VS6 takes around 30 seconds to react to Create Video File

[jparnold]

My first HD movie and just finished editing.
The project is made up of LOTS of .MTS video clips, MP3 music clips, JPG images, transitions and voice over commentary for a total of around 38 minutes.
TWICE now I have rendered the project but each time I selected (click on) 'Create Video File' I had to wait around 30 seconds for VS to display the menu of the different types of output file (type) for selection and during that time the top bar displayed VideoStudio Not Responding. Eventually (after around 30 seconds) I was able to select output file type for rendering and the rendering took less than an hour which I though was quite good.

I now have a much faster PC (i7 at 3.4Ghz and 8GB DDR3 1600 ram) than I used when using SD video which never took this long to display output file types for rendering.

Is this normal (for VS to take so long to respond to clicking on Create Video File)?

Lastly (separate question) is AVCHD or MPEG4 better for output video file?

Thanks

[Ken Berry]

John, I too use an i7, with similar sorts of delays. I learned long ago to live with it. And IIRC you are now using an AVCHD camcorder. Regardless of your undoubtledly powerful computer, that format is still a demanding one, and a 30 second wait is not that long in editing terms. I learned long ago to just accept that and let it take its own time, and have never been disappointed with the results. If I start clicking buttons, however, I often find I have to do a hard reboot... Just remember that AVCHD is still one of the most demanding video formats out there.

As for your final question, it really depends on what you intend to do with your ourput. Again just remember that AVCHD is itself mp4, but it is mp4 produced with the h.264 codec (making it AVCHD -- as in your .mts files from your AVCHD camcorder). The mp4 files you mention use a different codec. Personally, I have tended in the past to use AVCHD for output as it works just fine with my HDTV (when I am not using HDV). But in the past year I have started also using high def mp4 as that is the format used by both my Android smartphone and GoPro Hero 3. But again I find that output in that format is also excellent on my HDTV.

If you intend burning a Blu-Ray disc, then you have to choose AVCHD (if not Blu-Ray compatible mpeg-2).

[jparnold]

Thanks Ken,
I realise that with HD there is heaps more information in the files (and as such they are much larger than SD video files of the same length in time) BUT when I simply click on 'Create' and the next thing which (seems to) happen is a menu for the user to select from I wondered what VS could be doing during that time. It seems (now) that it must be reading files but what for - all the user is doing is telling VS he/she wants to create a video and then select what type/format. I could not understand what VS could possibly be 'doing' just to go from a user request to display a list menu..
Sorry can't explain better.
I can fully understand the length taken to read in a project (and associated video, sound and image files) and also during rendering but can't understand the delay this post is about.
I just wondered if I had a hardware or software problem.
Thanks too for the explanation re AVCHD and M4.
John

[Ken Berry]

Ahhh... Sorry, I didn't read your initial msg carefully enough. But yes, I recall sometimes getting a slight delay in the output menu opening -- but I just measured it in X7 and it took only 6 seconds to open fully. I also just opened X6 and a simple project, but then it took only 2 seconds! I can't offer an explanation of why it was not as long as I seem to recall, however -- though I did both these tests on an i3 running Win 8.1 64 bit. So I have now opened my usual video editing i7/Win 7 64 bit machine to make a comparison there. Again I opened a simple project, and in X6 it again took 2 seconds for the Create Video File menu to appear in X6, though this time it took 10 seconds for it to appear in X7. But again I have no explanation for the discrepancy between X6 and X7 -- nor for the fact that it doesn't seem to be as slow as I recall or as you are getting on your more powerful computer!!

[jparnold]

I just did a test.
Created a very small project (15 video clips, nothing else) and the 'menu' took only 1 or 2 seconds to appear after clicking on Create Video File.
Added another 500+ video clips nothing else and it took well over 30 seconds to display the menu.

It would be very interesting/good to know what VS is actually doing during that time. During the 'delay' the disk activity led on my PC was flashing virtually continuously indicating that there was heaps of reading (or writing going on). But for what reason? You only then get a menu and the rendering only starts after selection of file type.
Actually it is ANNOYING. Long delays in reading in a project, long delays in rendering (all to be expected) and ALSO long delays in just being able to select file output type.
Next time you have contact with someone (in the know) at Corel maybe you could ask what is happening during this delay.
John

[canuck]

What is "m500+ video clips" ?

[jparnold]

Sorry that was a typo which I have now fixed

[jparnold]

GREAT NOW I CAN'T EVEN GET TO CHOOSE WHICH FORMAT VIDEO FILE I WANT TO CREATE.

Yes I click on Create Video File and I get the 'waiting/sleeping' mpuse pointer for what seems an eternity (actually between 30 and 60 seconds ) and also the top of the screen displays 'Video Studio not responding' as well as a black box centre screen where the menu would display and then the mouse pointer returns to the normal one and NO MENU is displayed.

Over the years (10) I seems to have problems with every version I have owned.

