@deckingman I'll have a look at that later, thanks. I wonder, 1% chance, is it possible that the AC-3 codec is playing tricks with the project. In other words, instead of just muting the AC-3 track, simply delete it after you have synced with the Tascam. AC-3 is no longer supported in the latest build of VP18, b373.

@deckingman I'll have a look at that later, thanks. I wonder, 1% chance, is it possible that the AC-3 codec is playing tricks with the project. In other words, instead of just muting the AC-3 track, simply delete it after you have synced with the Tascam. AC-3 is no longer supported.

I could try it - but I'd be pretty miffed if that is the answer. Because I don't always use the Tascam and when I'm travelling, often only have the camera with me. So I need to be able to render with just the camera audio. I've never had any such problems with Movie Studio 16 Platinum.

@JN- But now you've got me thinking. with MS16, when I drag a camera clip to a new project and accept the pop up to set the project to the same as the video, it always used to create 4 audio track (front left and right, centre, surround left and right and sub. Now with Pro18, it only creates a single, stereo audio track and that's what I've been using. I've just discovered that I first have to set the project properties, go to the audio tab and change this from stereo to 5.1. - then drag the clip to the time line and I'll get the 4 audio tracks. Might that have been the problem do you think? I'll try that with a new project.............bear with me..............

@deckingman I downloaded the Source file + Tascam audio + veg. I had no playback issues at all on the two rendered out clips using the same QSV render template as previous.

#1. I used your project veg file to render out the 3m:58s clip. VLC plays aok.

#2. I loaded up just the source clip, created a loop region from the start of the clip of 4m:0s, I didn't save the project, and rendered out, VLC played all 4 minutes aok. I don't have an issue in VP18 with AC3 as the codec is probably already there from previous builds.

Now I'm really confused - and screwed. Just tried 3 mores tests. I started a new project with audio set to 5.1 and imported the clips, aligned and trimmed them as before. Then muted the 4 camera audio tracks and rendered as before using Sony AVC/MVC. This was test 4 and the resultant MP4 freezes between about 22 and 28 seconds. Then I deleted the 4 camera audio tracks and rendered again. This was test 5 which exhibits the same freezing behaviour. Then I saved the project, closed Vegas, then restarted Vegas and rendered again. This was test 6 but it still exhibits the same freezing behaviour at around 22 - 28 seconds. So unlike before, when a restart of Vegas seemed to help, this time it doesn't. I've uploaded those 3 new MP4s to the same folder on my google drive (glad that I bought the extra storage this morning).

So where to go from here?

@JN- Thanks. Do the mp4s that I uploaded show the same freezing behaviour for you? Of the 6 now in that folder, only test 3 plays without pauses for me.

AC-3 is no longer supported in the latest build of VP18, b373.

@JN-
If that would be true, than you know of course how this is possible in VPro 18 b 373. I work all day with those kind of files in all my Vegas programs without any problem.

@deckingman I hadn't downloaded those 2, I downloaded now and can confirm that they both freeze as you said at 28s, pick up again at ~ 34 s for both.

JN said ..."I don't have an issue in VP18 with AC3 as the codec is probably already there from previous builds."

@j-v As I said in my previous post, I have no problem with the AC-3 codec, probably because it was there from previous builds. The problem may exist only for those users who have now just bought VP18 373 and had no previous VP.

@JN- wrote

The problem may exist only for those users who have now just bought VP18 373 and had no previous VP.

Most likely.

@vkmast👍

Does anyone have any other ideas that I can try. For info, I've just finished another project which is basically a years worth of video clips of my grand daughter, taken on various phones by my daughter and son-law and posted on Facebook Messenger. I downloaded those clips (all 180 of them) and used PIP to create 3 video and 3 audio tracks - left, centre and right and put assorted clips into each track. I used additional tracks for music, and graphics. I used all sorts of transitions, effects and generated media. So I'd have thought if there was any problem with my hardware, it should have choked rendering that lot out, but everything worked flawlessly and the resultant video plays just fine.

@JN- wrote

The problem may exist only for those users who have now just bought VP18 373 and had no previous VP.

Most likely.

I don't prefer guessing.
That would mean that the OP had not a former build of a Vegas program, but he stated that before VP18 he used VMS Pl 16 and with me that program is saying the same about the files than I showed here.
Rendering to AC2 or AC3 is something total different that is not more possible, but in stead of guessing I prefere to be sure because something is proved.

