I changed the output frame rate from 29.8-ish to 30 fps, and it fixed it.

@Richard-Merriman

Hi

. . . . I changed the output frame rate from 29.8-ish to 30 fps . . . .

I assume when you imported the video, you got a message that the video is 29.8 ish fps and the project was set to 29.970, or 30 fps, and clicked Adjust is this correct?

The standard NTSC frame rate is 29.97 fps, the value above suggests to me that is the average frame rate value and the actual range of framerate variance is within ± 2 fps of that target framerate of 30 fps, ie it is varying between 28 - 32 fps.

You can check this with a program called MediaInfo and analysing the phone video clip - see this tutorial on how to get the data. In the video section of the analysis you should see something like this:

Frame rate mode                          : Variable
Frame rate                               : 30.096 FPS
Minimum frame rate                       : 29.970 FPS
Maximum frame rate                       : 30.272 FPS
Real frame rate                          : 30.000 FPS

The 'Real' framerate is the actual frame rate set for recording.

As you can see the actual 'Frame rate' value, which is the average achieved, was slightly higher and minimum/maximum range is very narrow.

HTH

John EB

@Richard-Merriman Sorry but for you and anyone in the future reading this your last comment above is not a 'solution', it's more like a lack of understanding what is actually going on. You've provided next to no information so that makes it impossible to determine exactly what is wrong with your export, I suggest you look into the MediaInfo app that was suggested & research the information it provides, esp the difference between Variable & Constant. also -

changing frame rate on export to mp4 actually did not fix it

Frame rate & MP4 have absolutely nothing to do with each other, MP4 is a container, what a container is & the information it holds within is something many people get confused about.

Again with respect look into the MediaInfo app, it'll help answer why it asks if you want to modify the project on import & why as you think 'it the screws up EVERYTHING', you might then reassess what you have labelled as a solution,

If you want more help post on here the MediaInfo results & the members of this forum will be more than happy to help.

[Gid Quote: Frame rate & MP4 have absolutely nothing to do with each other, MP4 is a container, what a container is & the information it holds within is something many people get confused about.]

I can tell you have NEVER actually exported an mp4 from Magix "MOVIE STUDIO"... If you had, you might have noticed you can change the frame rate.... DDDAAAA! To actually state "Frame rate & MP4 have absolutely nothing to do with each other" IS HELLARIOUS!

@Richard-Merriman 😂 20yrs editing experience, 411 YT videos.... Your response is not only unappreciative, it's quite frankly hilarious (yes that's how you spell it), but I'm out & I'll let someone else explain why. Best of luck..

@Richard-Merriman

I'm sorry but you are wrong and the reply @Gid gave you is correct.

If you have imported an MP4 file that has a variable frame rate in it, your solution may have worked this time but may not in future if the frame rate varies by more than a few frames per second or you decide to edit longer sections of clips from your phone. Then the problem could get worse.

The headers that contain the information within the video files with what is going on within the codec within the wrapper (MP4) which could be either the H264 or H265 codec, which are different codecs with varying layers of difficulties/differences can only be assessed correctly with the help of the MediaInfo app that has been requested you use by @johnebaker

Without that information solutions may or may not work depending on what caused the problem. That is difficult to be sure of without that additional requested information.

If you cannot accept that then I'm afraid I am with Gid and good luck with future projects.

Ray.

After I export to mp4 and it plays in windows media player, the sound is behind by several seconds.

I knew what the OP was meaning when I read that. The Export command is, after all, "MPEG4".

Re variable frame rates, the video was in sync on the timeline. Why would it be out of sync after export?

FWIW, I'm becoming increasingly sceptical of this "variable framerate" excuse. Every VFR video I've imported and exported has been in sync. The most recent I did was a 55 minute HEVC from an iphone:

Frame rate                               : 30.000 FPS
Minimum frame rate                       : 28.571 FPS
Maximum frame rate                       : 31.579 FPS

I acknowledge that's not a lot of variability but nevertheless, the sync was spot on in the exported MP4 right to the end.

Many video editors do not handle VFR video correctly.

That may be true but does it apply to Magix NLEs and if so, it should be stated as such.

@AAProds

FWIW, I'm becoming increasingly sceptical of this "variable framerate" excuse. Every VFR video I've imported and exported has been in sync. The most recent I did was a 55 minute HEVC from an iphone:

I've got to agree, logic says to me that Constant is better than Variable but I've only ever used my phone that creates variable files to film & It wasn't until I started using VP18 that I had to think about converting, & when I did it was from MP4 to ProRes because VP found ProRes easier to work with when playing with fxs, (I know the difference between Constant vs Variable & MP4 vs ProRes, but I'm sure everyone is familiar with the GOP, all i frame blah blah difference 😉 Boris recommend ProRes over MP4.)

