Radeon RX 5500 XT. So, I will stick with the R9 380 for now, but as it does struggle a bit across some FX I'd be happy just to get another GPU if I new which one worked well with Vegas 19. Any suggestions?

Because Vegas can have problems with any GPU decoder that isn't Intel we don't really know if the problem is bad AMD drivers that they're infamous for, by now you would have thought they were working fine for 5500XT and it's a Vegas problem, or something to do with your system.

I would only go Nvidia at this stage because AMD GPU drivers are so bad or development for AMD GPU's is so bad. If you want one for playing games generally fine, but 'productivity' applications and they can have all sorts of problems or not work at all. I would go 3060ti - 3070ti if use was just Vegas, but a 12GB card like a 3080 (12GB) if other tasks. Having a 10GB 3080 I"ve ran into memory problems with various AI apps, other NLE's , 3d animation etc. The next gen Nvidia's are supposed to be 12GB for 4060/4070 16GB for 4080

@Former user I've read about how bad AMD graphics drivers are, but personally haven't experienced that myself. As a matter of fact, from what I've read in this forum, AMD works better than Nvidia, which has had it's share of problems also.

@Howard-Vigorita has used AMD with great results. There are others here that also use AMD exclusively with Vegas because it has performed better.

@Reyfox that would be interesting to hear about any problems he associates with his GPU, I think he has a 5000 and 6000 series AMD, but like you I have no idea how to tag him. What I've noticed is a lag of as much of a year until drivers are working reasonably.

Because of how cheap the 6900 XT is now (3080 prices) I was looking at buying it, researched it a bit, and too many problems. This amd driver timeout error seems to have been a thing for a very long time now. Never seen anything like that with Nvidia.

@Former user I don't "fly" so that would not affect me. The games I do play (just a couple) work flawlessly, and it's the same with Vegas. More people have have posted Nvidia issues here than AMD. Surely there are more Nvidia users than AMD, but AMD cards have been the least problematic with Vegas, and most are using the "regular" drivers, not "studio" drivers.

And since I read that it's best to uninstall all the AMD drivers while I have my old RX480 (which has not missed a beat working with Vegas using gaming drivers, old drivers and latest drivers) still installed. Also to verify that M$ graphics drive is being used, then install the RX6000 drivers.

@Reyfox @Former user I've been interested in this little conversation because I have a nephew who's waiting to buy a new gaming card and has offered me his RX 5700

@Vincent-Brice since the nephew is family, borrow it for an hour or two. It doesn't take long to install it and the drivers. So give it a shot! Video cards are going down here in Poland to close to MSRP and that horrible terrible VAT.