I am helping a video blogger that records his video and I add an intro and exit I created with MEP to each of his videos. His videos can be pretty long, 30 minutes to a couple of hours. If I use MEP I have a very long export time. Anyone suggest a way to combine the intro + his video + exit without using MEP and export?
thanks!
Hi
I think the only way to speed this up is to activate Smart Rendering or Smart Copy in the advanced export settings but his video would need to be MPEG2 or MPEG4 format, and results may vary.
Peter
Hi.
To add to Peter's comment, the export settings must match the bit rate of the main body of video and left on Auto in the quality settings to even get Smart render to work. Even then there is no guarantee that Smart render will become an available option and may still slow down at the beginning or end where you add your sections.
Ray.
Thanks for the replies. I was not familiar with Smart Render and have started reading about it. I get the recorded file from him with no editing. It is in mp4 format. My intro and outro are exported at mp4. Not sure of his video frame rates, he is still figuring out his choice for capturing. I can change my intro and outro to match what he is doing. Again THANKS!
Download MediaInfo and then right click any video file (outside of the MEP program) to find its bit rate and frame rate along with other recorded data using the programs text view. Right clicking the file will bring up the MediaInfo box to activate. You can then adjust the export of the video to try and match it. You can also right click any clip in MEP and select 'show details'. The info is not as detailed though. Do be aware of Smart render's limitations though such as not always being able to transcribe at a precise cut point or deal with any fades etc.
Ray.
In my experience:
MP4: Default and Main Concept Encoder: No capability to Smart Render. My greatest disappointment with MEP. MP4 is "it" these days (has been for some years) and MEP should be able to SR it.
MPEG 2 with default encoder: No SR capability.
MPEG 2 with the Main Concept Encoder (ie what we were doing 10 years ago): Smart Rendering works like a charm, including over Fades. So in Onlye's scenario, MEP would fully-render the intro and the outro (because of the fades), but Smart-Render the main body of the movie. MEP will actually smart-render any MPEG 2s on the timeline provided they haven't been edited provided, I assume, .they are the same resolution and framerate of the movie.
Edited to revise and include more info at the end of the last para.
Hi Alwyn.
My experience using MEPs own MP4 encoder is not the same. Providing the conditions for a Smart render are met I can get a Smart render (copy) which on a 14minute clip (consisting of three separate clips) renders in just under ten minutes.
Ray.
Thanks Ray, what time did it take with Smart copy off and were the three files different format-wise? Given your system, I would have thought 10 minutes for a 14 minute simple timeline would be a bit long, even for a full-encode. VideoRedo smart-renders a 13 minute 1920x1080 AVC file (400mb) in 10 seconds. MEP had better pull it's socks up! 😉
Also, when actually Smart Rendering MPEG 2, the "Mixing Down" at the top of the export box says "Mixing Down (Smart Rendering)". I've always taken "Mixing Down" (only) to mean "full-encode". I may be wrong in the MPEG-4 case.
For the record, a correction to my post above: you do not have to nominate a file; MEP will smart-render any MPEG 2 file you put on the timeline (and have not edited), including differently-formatted MPEGs (I assume obviously within the constraints of resolution and frame rate).
Hi Ray
The difference in your results is because you have chosen to encode to AVCHD, as this is a requirement for MPEG4 to SR / SC correctly. The time you quoted must be for a SR as a Smart Copy would not be allowed with Fades present and should proceed much faster than in your test. The SC check box can produce either SC or SR.
The MC MPEG2 Encoder allows you to automatically adjust the export file's properties to the file you are trying to SR - by clicking the box "From File" at the bottom of the Advanced settings and navigating via the explorer to the original imported file. Select it and the export settings will take over that files settings for a simple SR / SC.
Peter
Hi Alwyn.
Good question as I hadn't tried a comparison.
The answer using hardware acceleration instead of Smart copy is within a few seconds identical but with different parts of the hardware seemingly doing more or less than before at different points of the export. However the three clips in use total 3.66GBs for the 14:16 length of the video. (1920 x 1080 at 29.97 fps.)
