Movie export to MPEG-4 or HEVC results in doubling of movie length

KASLEY wrote on 2/23/2023, 3:36 PM

I am using Magix Movie Studio 2022 Platinum on a Windows Surface Book 2 (Intel i7 8659CPU @1.90Ghz; 8GB of RAM; Windows 11; version 22H2) with 121GB of free hard drive space.

When exporting a movie of 4min 21sec (as determined in Movie Studio timeline) to either MPEG-4 or HEVC the movie length increases to 10 min 27 secs. The project includes still pictures (.jpg; each at 5sec long), movie segments (.mp4; each 5sec long) and an audio track (.mp3, 4min 21sec long). I have checked to make sure there are no additional items within the timeline that would make it longer than 4min 21secs (timeline below):

I am using default settings for MPEG-4 export (I have also used default settings for HEVC export - with the same result):

In the exported MPEG-4 product the file size is 1,097,595 KB, the audio length is 4min 21 sec, but the total movie length has increased - the movie portions of the exported video are in slow motion. The Mediainfo output of the exported movie is below:

Mediainfo output:

General
CompleteName                     : C:\XXX\2.MP4
Format/String                    : MPEG-4
Format_Profile                   : Base Media
CodecID/String                   : iso4 (iso4/hvc1)
FileSize/String                  : 1.05 GiB
Duration/String                  : 10 min 27 s
OverallBitRate_Mode/String       : Variable
OverallBitRate/String            : 14.3 Mb/s
Encoded_Date                     : UTC 2023-02-23 19:29:06
Tagged_Date                      : UTC 2023-02-23 19:29:06

Video
ID/String                        : 1
Format/String                    : HEVC
Format/Info                      : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format_Profile                   : Main@L5@Main
CodecID                          : hvc1
CodecID/Info                     : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration/String                  : 10 min 27 s
BitRate/String                   : 14.2 Mb/s
Width/String                     : 1 920 pixels
Height/String                    : 1 080 pixels
DisplayAspectRatio/String        : 16:9
FrameRate_Mode/String            : Constant
FrameRate/String                 : 25.000 FPS
Standard                         : Component
ColorSpace                       : YUV
ChromaSubsampling/String         : 4:2:0
BitDepth/String                  : 8 bits
Bits-(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.275
StreamSize/String                : 1.04 GiB (99%)
Language/String                  : English
Encoded_Date                     : UTC 2023-02-23 19:29:06
Tagged_Date                      : UTC 2023-02-23 19:29:06
colour_range                     : Limited
mdhd_Duration                    : 627880
Codec configuration box          : hvcC

Audio
ID/String                        : 2
Format/String                    : AAC LC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
CodecID                          : mp4a-40-2
Duration/String                  : 4 min 21 s
BitRate_Mode/String              : Variable
BitRate/String                   : 192 kb/s
Channel(s)/String                : 2 channels
ChannelLayout                    : L R
SamplingRate/String              : 48.0 kHz
FrameRate/String                 : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression_Mode/String          : Lossy
StreamSize/String                : 5.99 MiB (0%)
Language/String                  : English
Encoded_Date                     : UTC 2023-02-23 19:29:06
Tagged_Date                      : UTC 2023-02-23 19:29:06

As an aside, I also tried exporting using the option, using default settings:

Interestingly, the exported movie was of the correct length (4min 21 sec) and of low quality (75,315 KB).

I also tried JEPG-AVI (or AVI) export with the default settings:

The final movie was 4min 21 sec, but the file size was very large - over 44GB.

I look forward to any comments you may have

Comments

CubeAce wrote on 2/23/2023, 4:16 PM

@KASLEY

Hi and welcome to the user to user forums.

I think it would be more useful to see the MediaInfo data of the source files you are trying to export first.

Then maybe screenshots of your various problem export settings.

Ray.

KASLEY wrote on 2/23/2023, 4:40 PM

Thanks for your reply.

