corel video studio freezes

[LeQuest]

I have been following this with interest. Just a note about my setup first: PC, Intel I7-8700@3.7Gh, 16GB RAM, 4.5TB internal storage SSD’s- NVidia GeForce GTX 1070 + 8GB VRam. Gigabyte Z370 Aorus ultra gaming MBoard.

~ I purchased against my own misgivings, an update for my VS X10, as that had a tendency to crash on transitions too as well as whilst editing sound levels. I had hoped that this latest version would have solved all that. So far the sound has behaved but the transitional effects cause more trouble than the previous version did.

I use only two transitions– ‘fade’ and ‘Turn Page’. The fade is fine but as soon as I insert and then run through the ‘turn page’ transition my Processor (CPU) jumps from 5% to 100% thereafter the program invariably freezes. Like Chaz, I tried unticking both the performance hardware accelerations (then restarting VS) to no avail (I was using Nvidia CUDA) and I was NOT using Enable Smart Proxy as my set-up does not need that. After several more re-boots of VS only, with the same video edit –it suddenly all worked perfectly through that bad transition.

I have no big background programs working at the same time. – Rebooted my PC –all back to square one, full 100% CPU when reaching transition. Tried again different hardware accel settings – still same. I have tried different video format files eg M2Ts & MP4 but the results are the same. Why it has done this beats me.

These seems to be no updates nor real help from Corel themselves on this. In short – the same old junk when the only solution is not to use those transitions at all or do as I have done for the last few year – put those transitions back in without playing through them just before the final encoding. Ironically one of the few things that I liked about the end results of VStudio is the transition effects. Maybe it’s time to use a different editor after 10+ years of using VS.
Hope this is of help to someone and maybe Corel will read all this at some time and resolve the problem properly.

[LeQuest]

Hi again.
Have just realised that there were at least one extra page that I had not seen on here mainly from Chaz and his problem. The problem would look from his test that it is the Video card being unsuitable for those particular transits. I must say that I would hate to take out my Nvidia Card and go back to the default MBoard video. That would completely negate any advantages of my powerful computer and in fact this updated VS 2021 program too. The Task Manager shows the CPU running away with itself not the GPU nor memory. It is obviously just a real badly programmed transition clip that is at fault. It really needs to be taken away from the program but I guess there are many others faulty ones that I have not tried in the program too. I have just added the same transition into an almost perfect piece that I am editing and guess what - yes -complete freeze at 100% CPU. My earlier solution stands!

I shall try some other test too. Good luck to anybody trying to solve all this.

[lata]

I do not have any problems when using Turn Page but then I am using AMD

Are you aware that there are 2 Turn Page transitions
One in Peel which allows us to choose the page colour, defaults to silver/grey
The other Turn Page is in Film, here the reverse of the page uses the first clips details.

Do you have the same issues using both of these?

[LeQuest]

Hi Trevor

I got quite excited after reading your message here as i was not aware that there were two of the same (or similar) 'Turn Page' transitions. After updating my Nvidia Video drivers to the very latest, I thought I would do some more test using the two transitions. Conclusion, after initially thinking that one was fine, they are result in exactly the same fault of kicking the CPU to max. Interestingly I also saw that sometimes this might kick in as long as 8 seconds before the actual transition more normally about a second before. I must say I am tempted to try every transition then make a list of ones that work and ones that crash but life is too short for al that. Your experience using a AMD motherboard video and perhaps a AMD CPU does point to an unfortunate combination of Intel & Nvidea (Universally regarded as being perhaps the best there is). Will keep an eye on all this. ...
Cheers.

[zaphodikus]

I , am wondering if the transition is struggling because the 2 clips are sufficiently different aspect ratio or format, to cause problems - is your proxy cache enabled? Can you repro the issue with the stock video short clips?
I have a pretty low-memory nvidia 750ti card and just tried and no issues with the page turn transition either.

