Video playback Windows 10

[tom_lowe]

You should avoid H.264 wherever possible. 2020.3 doesn't use the QuickTime engine at all, at least on Mac so I assume it's the same on Windows.

DNxHD in an MXF wrapper is your friend. Export ref audio as a separate WAV file is the best workaround for now.

DaVinci Resolve is free and can export to DNxHD.

Originally Posted by unkJE

I installed Apple QuickTime 7.79.80.95 – selecting “Custom Install” and only installed QuickTime Essentials, as described here:
https://www.pro-tools-pc.com/apple-q...security-risk/

Restarted the computer.

(I didn’t install QuickTime Player, as recommended in above instructions. I use VLC to play videos).

I installed the Avid Video Engine from:
Win10(C)>Program Files>Avid>Pro Tools>Pro Tools Utilities>Avid Video Engine

As a recent total-newbie to video, I had to hold down “N” while launching Pro Tools to open the Playback Engine and tick the “Enable Video” box.

My imported video showed its fps in red in Pro Tools Edit window, so I converted the video with free software called HandBrake:
https://handbrake.fr/

In the Presets drop-down menu I chose “Production Max (Modified)” which allows a Frame width of 1080 and a Frame height of 1920.

In HandBrake’s Video Tab, with Video Codec H.264 (264), I changed my Framerate (FPS) to 29.97 from the drop-down menu.
Immediately under this, I checked “Constant Framerate”.

In HandBrake’s Audio Tab, I tried both 128 and 320 Bitrates (I chose the latter).

To Save As, I named my File and followed this name with:
.mp4
For example:
Kookaburra.mp4

So far, so good – must have been a fluke!

[Brandonx1]

Originally Posted by tom_lowe

You should avoid H.264 wherever possible. 2020.3 doesn't use the QuickTime engine at all, at least on Mac so I assume it's the same on Windows.

DNxHD in an MXF wrapper is your friend. Export ref audio as a separate WAV file is the best workaround for now.

DaVinci Resolve is free and can export to DNxHD.

Pro Tools still AMA's to the QT engine when using unsupprted video in Windows.

H264 is a supported codec now in pro tools. Works better but other GOF codecs are preferable.

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by tom_lowe

.... DNxHD in an MXF wrapper is your friend. Export ref audio as a separate WAV file is the best workaround for now.
DaVinci Resolve is free and can export to DNxHD.

Thanks for this info!

Originally Posted by Brandonx1

Pro Tools still AMA's to the QT engine when using unsupprted video in Windows.

With only QuickTime Essentials installed, Pro Tools offered me the Bounce to QuickTime Movie option

Originally Posted by Brandonx1

H264 is a supported codec now in pro tools. Works better but other GOF codecs are preferable.

Appreciate your clarifying this!

I’d read:
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...r-Pro-Tools-11

Qualified QuickTime codecs
• DNxHD (Preferred)
• Apple ProRes 422 (including HQ, LT and Proxy)
• DV25
• DV50
• H.264 (Performance may vary)
Note: QuickTime Support and Security on Windows

Additional Considerations:
• DNxHD is preferred due to better performance.
• Video file format should not affect performance. For instance, an .mp4 file will perform as well as an .mov file, all other things being equal (same video, codec, resolution, etc). Only the codec matters, the "container" does not.
• h.264 is not ideal for editing workflows. Performance may vary when using this codec.


I was sent a video made on a phone and wanted to experiment with iZotope’s Music Rebalance to see if I could improve the Audio and the backing track and vocals Mix.

Both your replies are much appreciated!

Totally OT but quite an achievement:
One Video Editor and one Audio Editor combine 3,500 phone videos from more than 40 countries for Mothers’ Day 2020 Couch Choir
https://abcmedia.akamaized.net/rn/po...00508_0845.mp3

[EGS]

Seems to be working here OK on Win 10/PT 2020.3 (vanilla). I imported a .mp4 video (H264 MPEG-4) using the import command (not drag and drop) and it works/plays/resizes as expected.

[tom_lowe]

Originally Posted by EGS

Seems to be working here OK on Win 10/PT 2020.3 (vanilla). I imported a .mp4 video (H264 MPEG-4) using the import command (not drag and drop) and it works/plays/resizes as expected.

Yes it will work, but there are better options out there. H.264 is CPU intensive compared to DNxHD/HR.

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by tom_lowe

....DaVinci Resolve is free and can export to DNxHD.

Good to learn that DaVinci Resolve can import still images or export a frame from a video to use as a still. Saves a full version of the image, as well as the color information, so the “look” or color grade can be applied to other footage:
https://youtu.be/1trNHG6UmlM

[Juan Gomez]

Originally Posted by Brandonx1

I think you have an install issue with pro tools. Again what is in your video engine folder in the pro tools. Does your video engine folder look like this?

Hello! I also have a similar problem...I can import the video file, fps is showing up in color white as normal and I can see the frames thumbnail along the track, however the video window is completely black. I can open the same video file in other applications like Movies & TV, the QuickTime Player, Windows Media Player...I tried a couple things including reinstalling PT and so far nothing works I saw your screenshot and as far as I can see, I have the same items on that folder. Any thoughts? I appreciate the help, thanks!

[EGS]

If a video does not play nicely with Pro Tools straight-away (sometimes it does), I do one extra step. Import vid into Vegas Pro (or DaVinci or Premier etc) & render a "slimmed-down" temp-vid for ProTools. I use MP4/23.97/720P/lower bit rate (I forgot my exact bit rate settings).

If I need to re-track the vid, I pull the Pro Tools audio bounce into Vegas, and render at original vid specs.

Works for me!!!

[Wizzoboy]

I use Resolve for editing and always render out a DNxHD 36 video in a .mov wrapper for use in PT. Runs like a charm. h264 can be a real pain to work with. The mix then gets laid back into the edit in Resolve and finally rendered as h264.

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by Juan Gomez

Hello! I also have a similar problem...I can import the video file, fps is showing up in color white as normal and I can see the frames thumbnail along the track, however the video window is completely black. .....

https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/ar...-Release-Notes

Above Pro Tools 2020.5 link includes:

Video
• Fixed an issue where some systems would only display black picture. (PT-260602)