PT 12.5 Video Engine

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by MIKEROPHONICS

not entirely true Frank. The BM card shows initial sync but perturbates with some very wobbly frames - see below from my Pro Tools Expert test results:

"Pro Tools 11 with HD video (Video Hardware Comparison)"

AJA IO XT using DNxHD MXF media (video referenced) 0.26f span = 0f

Blackmagic Decklink Studio using DNxHD MXF media (video referenced)
0.20f; Span = 0.06f
0.05f; Span = 6.14f
0.20f; Span = 0.06f
0.12f; Span = 4.17f
0.12f; Span = 3.07f
0.24f; Span = 6.27f

Sorry, I couldn't find the test on the site anymore. What does "video referenced" refer to? Card and PT locked to a common tri-level sync clock?
6 frames seem crazy high for a genlocked system. Over here it's 0.

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by MIKEROPHONICS

Tom, one rumour on the street is that AVE is windows code ported to mac. I don't know about such things as I couldn't program code if my life depended on it, but if so, that could explain Alan's findings that the AVE may be better on PC than mac.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That's strange but possible given that the Windows version of PT10 and lower didn't use Quicktime for playback. At least not exclusively like the Mac version, I don't recall the exact details.

But Windows versions still get the "Pro Tools can't stop itself" errors amongst others. The "Black Wink" too last I checked (sounds like a disease).

[tom_lowe]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

That's strange but possible given that the Windows version of PT10 and lower didn't use Quicktime for playback. At least not exclusively like the Mac version, I don't recall the exact details.

But Windows versions still get the "Pro Tools can't stop itself" errors amongst others. The "Black Wink" too last I checked (sounds like a disease).

I'm pretty sure they did. It was the reason you couldn't play video out of PCIe on Windows. It could play Avid MXF media, but only with a Mojo.

[smurfyou]

I had another observation. I was checking Activity Monitor for something else but I thought I'd see how AVE performed. While playing DNxHD 36 MXF video, AVE used between 300%-700% CPU as reported in Activity Monitor. This is a 12 core Mac Pro 5.1 so there is plenty to spare but wow.

I know there are differing ways to interpret CPU usage but this seems pretty extreme. PT itself was using 26% (or 1% in PT's rather cute System Usage window). This brings up a good point in that because the AVE is a separate process it's usage won't show up in PT.

I just don't understand why AVE is such a resource hog. This much CPU, 2GB RAM, faster than average hard drives.... From a layman's perspective I think it could use some serious optimizing.

[Ray JB]

Will, that's weird.

I'm on PT HD 12.4 and the max Activity monitor CPU reading on my rig (12 core 5,1 Westmere machine as per you) gives me approx 75% when using both video hardware and concurrent desktop video playback.

Ray

[MIKEROPHONICS]

not really sure how much weight I would place on this CPU usage thing....

compare "apples" (bad pun) and PT ("oranges") - see file attached

For interest sake, this session is a large episodic TV drama session that a 12 core souped up mac pro cheesegrater finds busy and it can be sluggish with PT HD vanilla and HDMI output, but my PTPC (8 core) running OS X 10.10.3 with HDX card and AJA IOXT does not find tricky at all.

video is 23.976 DNxHD 36...

[smurfyou]

Morning update, I noticed that I had the output quality at "Full Quality 10bit", dropped it to "Full Quality" and the CPU% went from ~300% to 140%. "Draft" only dropped it to 125% and looked like crap plus on this system brings sync slop.

Like I said I realize the value might not mean that much in the end, I just find the AVE's behavior curious.

PS I'm on PT 12.4, due to the 12.5 Scrub Trim bug. OS 10.10.3, BM 10.7.1. I don't put specs in my sig because I work on various rigs.

[fretfingers]

Originally Posted by MIKEROPHONICS

not really sure how much weight I would place on this CPU usage thing....

compare "apples" (bad pun) and PT ("oranges") - see file attached

For interest sake, this session is a large episodic TV drama session that a 12 core souped up mac pro cheesegrater finds busy and it can be sluggish with PT HD vanilla and HDMI output, but my PTPC (8 core) running OS X 10.10.3 with HDX card and AJA IOXT does not find tricky at all.

video is 23.976 DNxHD 36...

I keep reading about "DNxHD 36" but have no idea how to make it. When I export from Quicktime the options are staggering. See attached image.


How are you making this DNxHD 36?

[ggegan]

I'm not an expert, but this is what I have found:

I believe the number at the end of the DNxHD codec name refers to the bitrate, so higher numbers are more taxing on your processors and lower numbers are less taxing. Pick the lowest bitrate for the resolution and frame rate you are using and you should be fine.

DNxHD36 is available for 1080p at 23.976, DNxHD40 is available for 720p at 23.976, DNxHD45 is available for 1080p at 29.97. In my experience any of those will work well.

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by fretfingers

I keep reading about "DNxHD 36" but have no idea how to make it. When I export from Quicktime the options are staggering. See attached image.


How are you making this DNxHD 36?

There are several DNxHD36 options on that list. Pick the one that corresponds to the current frame rate of the video you're converting and make sure your session frame rate matches that.