Without using Smart copy or hardware acceleration I gave up as the predicted export time eventually crept beyond two and a half hours.
What does change dramatically is the power consumption being used with each different type of export.
Letting the CPU do all the work on it's own uses the most power at around 52 watts and using Smart copy or hardware acceleration reduced that by around two thirds to around 18 watts. Those readings may be out slightly as I'm using software to monitor the outputs of the CPU and GPUs power outputs as well as various temperatures of various components..
As far as I'm aware you can't use Smart copy with different types of video clip in the same export. I always record to MP4 anyway.
Ray.
Hi Ray
Peter is correct when he says 'The time you quoted must be for a SR as a Smart Copy would not be allowed with Fades present and should proceed much faster than in your test.'
I created a new video from 28 individual files for a total combined runtime of 2 hrs 6 mins, cuts only no fades as these were already in the individual files, using Smart Copy and it took 12m 52 secs to complete.
OT - you can also get Smart copy to work for BD disc burning in MEP and VPX. The files have to be in the correct format/specification for Blu-Ray - in my case I copied the preset I used originally to create the files and pasted it into the BD burn presets.
John EB
Hi Peter, John.
Sorry I've not long caught both your replies.
I tried the Main Concept encoder but I can only get it to work with no use of either Smart render, Smart copy or no hardware encoding in use and the export time remains around the ten minute mark making sure I only had straight cuts between clips. However wattage use has shot up to 84 watts average.
When I try to smart render I get what looks like a promising export but then nothing happens.
I have literally given up trying to use the main concept encoder.
I am using MEP 2021 for this not VPX as this is under Movie Edit Pro.
Ray.
Hi John.
Perhaps some guidance on how to use the MC alternative via a PM would be useful. I confess that at present it may as well be in my virtual waste bin. I've just been trying stuff out of curiosity as my chances of making a project capable of being rendered using any form of smart copy are virtually nil.
Ray.
Hi Ray
. . . . I confess that at present it may as well be in my virtual waste bin. . . . .
I feel the same way about - Peter and I agree to disagree on which is better 😄 and I have it installed only for testing. For my projects I always use Default.
John EB
@CubeAce @johnebaker @AAProds @onlye
Hi
Ray - on looking at your screenshots of your tests I think the reason it is not working with MPEG4 is that the source files are .MP4 and they need to be .MTS to match the output file.
In your second tests with MC encoder where you took out the fades you could have checked the SC box (after selecting SR) for a really fast experience.
. . . . I confess that at present it (MC) may as well be in my virtual waste bin. . . . .
I feel the same way about - Peter and I agree to disagree on which is better...
Okay....sooo.. on that note if nothing else Ray's tests show that:-
With default encoder -
Without using Smart copy or hardware acceleration I gave up as the predicted export time eventually crept beyond two and a half hours.
With MC Encoder -
with no use of either Smart render, Smart copy or no hardware encoding in use and the export time remains around the ten minute mark.
MC wins again!
Peter
Hi Peter.
Without using Smart copy or hardware acceleration I gave up as the predicted export time eventually crept beyond two and a half hours.
Using the MC coder!
I could not get it to better the output render times over using MEPs own export times trying to use Smart copy or render.
I can get lower export times using hardware acceleration and using the default MEP MP4 codec. That is just over seven minutes. Wattage use is also mid way at around 43 watts making it the best compromise between export time and power usage.
Sorry if I mislead. I was trying to see if Smart copy had any advantage for me within MEP on my system. So far I can't find one.
Ray.
You didn't mislead Ray, I was just jumping on the bandwagon to make a point which I have made in other posts about the benefits of the MC encoder and that is, as your two tests appear to have amounted to a Software only export in the respective encoders, ie effectively without any assistance from HWA or SR / SC, then MC is the clear winner for SW only exports.
More of a little dig @johnebaker. 😜
Peter
Hi Peter.
I just wish I understood the MC codec wrapper better to be able to set it up properly to suit my system. There are so many variables in the setup menu I could get wrong and probably do.
Ray.