Could someone please create a project containing hundreds of video clips and then see what happens when you select (click on) Create Video File.

BTW when I click on any of the others (create audio file, etc etc) the relevant menu for that option is displayed virtually instantly.

Is there a method of contacting Corel to ask their opinion?

[jparnold]

Eureka,

I installed X7 and tried that and had no problems - still the wait of 60 seconds + after selecting SHARE before the menu was displayed.

During rendering it displayed the expected file size at 4.1GB and that made me wonder was it an issue with a 32bit application trying to access more than 3.7Gb as the original rendered file I created a few days ago before I added to the project was only around 3.6GB however the final file was only slight larger than the original (ie around 3.6Gb).

[jparnold]

I am now wondering if this extensive delay is caused by the fact that the PROJECT PROPERTIES do NOT match the video clips used.

I did a test in X7 and found that when I changed the project properties to AVCHD then there was virtually no delay when selecting SHARE (remember my video clips are 99% .MTS)

Problem is that in X6 the only project properties available are AVI and MPEG - AVCHD is not an option.

Has anyone else tried/experienced this?

Could someone please do a test. This very long delay experienced is only when there are a lot of .MTS video clips ie >100.

Thanks

[Ken Berry]

Problem is that in X6 the only project properties available are AVI and MPEG - AVCHD is not an option.

This has been a long-standing complaint for several versions of VS, ever since the advent of high def video!! And at last it has been corrected in X7. Moreover, if in Preferences > General you tick the box against Show Message When Insert First Video Clip, then you will be able to automatically match the Project Properties to those of the first clip, regardless of whether that clip is high or standard def, AVCHD, mpeg or AVI... And it also means that with X7, you can now also choose Share > Create Video File > Same As Project Properties... A small but significant advance!!

[jparnold]

Thanks Ken,

You didn't 'say' but can I assume that when the project properties is different from the 'properties' of the video clips contained therein that VS 'needs to' do some converting when selecting Create Video File and thus the long delay?
I have been in contact with Yvonne (for another reason) and when I mentioned the delay she didn't think there was any (but there is).

The following was added shortly later.
I just did a test using VS6 and loaded 900+ SD video clips to a project with "Show message when inserting ..." (which sets the project properties) and then when I selected Create Video File there was virtually NO delay. Yes I realise that the SD clips are much smaller in size than .mts clips BUT I would have thought that there still would have been some smaller delay.
This sort of proves to me that when the project properties is NOT the same as the majority of the video clips then VS does something (conversion?). Am I on the right track? If so then this one can be "put to bed".
With VS7 (and future versions) this then shouldn't be a problem.

[canuck]

I don't think VS does any converting when you select "create video file" - all the rendering is done later after you have set your output parameters. There would be no point in doing any converting at this early stage if the program does not really know what your final output is going to be.
What it might be doing though is perhaps "validating" your source files, that is making sure that the source files are compatible with VS, etc. If you have a large number of files that will of course take some time. I have never worked with hundreds of video files and it is something I would never even consider trying to do. I would break it up into several projects and work on those instead of all of them in one project. One could output each project and "create" video files for each project and later combine all the rendered video file in the final project.

I don't understand what you mean by SD clips.

[jparnold]

SD - Standard Definition (720X576)
Regarding "hundreds of video clips" and "breaking the video up into smaller projects". YES I guess I could create lots of smaller projects say one for each day of my trip but I usually create a project for say a subject eg a 14 day coach tour of California which ends up at with a total time of around 30 - 35 minutes after final editing.
My latest project contains 178 video clips (will be less when I am finished) which I don't think is a lot and still I get the delay, see following screen shot and not "not responding" at top of screen which in itself is a concern and the black rectangle where the menu for video file type to render to should be (please note that this is a new project with no overlays, audio clips or transitions).



VS may not be converting but it IS doing a lot of file reading and/or writing when Create Video File is selecting during the delay as the "disk activity" LED flashes continuously during the delay.

BTW I just created a project of just 100 clips (is this a reasonable number?) and there was a delay of around 10 seconds even with just 100 (although a lot less than when the project has two to three hundred).

Anyway this is obviously a 'problem' (see previous replies) which has at last been addressed in VS7 (which expanding project property types to include HD (high definition) video).

[canuck]

Thanks for clearing up my SD question since SD could also refer to SD memory cards and the files on those cards.

I just created a VS X6 project with about 125 DV avi files ( of various length from 20 secs to several minutes). When I selected Share/Create Video file the template selection window opened right away, ie, less then a second. Unfortunately I don't have any mts files to use but then you seem to have a problem even with the standard video files.

I have done several projects similar to yours for various holiday trips from to to 5 weeks in length. I always work with smaller segments covering a few days or even single days. I find it a lot easier and more efficient then trying to wade through hundreds of clips on the timeline/storyline.

BTW, I do get the "Not responding" message ocassionally but that usually clears up after a short while.