No. It's set to on by default.

Why did you turned itoff writng this: "Other Vegas settings-GPU acceleration is turned OFF" in your Opening Question?

 

Sorry. It was on by default when I first encountered the problem. I then turned it off but still had the problem. So GPU acceleration on or off makes no difference to the problem.

@deckingman “If it turns out to definitely be the default 200 video preview ran setting that causes the problem, how does one go about bringing it to the attention of someone who can implement a fix?”

Jury is still out until you confirm which it is.

@RogerS

For HEVC you can also render without QSV. Just change the encoder to NV Encoding. Maybe save this setting as its own render preset:

OP has no Nvidia

Sorry, that's my mistake. I didn't realize this was an NVIDIA encoder- I assumed there would be a way to do a CPU only render of HEVC but now don't see any option.

I opened Voukoder, selected HEVC (x265) and did a render with just the CPU. It worked fine and I saw no signs of GPU activity in task manager. So if you want the smaller HEVC file sizes that's an option.

For how to bring it to the developers' attention, they may be reading this thread. You could also create a support ticket to report it directly. For dynamic ram preview, I and others have made similar complaints in the past and got a response along the lines that they're aware of it and also can't believe such a setting could have such a big impact on renders and stability. I think it's on the list of things to overhaul (and really needs to be!)

Update on this. I set dynamic ram preview to the default 200 and rendered again using AVC/AAC MP4 Internet HD1080 50fps (non QSV) and the resultant file played just fine. Which is strange because I'm fairly sure that I tried that combination some days ago before I started this thread - but I've tried so many different things that I can't be sure of anything now.

Anyway, I then set the dynamic ram preview back to zero and rendered again using HEVC/AAC MP4 Internet 1080p 50 fps and the resultant file exhibited the problem. So it would seem from this that it is indeed the HEVC/QSV format that causes the problem. I hadn't heard of QSV before upgrading to Vegas Pro but I'll know to avoid using it in on this PC in the future.

I'll continue to monitor things and report back if anything changes. I'll also put dynamic ram preview back to zero because it doesn't seem to make any difference to the way that editing works with the files I use, and on this PC.

I don't know if it's of any significance but I did notice that, although HEVC renders much faster, the CPU usage is about 30 - 40% whereas when rendering AVC, the CPU usage is up around 85-95%, although it takes longer to render. Probably not significant but just thought I'd mention it.

I'll also give Voukoder a go when I get time - thanks RogerS

@deckingman So, it's now established that it's a QSV render issue. Is it possible for you to supply a "Source" clip (or clips in a test project) that you know at your end causes the issue using QSV?

That way it can be checked out by other users, and we can see if we can replicate the issue on our QSV machines. The Source clip(s) is of more value than the rendered out clip. QSV is normally very useable and useful.

Have you had this issue, with the same problem project, rendering out using QSV, AVC, not HEVC? If you haven't done this then give it a go, as it may tie it down to an HEVC QSV issue, but not an AVC QSV issue.

Before doing any of the above, can you try rendering out the original problem project again using QSV, but changing the project properties and render properties to 25FPS. See if that makes any difference to the playability of your output file.

 

I'll continue to monitor things and report back if anything changes. I'll also put dynamic ram preview back to zero because it doesn't seem to make any difference to the way that editing works with the files I use, and on this PC.

You are losing a feature by setting it to zero, as it's constantly operating to aid in smooth playback. if frames drop on a transition etc, merely relocate the play head before the transition again, wait a couple of seconds and press play, the frames immediatly after the playhead position are cached to ram. 200 value is too low if playing 4k video at full or 1/2 resolution so if you were using 200 you may not have benefited. Because the ram cache is actually constantly triggering it's why it can cause the black flashes and crashing

It's not actually a useless feature that you never use, you just never knew you were using it

@deckingman The CPU usage difference between HEVC (QSV) and AVC (CPU) is because the Intel GPU is doing some of the work in the former scenario.

JN's question about whether it's a HEVC/QSV bug or just QSV in general is a good one.

I think you'll get good use out of Voukoder. I'm not so familiar with Vegas render templates because it's all I use these days.

@deckingman So, it's now established that it's a QSV render issue. Is it possible for you to supply a "Source" clip (or clips in a test project) that you know at your end causes the issue using QSV?

That way it can be checked out by other users, and we can see if we can replicate the issue on our QSV machines. The Source clip(s) is of more value than the rendered out clip. QSV is normally very useable and useful.