[LeQuest]

Thanks zaphodikus. Haha, this is getting quite funny, in a sad way. You gave me some more things to think upon and so I tried them. First of all the proxy cache as far as I know, really only makes a big difference in heavy rendering at the end of editing and so I never expected that to make the slightest difference as this fault shows up well before all that. It didn’t make any difference on or off. I then started to look at different video file mix maybe having an effect. I had tried HiDef m2ts (my default from my video camera = 1920x1080 @ 15547kbps 25fps) and also some captured mp4 files (1280x720 @ 2499kbps 30fps (not mixed video formats). After your suggestion I tried some Iphone MOV files (1920x1090@21894kbps 30fps) and lastly only some of the default included WMV files (720x480@ 662kbps 30fps). Sadly the fault persist! Further, those Transitions as far as I can find out are not really video files but Corel’s own VFX files, so finding out if their video properties are the same as the ones present in the edit seems impossible.
As a matter of interest I also have a second Hi-Spec computer running a W10, Nvidia GTX980 4GB VRAM video card and I7 CPU +16GB RAM+ SSD storage with VS X10. Guess what, after just trying this –exactly the same fault on that when using that Turn Page transition 5% to 100% CPU usage when getting to it. Enough said perhaps!
Regards

[lata]

Referring to Smart Proxy, the option may help when playing the project
Enabling Smart Proxy also needs proxy files to be created

For new video added to the timelines this is done automatically

For existing files we can right click for Create Proxy Files

Once created a double looking icon shows on the clip. As attached image
Project playback should improve.
My tests did not use Smart Proxy. Whether SP improves things for Nvidia???????

proxy icon.jpg

[LeQuest]

Thanks Lata. As I have resigned myself to the fact that this fault will persist no matter what I do using my combination of Nvidia & Intel, I thought I would persist in my test (like Chaz did) in order that it may help someone else. I did not know about the Smart Proxy telltale icon within the timeline (when turned on). I started a new project again using Smart Proxy. As expected -this made no difference to the fault at all. Sorry! I still think if a computer set-up is powerful enough using fast drives etc then Smart Proxy is not needed (I once experimented with timings and quality with and without SP and there was never any evidential difference to me.) but I do not have nor edit 4K files where maybe this does improve things. As a further matter of interest and fact, although this section is under 'VS freezing', when my processor jumps up to 100% as seen using Task Managers own CPU monitor, I could see that in the majority of my real test, the editing continued as perfect. In fact if I was not monitoring my Processor and graphic card stats, I would never have know there was a problem at all. I conclude that this is the case with most un-technical VS users. Their processor is flat out, but they carry on as normal never knowing that there was anything wrong at all. But -sometimes with my setup - the whole system would eventually freeze and sometimes VS shut downs completely. No surprise considering the real facts of the over-worked CPU.
Thanks for the help and input.

[Chaz175]

Hello all, hope everyone had a good and safe holiday.. I have to let other VS users know about a solution to my dilemma ( freezing during certain transitions introduced and VS completely freezes during this execution!) I don't give up easy and I do read other forums relating to similar problems I have been dealing with in VS. Sometimes we look further than we need to when the solution is right in-front of my nose. I was just going through settings on VS and thought I would try another adjustment which I over looked. In this case it was a REFRESH I did in Library Manager. I almost fell out of my seat when I introduced the few transitions I was having problems with. The refresh helped and my freezing transitions disappeared and VS freezing stopped during this execution! I was worried my GPU was not compatible with VS or something etc etc.... So when I shut down VS and re open and began a project, the freezing started again, BUT now all I have to do is go into settings and do a LIBRARY REFRESH before starting or continuing a project and freezing transitions stop happening when inserted and VS didn't freeze for the 10 seconds before it would be workable again.. Go Figure!! This issue was getting to me for months, but I kept pursuing a solution.. Actually I stumbled on the solution..Now I can sleep at night.
As far as VS freezing or crashing as mentioned earlier in my posts, I have found creating smaller projects stopped the freezing/crashing (just add all smaller rendered projects together for final video creation) ..This helped me anyways, a couple of issues I seemed to get through. I enjoy reading other forums which helped me a lot and hope to help others with input.

