@BrenyC @emmrecs

Hi,

I have Movie Studio 2024 Platinum installed and here is what is under About.

I would say that you only have the basic version which does not have many of the features of Platinum/Suite.

John CB

Yes my mistake, I was confusing the trial version that was suite that I had tried before this one, hope this has not caused to much trouble in the diagnosis. Yes it is the base version, however I would not have thought this would not be an issue in why the problem is occurring with the H.264 as I would have thought this would not be an option to check in the burn process. But this could explain why I do not have the extra content.

I have checked with my online Magix account and yes it does confirm it is the base version, I have made sure it is registered and every available download has been downloaded.

Any other ideas?

Thanks, Brendan.

@BrenyC

Hi

Thanks for the 2 crash logs and the MVP files.

As has been commented by @emmrecs and @browj2 you do indeed have Movie Studio 'basic edition'.

The Extra content image you posted, and the package images are the same, ie:

This would account for the missing items.
 

Back to the issue, from the Disc 1 .MVP crash logs:-

1. The AC3 Surround Sound encoder is being called for. See note below
    
2. There are 30 occurrences of png file import error with file names audio1.png, textfile.png and Media 1.png to Media 7.png - are these 'image' files in the project or something else?
    
3. Invalid file type errors 'G:\Our filming by years\2024\Disc 1_Old.MVP' - 3 occurrences.
    
4. The encoding of the main movie fails with errNo 5 which suggests there is something on the timeline that is upsetting the video encoder, eg the 'png' files mentioned in item 2 or the file in item 3 ?

Note: The popup message The selected audio format is not supported. Please use the Stereo setting for export. Indicates that there is a surround sound file on the timeline, however, from the testing I have done, this may be a 'red herring' because if you ignore/close the error message the audio is encoded as stereo.

The MVP file would suggest there is one or more wav file(s) on the timeline if so are they Surround Sound?
 

From a previous post:

. . . . 'export movie' 'video as HEVC' which worked fine. Attempted to burn to disc in the 'burn' screen, as before the same error result . . . .

Unfortunately the HEVC (h.265) export vs the Blu-ray disc, h.264 (AVC) encoding is not a valid comparison, these are 2 different encoding formats using different encoders.

John EB

...HEVC (h.265) export vs the Blu-ray disc, h.264 (AVC) encoding is not a valid comparison, these are 2 different encoding formats using different encoders....

Ok I understand the reasoning for this although a bit strange for the program to do this as I have paid for the HEVC codec, you would think this would work over the whole program.

But back to the issue,

...The MVP file would suggest there is one or more wav file(s) on the timeline if so are they Surround Sound?...

I do not think so, as I have opened a new project and imported video files, mainly from phone footage that is recorded in stereo, that I have never had problems with before on my old computer and old program. As mentioned before I have also imported video files that have no audio record from source, and as suggested, imported jpegs with an mp3 file and also just jpegs with no audio file. All of which will throw up the same 'stereo' error message.

...if you ignore/close the error message the audio is encoded as stereo....

When I get to this screen, I only have the option to 'view log' or 'ok'. Clicking either option will stop the process altogether.

Could I guess that there is something set in the 'new project' that is automatically too encode as surround that I am not aware of?

Would there be a possibility that this is just a result from this version and higher versions would not have this problem? If so why is this option to encode in H.264 available in the 'burn' screen. It would be really helpful if someone else had this version to test?

This sure is a head scratcher!

Thanks, Brendan.

I had a thought that may help and did a little test, I found a very old video file that was imported from a video tape recorder and got the same 'stereo' error message. below is the screen shot of the properties. You can see this was capture in mono.

Brendan.

I have had the same problem and it seems that Windows 11 have removed the AC-3 codec that MMS 2023 relies on.
Google "Microsoft Dolby AC3 Installer" and run it.
Be patient during the process, let it finish. It solved my issue of not being able to burn a Blu-ray with H264 or AVCHD

@Robert-Verwey

Hi

. . . . AC-3 codec that MMS 2023 relies on . . . .

Which edition of MMS 2023 are you using, Movie Studio, Plus, or Premium, the latter 2 later changed to Platinum or Suite?

. . . . Microsoft Dolby AC3 Installer . . . It solved my issue of not being able to burn a Blu-ray with H264 or AVCHD . . . .

This presents an interesting conundrum - are the audio streams on disc encoded as AC3 Surround Sound or AC3 Stereo?

John EB

@BrenyC

Hi

. . . . I found a very old video file that was imported from a video tape recorder and got the same 'stereo' error message. . . . .

Did the stereo error appear on importing the video/playback of the timeline or on trying to burn to disc - in either case what happens on closing the popup message with the X top right?

John EB

@johnebaker

Which edition of MMS 2023 are you using ....
MMS 2023 Suite, version 22.0.3.172 (UDP3)

are the audio streams on disc encoded as AC3 Surround Sound or AC3 Stereo?
according to MediaInfo AC-3, 192kb/s, 48.kHz, 2 channels, AC-3 (Dolby Digital)

Original footage shoot with a GoPro on a motorcycle.

Robert
Diver / Biker / Brewer

@johnebaker

Just tried to switch to surround (AC3) using the mixer and "advanced" setting of the codec but that fails to the same error message "Selected audio format is not supported. Please use the stereo setting for export."
Robert
Diver / Biker / Brewer
 

The saga continues.... @johnebaker

...Did the stereo error appear on importing the video/playback of the timeline or on trying to burn to disc....

the error always appeared when trying to burn to disc

So as suggested by @Robert-Verwey and installed "Microsoft Dolby AC3 Installer" and this fixed the problem and I am now able to burn to disc with H.264....However this has thrown up a new problem that it now shows a message to ' update your graphics card driver. Hardware encoding has been deactivated'.