I gather you are referring to data for the .MVP file? I did not obtain much info from this file. If this is not the correct file (or if can obtain additional information from this file), please advise:

MediaInfo output - for .MVP file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<MediaInfo
xmlns="https://mediaarea.net/mediainfo"
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="https://mediaarea.net/mediainfo https://mediaarea.net/mediainfo/mediainfo_2_0.xsd"
version="2.0">
<creatingLibrary version="22.12" url="https://mediaarea.net/MediaInfo">MediaInfoLib</creatingLibrary>
<media ref="C:\Users\MAGIX\Magix working files\Feb 15 2023 v6 Amani.MVP">
<track type="General">
<FileExtension>MVP</FileExtension>
<FileSize>1962632</FileSize>
<StreamSize>1962632</StreamSize>
<File_Created_Date>UTC 2023-02-22 20:52:16.260</File_Created_Date>
<File_Created_Date_Local>2023-02-22 12:52:16.260</File_Created_Date_Local>
<File_Modified_Date>UTC 2023-02-23 00:50:57.909</File_Modified_Date>
<File_Modified_Date_Local>2023-02-22 16:50:57.909</File_Modified_Date_Local>
</track>
</media>
</MediaInfo>

I had included screen captures in my initial post but they were removed when the comment was processed - I will try again:

Timeline:

MPEG-4 (default) settings:

Is there additional information that would be useful?

Thanks

CubeAce wrote on 2/23/2023, 4:45 PM

Hi.

Sorry no, I meant the files used on the timeline. The MediaInfo from the video clips there.

Ray.

KASLEY wrote on 2/23/2023, 4:51 PM

Hi Ray,

The screen captures do not appear to survive the uploading step when I post my comment...

This is an MediaInfo output from one of the video clips used in the exported video (the video comprises 44 clips):

General
Complete name : C:\Users\XX\MAGIX\Magix working files\XX).MP4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (mp41/isom)
File size : 27.8 MiB
Duration : 7 s 744 ms
Overall bit rate mode : Constant
Overall bit rate : 30.1 Mb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2023-02-19 19:33:14
Tagged date : UTC 2023-02-19 19:33:14

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.2
Format settings : CABAC / 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 1 frame
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 7 s 737 ms
Duration_FirstFrame : -4 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 30.0 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 59.940 (59940/1000) FPS
Original frame rate : 59.940 (60000/1001) FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.241
Stream size : 27.7 MiB (100%)
Encoded date : UTC 2023-02-19 19:33:14
Tagged date : UTC 2023-02-19 19:33:14
mdhd_Duration : 7737
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 7 s 744 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 128 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 121 KiB (0%)
Encoded date : UTC 2023-02-19 19:33:14
Tagged date : UTC 2023-02-19 19:33:14

Thanks again

CubeAce wrote on 2/23/2023, 7:03 PM

@KASLEY

Hi.

Apart from the unusual header title which is far from a usual header title

Complete name : C:\Users\XX\MAGIX\Magix working files\XX).MP4

I don't think I have come across this file encoding before

Codec ID : mp42 (mp41/isom)

Or why above that it has

Format profile : Base Media / Version 2

I have never seen / version 2 before.

I have also never seen a file with

Duration_FirstFrame : -4 ms

Nor have I ever seen a file with missing a missing BT colour space included.

What is the file from? What created it?

I will also copy in @johnebaker to look at this tomorrow as he is much more experienced at these types of variations in file types. I suspect the problem may be in the Codec ID.

One thing it could be is if you have those files placed on your desktop. It is a protected use area of Windows and may cause problems for the program.

Ray.

CubeAce wrote on 2/23/2023, 7:09 PM

@KASLEY

I should have added. There are periods of time where it seems at different user locations, that images can't be uploaded. Try again after about six hours or more have passed and it may work. This happens to me regularly.

Ray.

KASLEY wrote on 2/23/2023, 8:07 PM

Many thanks for looking into this Ray.

I deleted any identifiable information (names/location) from the header title - hence the XX's.

The video files were obtained with a GoPro 4, and the length modified using the trim feature of Microsoft Photos (version 2023,11010,17009,0; that comes with Windows 11). The edited files were saved from Microsoft Photos as .MP4 files to my hard drive. The files were accessed from the hard drive and imported into Movie Studio.

A capture of timeline for the 4min movie, and HEVC export presets are below:

Not sure if any of the following provides any information, but here goes:

When I create a new project and import one file (a 5 sec clip that includes the same effects as in the full length movie - Brightness adjustment, Color Correction and an Orientation Adjustment) into Movie Studio, and export this clip using HEVC (defult settings), there is no issue with the exported file - the length of the movie is the same as the Movie Studio timeline.