Even then I didn't & don't bother converting to constant for just simple editing, 99.9% of my 411 YT vids were made using the orig variable phone clips, 75-80%-ish were made with MMS. it wasn't until VP21 & it's major updates that I started using VP to make my YT vids.

I know there's more to this & some variable files or some peoples PC's are more susceptible to variable file issues, I also agree converting to constant can often resolve issues, this is where the OP's MediaInfo, forum suggestions & testing comes in.

There's a lot of people who record with their phones, they expect the software to work with them without problems & I'm sure or at least I hope that the developers take this into account when they write the program, after all I bet a huge majority of 'phone' filmers have no clue of the difference between constant & variable or even what an MP4 is.

@AAProds, @Richard-Merriman

Hi

. . . . Re variable frame rates, the video was in sync on the timeline. Why would it be out of sync after export? . . . .

In a nutshell because you are taking a video clip whose framerate is varying, ie Variable frame Rate (VFR) and converting to Constant Frame Rate (CFR)

The VFR is achieved 'in camera/phone' by setting an individual timecode for each frame, ie the each frame is displayed for a varying length of time, dropping frames where possible,.and is a 'fudge' to use less storage space on devices such as mobile phones. This should also not be confused with the NTSC method of achieving a frame rate of 29.97/59.94 fps CFR video.

Audio is usually synced to the timecode and is in effect CFR.

If the source video is VFR , you cannot export VFR from MMS/VPX only CFR. This means each frame is displayed for a fixed period of time, and results in the varying timecodes being changed to a constant value, resulting in the 'short' frames being stretched and 'long frames' being curtailed, thus the audio gets out of sync.

Byy analogy, the result is the similar to that of the Change photo length issue discussed here, the only difference is, it is not 'borked'.

John EB

If the source video is VFR , you cannot export CFR from MMS/VPX only CFR

@johnebaker Hi, is that a typo or am I missing something?

FWIW, I'm becoming increasingly sceptical of this "variable framerate" excuse. Every VFR video I've imported and exported has been in sync. The most recent I did was a 55 minute HEVC from an iphone:

Frame rate                               : 30.000 FPS Minimum frame rate                       : 28.571 FPS Maximum frame rate                       : 31.579 FPS

I acknowledge that's not a lot of variability but nevertheless, the sync was spot on in the exported MP4 right to the end.

Many video editors do not handle VFR video correctly.

That may be true but does it apply to Magic NLEs and if so, it should be stated as such.

@AAProds I assume you mean Magix, not Magic NLEs😀. I wouldn't expect most NLEs to have any problem with the variation you show. But sometimes clips from phones, often in difficult lighting situations, have horrendous variations.

@johnebaker

thus the audio gets out of sync.

But does it? I haven't had OOS audio with VFR files with big variations. Does anybody actually have a file that goes OOS when imported and exported?

@ericlnz

 I assume you mean Magix, not Magic NLEs

I did indeed! 😂 Can't edit it now... don't get me started, @johnebaker could you please edit my previous "Magic" post to "Magix".

It would be good to start a quantifiable benchmarking program to prove or disprove this.

@AAProds

Hi Al

Correction done.

I will see if I have any VFR audio files that do go out of sync.

John EB

@AAProds @johnebaker

Frame variations that are slight such as Al posted I found hardly ever give problems. Rather I found if the speed of movement of a subject, if large and fills the frame enough, can cause frame rates to jump suddenly and more than by a few. Those types of clips, especially if the files are cut into more than two or more segments and either re-ordered in sequence or put between other clips caused all types of audio sync problems. This was most noticeable in the old topic regarding editing game play footage for those that remember.

This is also a topic that still often crops up on internet searches.

@Gid

Hi Gid

Thanks for the heads up, it was a typo - corrected. 👍

John EB

I'm with Ray (@CubeAce) on this. I've had some horrendous "out of syncness" with some early 80s phone footage of the Kids running around like blue-a**ed flies. Other clips from the same era / phone edit easily and cleanly.

Not only phone footage, I had a Konica Revio digital camera at that time (can't remember the model) that took excellent stills but the video at 320*240 was (is) VFR and comparitively low bitrate. With those clips the audio syncing is the least of the problems 🙂.

AndyW

The FACT I know is, I came up with my own solution, and there was no help. After I posted the solution I got nothing but criticism! A lot of guys trying to prove they are smarter than everybody else without actually helping anybody! When somebody has the same trouble I had, they will look for the solution on this page, read what 'I' wrote as the solution, and stop letting Magix change the frame rate on import. The trouble will stop and they will be happy 'I' helped them. So, the Magix novice (automotive technician) was the REAL help here.