Vegas>Davinci Resolve>Vegas

pilsburypie wrote on 6/20/2015, 4:32 PM
Been playing around with Resolve. What a mega piece of software! But, I have a slight workflow issue. My camera outputs H 2.64 AVCHD as m2ts files. Vegas likes this, Resolve does not. I have had a go at rendering the original clips in Vegas to DNxHD to use in Resolve, Then Rendering back to DNxHD from resolve to Vegas. Thing is I seem to be loosing a load of quality even though the files are huge (1Gb for approx 1 minute). They look blocky.

My aim is to then render as an mp4 file out of Vegas. What is going on - or more to the point what am I doing wrong. I thought the DNxHD codec was pretty good at avoiding quality loss

Comments

astar wrote on 6/20/2015, 8:35 PM
Might be better off posting to the Resolve forum. If your footage looks good going into Resolve, but not coming out of it, then there must some setting/format issue exporting from resolve.

Resolve says it supports Sony MPEG4 SStP, which is another name for HDCAM-SR-Lite. You could try .m2ts>Vegas>SSTP>Resolve>DNxHD and see if that is better.


I would look into FFMPEG, and work out a command line that converts with a codec copy to .mov.

Since sound on .M2TS is sometimes AC3, you may need to convert the AC3 to PCM with FFMPEG. Not sure if Resolve supports AC3.
markymarkNY wrote on 6/20/2015, 10:29 PM
I do the Vegas-Davinci-Vegas roundtrip all the time w GH4 files

Best method I have found is render in Vegas to MXF, intraframe, as high as a bitrate as you want, make sure framerate is matched correctly. Then import the MXF into Vegas and do what you need to do. Finally, render from Davinci into MXF also, select one of the "Sony" MXF output options. Those import into Vegas perfectly, then from Vegas you can do mp4.

MXF is close to lossless. File sizes are big though.
pilsburypie wrote on 6/21/2015, 5:30 PM
Thanks for the advice.

Markymark - I render to Sony MXF from Vegas no probs (set up correctly as my 1080 50p). I import this and work on the clip in Resolve no probs.

I then choose a MXF output in Resolve, but here is where my problems start. In the MXF video format, the vast majority are the DNxHD codecs. These render out but then won't let me place them on the Vegas timeline.

Advice appreciated
markymarkNY wrote on 6/21/2015, 7:42 PM
Keep scrolling down in the Video Format menu, and select "MXF OP1A", it's the last menu item. You can then choose one of three "Sony MPEG4" options. I'm using Resolve Lite 11.
pilsburypie wrote on 6/22/2015, 5:34 PM
Damn! Wish stuff was easy, but where would the excitement be without a challenge?! I tried your MXF OP1A and Sony mpeg4 option, but render fails instantly with the following error message:

"Recording failed with Error : Cannot find appropriate codec for encoding the video frame."

Feel I'm getting closer, but as yet, no cigar!
markymarkNY wrote on 6/22/2015, 8:11 PM
hmm...I've never seen that message. I also have this installed: https://www.mediaplayercodecpack.com/

Wonder if that helps at all?????
pilsburypie wrote on 6/24/2015, 2:53 AM
Just installed that code pack but get the same message
markymarkNY wrote on 6/24/2015, 8:02 AM
Damn that stinks. I'm unfamiliar with that error, I suppose there may have been a bug during installation or somewhere in your system there could be a software conflict. It doesn't make sense for the codec to not be supported.

Some years ago with one of my PCs I could not for the life of me figure out why a newly installed Vegas wasn't functioning correctly. As a last resort, I ended up simply creating a new user account in Windows, reinstalled, and voila it worked. I think it may be worth a shot. Uninstall Davinci, create a new user account, reboot, reinstall, reboot again.

I've never had the need for tech support from Davinci but you can go that route too...

Another option : now that Cineform is free, just download GoPro studio and it will install the codec. That will enable you to render from Vegas to Cineform which is also a close to lossless codec. Davinci will also be able to output Cineform avi.
pilsburypie wrote on 6/24/2015, 10:06 AM
Your help is really appreciated markymark. I have just installed Gopro studio with the cineform codec but again have failed! I set up the cineform render template as per instructions found on creative cow, but when I go to render in Vegas, an error comes up "no compatible video codec was found".

I have done a little research and found where the codecs should be located: C:\Program Files\Sony\Vegas Pro x\FileIO Plug-Ins\aviplug and it is showing the aviplug.dll file and also in the vegas directories:

The Video for Windows (VFW) ones are here:
C:\Windows\System32\CFHD.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\CFHD.dll
and
C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools\CFHDDecoder.dll
C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools\CFHDDecoder64.dll
C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools\CFHDEncoder.dll
C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools\CFHDEncoder64.dll

Perhaps the failing to find codecs (MXF OH1A in resolve and the cineform in vegas) sheds a little light on the problem?
markymarkNY wrote on 6/24/2015, 3:28 PM
Sounds like system conflicts/ trouble, not the software per se.

Try opening Vegas by right clicking the icon and selecting "run as administrator" option and see if the same thing happens. Try this with Resolve too.

Is this your PC or is it a work/shared computer?
pilsburypie wrote on 6/25/2015, 3:00 AM
Yes this is my home PC

Right clicking and running as admin does nothing that left clicking doesn't do. I have been looking into this as much as I can (google), and there is a suggestion that the now free Gopro studio only installs the "read" part of the cineform codec and not the "encode" bit..... that's a possibility but doesn't explain things on the Resolve side not finding the Sony OP1A codec - seems a bit of a coincidence to me 2 programs don't find installed codecs. Leads me to believe operator error, which wouldn't surprise me!

With all this faff, Are there any other lossless/virtually lossless codecs originally provided with Vegas and Resolve that they can both interpret?

edit: Gopro studio free should have the "encode" codec the same as the paid:
Does the free version of Studio include the same codec features as Premium and Pro?

On Windows, the ability to encode into the GoPro CineForm codec at 10-bit 4:2:2, 4:4:4 and 4:4:4:4 color depth using third party applications is included in the latest version of GoPro Studio. The Filmscan 1 and Filmscan 2 quality settings are also available. On Windows systems, this support is currently limited to Video for Windows encoding tools with DirectShow support coming soon.
markymarkNY wrote on 6/26/2015, 2:55 PM
I'm all out of ideas. I don't recognize what's happening with your PC. Did you try uninstalling Resolve and setting up a new user and account, then installing the software fresh while logged in to that new account?
pilsburypie wrote on 6/26/2015, 5:33 PM
Not tried that as yet, but will do as I too am fresh out of ideas.

Resolve is such a great program, but if I can't get to and from vegas with it I'm a bit stuck

Thanks for all your help.
pilsburypie wrote on 6/26/2015, 6:26 PM
Pfffff, tried the uninstall/reinstall method - no luck again.

bummer!
pilsburypie wrote on 6/28/2015, 5:58 PM
OOOOOHHHH YEAH!

I now have the ability to render in Vegas to cineform..... A new post in this forum shows the same issue with rendering to Cineform in Vegas:

"Cineform codec does not render" http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/showmessage.asp?messageid=927350

It points to this thread on another forum with this fix:

Download the file http://software.gopro.com/PC/renderVFW.exe.
Locate the following folder path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Cineform\Tools​.
Place renderVFW.exe into the Tools folder at the above location.
The issue should now be resolved.

Now my Vegas can render out to cineform, I can import this to Resolve, work the Davinci magic, then render back out to Cineform YUV 10-bit and bring back into Vegas.

So pleased I'm now able to use this great software with Vegas. Nothing is simple, but the answers are out there. Thanks all who replied for your efforts