Thought I was doing ok but final video is trash

[johnnyscience]

So do I NOT want to choose "Do you want to change the project settings to match the video's properties so VideoStudio can perform SmartRender?"

No -- in these circumstance your definitely SHOULD choose to change the project settings to match the video's properties. The video is already mp4 using the H264 codec. Then when you have done your editing, you go to Share and at the very top you can then choose Same As Project Settings which will produce a new video of your project with exactly the same properties as your original, and with little to no degradation in quality.

If the first video in the project is indeed one of your original videos (and not, say, a title you have added) then you could click on that white downward pointing arrow which my red arrow is pointing at in the attached image, and choose instead "Same As First Video Clip" which will produce the same result.

It really depends on what the OP is doing. If you’re ingesting 4K or 720p to use in a FHD project, then selecting that can completely wreck your project as you would choose the wrong project resolution.

That setting is only safe when your media is all the same resolution and your output resolution is the same. I would not develop a habit of checking this every time as a default.

Point taken, but right now all I'm trying to render are basic MPEG4 clips shot with a Canon Vixia in 1080 HD

[iNate]

Have you tried turning off Hardware Acceleration to see if that improves things? I have heard it has produced issues for others.

That CPU is an old Haswell-E part, and I don't think those have QSV (I may be wrong). I would not be trusting any CUDA Optimization in VideoStudio at this point in time. It's possible that it can be at fault... So, it wouldn't hurt to try turning that stuff off and seeing how it performs without it.

Go to Settings -> Performance and Turn off "Hardware Acceleration" (all of them, and re-enable one by one starting with Decode Settings - saving Encode [the one in the middle] for last); Re-Render the Video, and then see what it looks like. Also note how the playback and scrubbing performance is...

Additionally, consider using a Digital Intermediate Format for editing. That will fix the playback issues in practically all NLEs, including VideoStudio (except at the highest raster sizes). Those are designed for editing in software. H.264 is not. It's LongGOP, and your CPU is old. LongGOP CODECs are CPU killers, as they require the CPU to do tons of work to decode and re-compose one video frame, while Intermediates store each frame individually in the Video File, while compressing much less aggressively (means much larger video files).

LongGOP CODECs (H.264, HEVC, etc.) are not designed for editing. They're designed for delivery.

The only reason why old-as-dirt Macs can edit 4K HEVC off iPhones fluently, is because iMovie (and FCPX, by default) Optimizes all of that media automatically to ProRes Proxy (a Digital Intermediate CODEC), which is far less taxing on the CPU. I wish more Windows NLEs would implement a system like that (and a "bundle/package" format for projects to contain all the Media, Pre-Renders, Proxies, etc. in an easily relocatable package ).

[lata]

johnnyscience
Are you able to make a project containing one video file, the shortest file you have?

View Project Properties (Alt+ Enter) make sure they are the same as your video files properties.

1 / F6 Performance--Deselect Smart Proxy, if used. (known issue affects quality when rendering) not to the extent you are experiencing.
2 / F6 Performance--Deselect Hardware Acceleration
3 / Share-- Choose Same as First Clip
4 / Share- Deselect Smart Render, Rendering may take a little longer

Can you please create a Smart Package Zip (File -- Smart Package), upload to a sharing site
Provide a share link on your post, we can test your files.

I think you should report this problem to Corel Support.

[Davidk]

Read iNates' latest remarks re turning off all hardware acceleration.
Now, I have previously has issues with the last 3 (for file creation and performance), but never with the editing one. So, checked, and yes, hardware acceleration for editing was on. Turned it off.

Repeated test with same clip I posted with above: imported to timeline, smart proxy immediately picked up on the existence of a proxy file and used it. Preview play now perfectly normal.

There's been lots of complaints about CUDA support in many of the prior versions of VS, and evidently that continues in 2018. If Corel can't get CUDA support (which is apparently the heart of hardware acceleration as used in VS) right on an ongoing basis it would be better to remove those hardware acceleration options from the settings per4formance tab, as they are causing lots of grief.

[johnnyscience]

Ok so settings>preferences>performance

Editing Process has enabled Hardware Decoder Acceleration

Performance Optimization does NOT have Hardware Acceleration Optimization enabled.