@j-v note that @JN- said "The problem may exist only for those users who have now just bought VP18 373 and had no previous VP."

Yess but let it be, I must be a dummy who not can get that the option to open filetypes in a former VP does different things than opening those files in a former VMS PL.

@deckingman Can you post a screenshot of your render template and name a single source file that uses that renderer template and also freezes? I tested this morning using Intel QSV, because thats what you had previously tested and failed. Unless i'm mistaken you are now using an older Sony render template.

In fact, to keep it as clear and simple as possible, clear your availability of download files to a veg file and a source file that you know for certain is freezing.

@deckingman Can you post a screenshot of your render template and name a single source file that uses that renderer template and also freezes? I tested this morning using Intel QSV, because thats what you had previously tested and failed. Unless i'm mistaken you are now using an older Sony render template.

In fact, to keep it as clear and simple as possible, clear your availability of download files to a veg file and a source file that you know for certain is freezing.

I'm a bit confused by this. The link I posted this morning should take you a folder entitled "DeckingmanVegasTests". Inside that folder, you should find a single source video file entitled "SourceVideo.MTS". There is also a single source audio file entitled "SourceAudio.wav". All the other MP4 files are my test renders, the file names of which all start with "Test..."

Yes, as per my first post of the day, I started out today using an old SonyAVC format because that always worked with Movie Studio Platinum and also because it does not use Intel QSV. That has worked today one time out of 6 (now 7). Magix AVC/AAC also worked yesterday but I have very low confidence that it would always work every time.

Here is a screen shot of the template that I have been using today

It is standard SonyAVC/MVC - AVCHD 1920x108i with the frame changed from 25.000 (PAL) to 50.000 (DoublePAL).

@deckingman Yes, I have already got the files from this morning, It was merely a suggestion to keep things simple, at this stage its a given that your test files do freeze, so I was suggesting to have only a single set of test sources as I already know that at least at your end the render produces a freeze.

I am now currently rendering out SourceVide.mts within your VegasProjectfile.veg project. I am using the Sony Avc render template.

Not sure if this has any bearing but I tried rendering just the camera clip - without the separate audio track but with the 5.1 audio that is part of the camera file. I selected SonyAVC/MCV again but this time I selected the template "AVCD 1920x1080i 5.1 Surround". When I tried to render it using that I got a pop up saying:

"The selected encode format requires the download of an add-on software module the first time this format is used" If you wish to proceed, ensure your PC is connected to the internet, the click "yes".

At which point, I got another pop up window saying "Operation error" Installation failed code:-1. On some systems this problem can be avoided by starting the application with Windows "Run as Administrator" option, then rendering the project again. After the componenet has downloaded.sucessfully, the applcation can be closed and re-started normally with the "Run as Administrator Option"

So I closed Vegas then started it using "Run as Administrator" but had exactly the same thing happne and it won't download whatever it is that it wants to download.

I don't know if that has any bearing on why I can't render that clip without the camera audio but it might??? If it does, what can I do about it?

EDIT. That 5.1 template is what I used with Movie Studio for my non-internet videos and it always worked before., Now it seems that with VP 18, I have no way of rendering my camera footage if I want 5.1 audio. !!

@deckingman Ok, I rendered out the 3m:58s clip using the old Sony render template. Playback is perfect, no freezes in audio or video. I used my laptop, specs. in profile, as I don't have/need QSV on the laptop, only on my PC.

@deckingman I'm sure you know this by now, but what's required at your end is a source video, with or without audio, at this stage, ideally only video, that freezes in EVERY attempt at rendering, with a single render template.

That may not be possible, I do understand, you might get it to work once in 7. But so far, using your render templates of QSV and SONY AVC, and your own VEG project, I haven't been able to replicate any freeze in the output files, all tested using VLC.

@deckingman Ok, I rendered out the 3m:58s clip using the old Sony render template. Playback is perfect, no freezes in audio or video. I used my laptop, specs. in profile, as I don't have/need QSV on the laptop, only on my PC.

Great - but it doesn't help me much. Obviously something wrong with my installation but how to fix it? As an update to the above, I just tried Movie Studio Platinum 16 with that 5.1 camera file and get the same problem about a missing software module that I can't download. So now I'm completely stuffed with no way to render 1080 50P with 5.1 surround, and MP4s that only render one time out of 6.