When I take the full length movie (~4min long), delete the last 3 min and export the first 1min using HEVC, the length of the movie still doubles (i.e. to 2 min) - the video portion of the output is in slow motion and the stills are twice their length. I then removed video and audio effects from the 1 min clip, and exported using HEVC - the output length was still double. Finally, the movie was edited to 15 sec (comprising two stills and 1 movie clip) and after export, the movie length was still double. A capture of the 15 sec timeline is below:

and the export presets:

Thanks again

CubeAce wrote on 2/23/2023, 9:14 PM

@KASLEY

Hi.

GoPro video files have been known to be troublesome in most video editing packages, especially if they were recorded with a variable frame rate. The correct procedure for using such files would be to convert them with Handbrake first to a constant frame rate. Then the file can be edited without the frame count and duration meta data getting misread. You should than find the file retains the BT colour space and loses that 'Duration_FirstFrame : -4 ms' tag which I think is a misread.

Originally GoPro had their own conversion software for this but has been discontinued.

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 2/24/2023, 2:24 AM

@KASLEY

. . . . The video files were obtained with a GoPro 4, and the length modified using the trim feature of Microsoft Photos . . . .

Assuming you have original copies of the GoPro video, there is no need to do this - the GoPro 4 records in h.264 (AVC) and h.265 (HEVC) and the video should import directly into Movie Studio (MMS), you may need to install Quicktime if the Quicktime is not installed message pops up.

Once in Movie Studio you can do the trimming, the added advantage is that the MMS is a non destructive editor.

If you are not clear on how to do this there is a list of tutorials here which may help, some are done using Movie Edit Pro - now rebranded to Movie Studio.

. . . . I have checked to make sure there are no additional items within the timeline that would make it longer than 4min 21secs . . . .

Are you working in Storyboard or Timeline mode?

If you did a visual check in Timeline mode this is not enough, there may be a single stray frame that you cannot see - press the End key on your keyboard to make the timeline cursor go to the true end of the timeline, then zoom in at that point to see if there is anything there.

Have you applied the Speed effect to the video clips?

When exporting also ensure that the Export selected range only is not checked in the export dialog.

HTH

John EB
Forum Moderator

AAProds wrote on 2/24/2023, 3:26 AM

@KASLEY

If you did a visual check in Timeline mode this is not enough, there may be a single stray frame that you cannot see - press the End key on your keyboard to make the timeline cursor go to the true end of the timeline, then zoom in at that point to see if there is anything there.

An alternative to this is to simply drag through your exported video in VLC Player; any blank sections will be obvious, but that doesn't seem to be the case here, from the way I'm reading you.

KASLEY wrote on 2/24/2023, 10:13 AM

Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions. I will take a look at my GoPro files in more detail using Mediinfo, and look into using Handbrake. But the issue also pertains to the still photos in the exported video.

I typically work in timeline mode and I have been checking for any stray video or audio clips that may lie outside the length of the desired video. I also checked the exported video using VLC as suggested above.

The issue is not that the increased length of the exported video is due to a stray frame located at 10 min, but that all of the stills and video clips in the exported movie are twice their duration when compared to their duration when the video is being edited - i.e. a 5 sec still when editing is exported as a 10sec still, and a 5 sec video clip is becomes 10 sec long - the entire exported movie is stretched in time.

Thanks again

KASLEY wrote on 2/24/2023, 10:18 AM

I meant to try including several captures in case they reveal anything -

A view of the timeline:

and HEVC export settings:

CubeAce wrote on 2/24/2023, 11:12 AM

@KASLEY

Hi.

You may find the results of this topic interesting and relevant to your own problem.

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 2/24/2023, 11:40 AM

@KASLEY

What happens if you start a new project add one of the GoPro clips, originals not the 'trimmed clips', and export it as HEVC and MP4?

. . . . . . . . the length modified using the trim feature of Microsoft Photos . . . . Microsoft Photos (version 2023,11010,17009,0 . . . .

I have this version of Microsoft Photos installed and it is not possible to trim videos with it, do you mean Microsoft Clipchimp?

John EB

KASLEY wrote on 2/24/2023, 12:14 PM

Thanks John - I will take a look at this option and see what happens.