So Do I also need to turn off the Editing Process acceleration?

[Ken Berry]

Yes -- if only to see if that improves the situation. If it doesn't, then you can turn it on again easily enough.

Conversely, you could also try turning ON acceleration for Performance Optimization, again just to see if that affects the outcome. None of this is going to break the program or your computer, by the way!

[johnnyscience]

Ok ran the test both ways and it didn't fix the problem. It did seem to help improve the scramble when I enabled the performance optimization, but it was still there.

I'm just going to try another video editing software.

Too bad, I really started to like Corel. But if I can make a smooth video with Microsoft movie maker, Corel shouldn't have a problem either.

[iNate]

Make sure to update your GPU drivers, and with the Official OEM supported package.

I’ve had issues in the past where AMD Beta (last string of support) drivers were not WHQL and it completely broke all of my editing software on that machine (no HWA, OpenCL, etc. ).

[Ken Berry]

Ok ran the test both ways and it didn't fix the problem.

Can you please confirm that by this you meant to did an actual render, rather than just played the project in preview mode.

[johnnyscience]

Yes I fully rendered with and without the acceleration and it didn't fix a thing.

I appreciate the help but it doesn't look like it's going to get fixed at this point and I'm already behind on creating the videos so I've already tested with Filmora and it renders perfect. I'm just going to pay the $60 for their software.

If for some reason someone can magically figure out what's wrong, I'd be open to Corel again.

Thanks for the help guys.

[canuck]

Yes I fully rendered with and without the acceleration and it didn't fix a thing.

I appreciate the help but it doesn't look like it's going to get fixed at this point and I'm already behind on creating the videos so I've already tested with Filmora and it renders perfect. I'm just going to pay the $60 for their software.

If for some reason someone can magically figure out what's wrong, I'd be open to Corel again.

Thanks for the help guys.

Did you ever try to create a SmartPackage as requested by Lata (Trevor) in an earlier post?

[tletter]

... basic MPEG4 clips shot with a Canon Vixia in 1080 HD

I watched your YT video and noticed that your clips are rendered very poorly but the captions in your project are rendered fine. It would appear that VS is not handling your clips cleanly.

If for some reason someone can magically figure out what's wrong

There is no magic here but if you post the source clip at https://youtu.be/rpHADEvbbac?t=5 to a file sharing site, I can see how VS handles it and perhaps offer some useful corrective measures.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[lata]

Hi Johnnyscience

I assume you are aware that the members on the forum including Mods and Admin do not work for Corel
We are users of the program just like yourself, we are volunteers trying to help.
If you want Corel to fix this then you should report this issue to Corel Support.

But as mentioned if you can provide samples of your video files then we can test the files.
The best way would be to create a smart package, that way we also use your VSP project file.
Corel Support should also request to view your samples.

I have to say from the things you have tried it does appear to be the program not managing your video files.
If I can replicate your issues I am also willing to escalate this problem to Corel, cannot do that till I have your files to test.

We do know that there is an issue with quality which Corel are aware of, but your actual poor quality seems extreme to say the least.

Even if you give up on Video Studio I would still like to see your video files, maybe help others with similar problems.

Regards

[iNate]

Additionally, every time I see Filmora mentioned, I get skeptical.

Them paying for shills and hijacking search terms with "fake reviews" of competing software with huge ads at the top of the page for Filmora (though it seems engines have been de-ranking them, and dropping them like a rock lately)...

That company is awful and run like a spyware operation.

And I'm not sure why anyone would pay the same price for Filmora, when they could get something like PowerDirector Ultra, Movie Edit Pro Plus, or VEGAS Movie Studio Premium for a similar cost.

Those are all better products than Filmora; though you still lose out on VS Ultimate's amazing Plug-In Bundle (it's biggest and best selling point, IMO).

[johnnyscience]

I appreciate all of the follow up, but I already uninstalled Corel & purchased Filmora yesterday and have already created 2 flawless videos.

I understand wanting to get to the bottom of it, but all I could provide at this point is the raw footage, not a VSP file.