Have you had this issue, with the same problem project, rendering out using QSV, AVC, not HEVC? If you haven't done this then give it a go, as it may tie it down to an HEVC QSV issue, but not an AVC QSV issue.

Before doing any of the above, can you try rendering out the original problem project again using QSV, but changing the project properties and render properties to 25FPS. See if that makes any difference to the playability of your output file.

Thanks - I did put a sample clip on my google drive and others did look at it earlier. I've since deleted it but I will put it back up.

This is my first project using Vegas Pro 18 (I've only recently upgraded from Movie Studio Platinum 16). I'll do as you ask regarding setting the project properties to 25fps and rendering as such. Then I'll try AVC QSV and report back (I may not get that done today though).

 

I'll continue to monitor things and report back if anything changes. I'll also put dynamic ram preview back to zero because it doesn't seem to make any difference to the way that editing works with the files I use, and on this PC.

You are losing a feature by setting it to zero, as it's constantly operating to aid in smooth playback. if frames drop on a transition etc, merely relocate the play head before the transition again, wait a couple of seconds and press play, the frames immediatly after the playhead position are cached to ram. 200 value is too low if playing 4k video at full or 1/2 resolution so if you were using 200 you may not have benefited. Because the ram cache is actually constantly triggering it's why it can cause the black flashes and crashing

It's not actually a useless feature that you never use, you just never knew you were using it

I don't have any 4K footage - the problems I've been having are with good old fashioned, 1080/50P

But actually, after I installed VP18 I searched a few online tutorials (I know, that was probably a mistake) and one of those recommended setting the dynamic ram preview to a quarter to half of the available ram. I have 16GB installed so I set it to what seemed like a modest 2GB (2000MB). Then I ram into the problems I have been having and one of the first answers was to reset Vegas to all defaults and not to mess with it. So from then on, I was using 200 (because that is the default). I then I was advised to set it to zero.

So now I have had three pieces of advice. a) 200 is too low - set it higher, b) 200 is the default so don't change it, and c) 200 might be the problem - set it to zero. Where do I go from here?

@deckingman So, it's now established that it's a QSV render issue. Is it possible for you to supply a "Source" clip (or clips in a test project) that you know at your end causes the issue using QSV?.............................

Source clip is now back up on my Google Drive https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DvAfrNK8fuirKbHZar2H-4WxWOwlTdiY/view?usp=sharing

@deckingman Ok. I’m assuming that this source gives you the same difficulty when you render it at your supplied settings. My long gap yesterday in getting back to you was simply due to things that came up.

I'll download shortly and test, using same 630 iGpu.

@deckingman Ok. I’m assuming that this source gives you the same difficulty when you render it at your supplied settings. My long gap yesterday in getting back to you was simply due to things that came up.

I'll download shortly and test, using same 630 iGpu.

It did. It's one of the clips that was used in the full project. All other clips were taken with the same camera, using the same settings.

A thought occurs to me but I don't know enough about computers or Vegas software to know if it's significant. At the very outset, when I first encountered the problem, I had dynamic ram preview set to 2000. Subsequently, I changed it to 200 but I didn't restart Vegas (it didn't prompt me to do so). Might that original allocation of ram persisted even though I changed it from 2000 to 200 and if so, might it have been a factor?

There is something else too. Previously, I couldn't remember if I had tried non-qsv but now I'm sure that I did and that I had the problem with that non qsv setting. The reason why I'm sure is that I've just noticed that I created a preset and named it "YouTube50fps". That preset is derived from Sony AVC/MVC (which is what I always used to use with MS16) AVCHD 1920x1080i with the default frame rate changed from 25.000(PAL) to 50.000(double PAL). I'm sure now that the problem existed using that setting (but also with dynamic ram preview set to 2000).

When I get time, I'll try rendering again using those settings.

@deckingman Anyway, I tested 8 x your 9 second source test samples back to back to give a timeline/project length of 1m:12s, longer than when the issue occurred in your original project, 1m:3s. I rendered out using QSV HEVC and QSV AVC, also a CPU only render.

I have no HEVC, AVC, or CPU playback issues when its rendered out (3 renders) using the same render settings you used. My DR preview is set at default of 200. Tested on my PC, see specs. in my profile.

Maybe some other users can do similar test.

On balance, I'm not sure that there is any quality benefit in using HEVC, I did a quick quality test using fifonik's Render Quality Metrics program, higher values are better. The 3 files were all about the same size and data rate.