[LeQuest]

Hi Chaz. Another interesting turn from you. I looked at my VS Coral Video studio 24.1.0.299 and there is NO Library refresh on there! Within Library Manager there is only a RESET LIBRARY which on clicking deleted all my Transitions from 'My Favourites' folder as well as all my saved New Folders of video/sound clips. Serves me right, it was obviously going to do that! On trying that transition straight afterwards - it played perfectly without putting the CPU into over-drive BUT on rebooting VS, the whole project crashed again when reaching it. ie no difference! Thanks for the thought though.
ps, I have read today that Nvidia cards struggle with low 24-30fps video's. Maybe that has a bearing in my case but as said before, it always affects the CPU utilisation not the graphic card (GPU) one.

[Chaz175]

Correction on last message. I did mean RESET, not refresh..in library.( I need new glasses i think) Yes unfortunately we lose the favorite list. It just seems the only way this operation works for me with these few troublesome transitions I favor to use..( flip, flying cube, flying fold, and few more stubborn transitions. I wish we can export favorite list else where in VS and import back after library reset without being effected with total reset in favorites list. ( I have a lot of favorites ) A loss to gain I guess....Again I have to keep doing a library reset every time I launch VS. Yes kind of a nuisance.. BUT IT WORKS! no freezing effects or freezing VS all together!! finally yea!! Anyways we just keep searching for solutions. ps. I added this to our WISH LIST..Maybe they can make an adjustment and keep it simple? fingers crossed.
One other reminder, this is only when I am running my graphics NVIDIA card . not the CPU graphics which VS is dedicated to. (which works well with transitions performance etc) I'm having these troubles with my Video Card: NVIDIA GFORCE RTX 3060TI running only in my preferences when VS launched which I want to use for rendering etc performance reasons. But again, I seemed to fix these issues with a band- aid sort of speak for now. Hope I make some sort of sense..thnx for response.cheers all.

[lata]

Seems very strange that a library reset allows the Turn Page to play ok until you reboot the program, then another library reset is required.
If you launch the program
Reset Library
Add you’re A/B transitions to your favourites, I assume all play ok.
Export Library – will save the library layout
Reboot program may require a Reset- except you do Import library
The library should now show all your favourites
But do they play ok? Or are we back to Reset.


Bit of a long shot
If it’s a library issue, can you turn off Library Animation via Preferences (F7)

[LeQuest]

Hi Trevor, I had tried turning off the Library Animation and it did nothing to remedy the issue in my case.

[Chaz175]

Ok thnx Trevor, I did what you recommended..So when I launch VS, first thing I did is RESET LIBRARY ( took few seconds to re-populate) and then started creating a new project with transitions etc..adding each transition I used to favorites. Then when I finished for the day or finished project, I EXPORTED all the library favorites to my selected folder. Then closed VS. When I launched VS again to continue project, First thing I start with a RESET in my library. ( this deleted everything in my favorites.) Knowing this, I went to settings and opened library manager, IMPORTED my favorites from folder I exported into.( It took a few seconds or more to import or update template) THIS DID WORK, all my favorites came back! and I executed my project to video track to continue editing. I had NO PROBLEMS with transitions freezing or VS freezing at all!..cheers to you Trevor and everyone's input. I may have other questions etc about other small issues, but right now I am in my glory with this new fix!!! Oh I did fall out of my seat again. adding a seat belt for next jolt!! ps.. Here I thought it was my graphics card not shaking hands with VS. I guess it is compatible after all. It was a RESET in LIBRARY MANAGER that fixed it all for me anyways!! who knew! But still wondering why when I disabled my added graphics card and ran on integrated graphics everything was fine. ( didn't have to reset anything??) I just wanted to get full usage on my added graphics card. So now I did.
Just to add.. In a few posts back I mentioned I had uninstalled VS and then re-installed finding this fixed everything I had an issue with ( fresh install) so to me I guess I was resetting my library the hard and time consuming way! lol. cheers all....

[lata]

As a work-round its good to know that worked.
Still confused as to why resetting the library fixes things.
What is the difference between the system library and one that you reset / exported.