This means it takes an exceptionally long time to encode anything.

I have checked the windows graphics card section and it says it is running properly. Drivers are up to date. I downloaded Nvidia App and downloaded the latest 'game ready' driver 572.83.

I did find a previous post with this problem and suggested this was the best one to use. I also tried all other suggestions I could find, restarting the computer and program each time. But still snail pace encoding. Once again if I export video, HEVC, via the 'edit' screen, we have fast encoding with no problems, below is a screen shot of this process in the 'edit' screen, as you can see the graphics card is being utilized at this point.

Any ideas on this secondary issue?

Thanks, Brendan.

@Robert-Verwey

Hi Robert

Thanks for the feedback.

. . . . MMS 2023 Suite, version 22.0.3.172 . . . . Original footage shoot with a GoPro on a motorcycle.

Interesting and puzzling!

AFAIK, and I do stand to be corrected on this, there is no GoPro that records Surround (Multichannel) Sound or Dolby Spatial Audio, the standard encoding is AVC/HEVC video and AAC audio.

According to the MMS 2023 manual and online specs, all editions of MMS 2023, support importing 'multichannel sound' with no additional codecs required.

. . . . tried to switch to surround (AC3) using the mixer and "advanced" setting of the codec but that fails to the same error message "Selected audio format is not supported. Please use the stereo setting for export." . . . .

That is what I was expecting, and confirms my thoughts that the Microsoft AC3 download is a decoder only.

John EB

@johnebaker
Correct! Most my fils are made on a Panasonic Lumix (diving) or with a GoPro (biking).
Both do not support (afaik) Multichannel or Spatial so my problem is solved.
Regrettabl Magix support never got back to me :(

@BrenyC
I have a Geforce 4060Ti and an Intel onboard UHD770.
To make it work I have set export to the UHD 770 and in the advanced encoder settings "multi GPU".
Nvidia app show then that the Geforce is also used for encoding.

Robert
Diver / Biker / Brewer

@Robert-Verwey

Hi

. . . . To make it work I have set export to the UHD 770 and in the advanced encoder settings "multi GPU". . . .

Unfortunately for @BrenyC this is not an option, Brendans Intel processor, the i5 processor 14400F does not have an integrated GPU.

. . . . To make it work I have set export to the UHD 770 and in the advanced encoder settings "multi GPU". . . . .

i find the Intel iGPU's is better for AVC encoding (Blu-ray) than the RTX encoding module. In MMS 2023 settings, Device options tab, are the Import, Processing and Export options set to the UHD 770, the RTX 4060 or a mixture of both?

John EB

That is rather annoying!

...Unfortunately for @BrenyC this is not an option, Brendan's Intel processor, the i5 processor 14400F does not have an integrated GPU.....

So it looks like we are narrowing down the issue, is there a workaround? Would there be another version that does not require this?

Thanks, Brendan.

@BrenyC

Hi Brendan

. . . . However this has thrown up a new problem that it now shows a message to ' update your graphics card driver. Hardware encoding has been deactivated' . . . .

Unfortunately this is a deficiency in the RTX series of GPU's in that the dedicated video encoder 'module' does not natively support interlaced encoding/decoding. I cannot see NVidia ever fixing this as Interlaced video is 'old school' having originated from the old PAL/NTSC TV standards, modern flat screen TV's are progressive devices.

. . . . This means it takes an exceptionally long time to encode anything. . . . .

This is due to the above RTX limitation. and where an Intel processor with integrated GPU is advantageous, unfortunately, as I commented above, the i5-14400F does not have an integrated GPU.

As an aside: when exporting to h.264 progressive the RTX GPUs are very fast eg:

Source video 4K UHD, HEVC 3840 x 2160 50 fps 1m 40sec, exporting to h.264 progressive 1920 x 1080 default options:

h.264         RTX 2060        30%            0m 22s

h.264          UHD630          82%            1m 19s

. . . . So it looks like we are narrowing down the issue, is there a workaround? Would there be another version that does not require this? . . . .

The Blu-ray specification does support AVCHD 24 fps progressive video, there are no options to use this in the Movie Studio, or Video Pro X, burn encoder settings.

This brings us full circle back to your first post, MPEG-2 encoding, however this limits the total run time of the video on disc, having a large file size to maintain good image quality.

MEP 2014 cannot use the RTX video encoder, it should not be able to use the CUDA cores for encoding as the necessary encoding application is not present in the RTX drivers. Nvidia dropped CUDA encoding in favour of NVENC and the encoder module in the GPU.

John EB

So it looks like we have exhausted all possibilities and there is no work around?

I am wondering if other editing programs would have the same problem or is it just magix?

Thanks, Brendan.

@BrenyC

HI Brendan

. . . . I am wondering if other editing programs would have the same problem or is it just magix? . . . .

Any video editor or disc creation software that uses the RTX video encoder via NVENC, will revert to software encoding on the processor for Blu-ray format AVC interlaced video due to the limitation of the encoder. .

. . . . exhausted all possibilities and there is no work around . . . .

IMHO there is no work around, for the specific case of making Blu-ray discs, other than using the MPEG-2 encoding format.

John EB

It has been a journey! Although I didn't get the result I wanted I did find out a lot, as well as I was missing AC3 on my computer.

Thank you for your hard work and persistence, It is very much appreciated.

Thanks, Brendan

@BrenyC

Brendan, a non-trivial option, depending on how much Bluray burning you are doing, is to upgrade your processor to a CPU that has an iGPU. There are quite a lot:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/series/236175/intel-core-i5-processors-14th-gen.html