The internal GOP's are obviously different, again the HEVC layout would be a little more taxing on lower specced machines on long duration output clips, lots of B frames.

@deckingman Can you confirm that if you tested in this way, 8 x 9s pieces, that you would still have playback issues with the output? If not then it's something else in your project, and no point in anyone else testing this 9 second piece.

@deckingman
My last remark on this, mind what I said in my first answer to you here https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/vegaspro18-playback-issues-after-rendering-as-mp4--125707/?page=1#ca782305
where I said this

Further, make no changes in the settings of Options/PreferencesVideo and Options/Preferences/File I/O because build 373 make on its own the best settings for these at installation.
To make this healthy again with you do a complet and exact Reset of the program following this tutorial exactly: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/faq-how-can-i-reset-vegas-pro-to-default-settings--104646/
Change nothing after that and controle if you have the best GPU driver by checking and following this:

@deckingman
My last remark on this, mind what I said in my first answer to you here https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/vegaspro18-playback-issues-after-rendering-as-mp4--125707/?page=1#ca782305
where I said this

Further, make no changes in the settings of Options/PreferencesVideo and Options/Preferences/File I/O because build 373 make on its own the best settings for these at installation.
To make this healthy again with you do a complet and exact Reset of the program following this tutorial exactly: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/faq-how-can-i-reset-vegas-pro-to-default-settings--104646/
Change nothing after that and controle if you have the best GPU driver by checking and following this:

 

 

Thank you. Please don't take this the wrong way way but are you directly involved with Vegas? That is to say, I'm new to this forum and Vegas Pro and whilst I am sure that everyone is trying to help me, I've had conflicting advice. Specifically in relation to setting the dynamic ram preview. Your advice is to set everything to default values meaning that dynamic ram should be at 200. But others have suggested different values. Given that I don't know anything about the background or qualifications of anyone who is trying to help me, I have no way of judging who's advice I should accept and who's I should ignore.

I did follow your advice but I still had the same problem after following your instructions to carry out a complete and exact reset of the program. Having done that, and still experiencing the issue, what else would you suggest I do?

@deckingman Can you confirm that if you tested in this way, 8 x 9s pieces, that you would still have playback issues with the output? If not then it's something else in your project, and no point in anyone else testing this 9 second piece.

No, I can't say that tested using multiple instances of that exact clip - only similar clips taken at the same time with the same camera.

Leave it with me. When the problem manifests itself, it's always been within the first one and half minutes or so of playback. The original project was mostly multiple splits of one long piece of footage. I will try to replicate the problem by using the first 4 minutes or so of that exact footage, in order to cut down the render time and make file size more manageable. If I'm successful in replicating it, then I'll be able to upload both the entire source and the problem rendered output.

Thank you for your patience.

@deckingman Aok. I know jv can answer for himself, since you are new here, as I understand it nobody here, including the moderators works for Magix. Occasionally a developer may jump in, you will know them by their name part, example VegasHasman or something like that😂.

The reason you sometimes get conflicting suggestions is just human nature, most users are often working first from their own setup, vp experience etc, which will always be different. The logic circuits are occasionally brought into play as well, if you’re lucky🤪.

If you click on a user’s profile you sometimes get more information. As you will see jv has been tirelessly helping lots of other people, busy little beaver that he is.

@JN- Thanks for the clarification. I know how forums work - I spend a great deal of time on other forums helping users out with 3D printing, specifically those who use Duet hardware and firmware. In fact, that's what my YouTube channel is all about - just a sort of blog to help and inform others about 3D printing related stuff. Not that I'm by any means conversant with the firmware code - just as a long term end user who has had every version of hardware and software and who has a pretty good idea how to configure it and tune settings for any particular machine.

Which is why I took great care to read the forum guidelines and submit as much information as I could think of in my original post. I know that it's hard enough trying to help others "remotely", but more so when they only provide the sketchiest of details about their usage case. Formulating answers can also be difficult when one has no idea what the knowledge or expertise the OP may have. In my case, assume I know nothing about video editing software and you won't be far off the mark. 🙂

@deckingman 3Dprinter! And I thought it was a time machine! Impressive piece of gear.

@deckingman 3Dprinter! And I thought it was a time machine! Impressive piece of gear.

If it's something that interests you, my YouTube channel is here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEMXNdKKMLIVwEqPvohKsng