Final Cut Pro X export fails! Missing RAM vtdecoderxpcservice

Hi Tom -- Neat actually wasn't applied to any of the clips, although it is a plugin that I have installed. The media that I'm using is from a Sony a7siii, 10 bit 422 h.265. As I dive deeper and deeper into this issue in my quest for a solution, I've come to realize that a LOT of people with this same issue are actually using this exact footage from this or other similar Sony cameras. I don't think that's a coincidence. Whenever I export a longer timeline using footage from other cameras, it works just fine.

Because I now think it may be somehow related to the Sony media, I WAS at a bit of a loss for what to do. I can't/shouldn't/don't want to shoot in a different file format.

This morning, I finally came up with a solution -- not a fix, but a great workaround. It may be cumbersome for some, but for me and my workflow it's actually IDEAL.

My workflow has always been to export a high quality, ungraded project from Final Cut, load it into DaVinci to color grade, then do the final export from DaVinci. Now, this is my new workflow:

1. Export an XML from FinalCut
2. Load the XML into DaVinci. Now I don't need to export anything from FinalCut.

Sounds simple right... but the reason I wasn't doing this all along is that for some reason, the XML files always really mess up my audio. All of the audio fades or volume adjustments never get included in DaVinci. I've never been able to figure out how to fix this. But I did come up with another workaround:

1. When I'm done editing my project in FCP, I export an AUDIO ONLY version.
2. I duplicate the project in FCP, just to save an original version.
3. In the duplicated version, I select all clips, right click and choose "detach audio." Then, I select all the audio clips and delete them.
4. I pull in my exported audio file, which now has all volumes/fades etc baked in.
5. I export this entire project as my XML to load into DaVinci. Now, DaVinci doesn't mess up any audio, I don't have to export any actual video from FCPX, my project gets graded, and DaVinci never seems to struggle exporting the clips like FCPX does.

FINALLY!! After literal months of pulling my hair out and chopping every single FCP project into tiny sections so I could export them all individually... I've found something that works.

Hopefully a real solution will come along soon, but I've been dealing with this since January and still no updates or anything have fixed this, so I'll be doing this for the forseeable future.

Hi Valo, I found a workaround actually I wanted to create a video about it, but no time. Here’s what to do:

While FCP is exporting you need to observe the process “VTDecoderXPCService” once it reaches a critical size, in my case around 30Gb of memory then you need to go to your PROJECT Icon in final cut. Right Mouse click and select ä “Dublicate Project” (I am not in front of a mac at the moment) and WAIT for c.10-15 Seconds. Opening the new window will reset VTDecoderXPCService and it will start again at zero. it is important to keep the new window OPEN until it reset the project (the new window is the one where you can change the project Settings with the resolution and frame rate and what not)

It works on all my macs, regardless of the Operating system. Sorry that I didn’t share it earlier, let me know if you need a more detailed description happy to help it is such an annoying thing and I am still boiling, but at least you can finalise your project and make your customers happy!!!

done, by the way as Valo, I tried the play the clip workaround and it works, I read it before in this threat, but I played the TIMELINE which didn’t work @all: YOU NEED TO PLAY A 15SEC CLIP WHILE EXPORTING, A CLIP WHICH IS IN ONE OF YOUR EVENTS. At least that worked for me as well, but opening the duplicate project window works as well. Anyway Valo many thanks

I haven't worked with this particular Sony footage but to rule out that this is the problem, create a new test library, make a new test HD project and drop in a few minutes of representative samples of the footage, then export. I don't think you specified what your output settings are so please describe and/or post screen shots of how you are exporting.

If this export fails, then optimize the footage by right-clicking and choosing Transcode Media and select Optimized. This will create very large ProRes files so make sure you have plenty of space. After the've been optimized, try exporting again and let us know what happens.

Another possibility, assuming the issue has to do with media from those Sony cameras, may be to create optimized media.

This can also serve as further confirmation that the problem lies in how these media are encoded.

Exporting would use the ProRes files, and (probably) would work.

Testing this may prove valuable also for others with similar problems.

(I don't have any of these cameras, or I would test this conjecture myself)

I did all that, I installed Monterey from scratch, no other software than FCP on a new installation, FCP crashes after 3min rendering. only a downgrade to BigSur „fixed“ the problem and fixing means it does run through here and then. I invested weeks to get to the bottom of the problem, I haven’t found a reasonable workaround and had to finish the project on a mac mini M1. Apple support told me they heard that quite often about those problems, but haven’t found a workaround either - I believe it is the combination of Sony high res footage and FCP. Monterey is of course not helping either and known for its memory leaks. I have no idea what happens with a different camera footage (maybe someone could send me a 8k 10bit canon R5 test footage (link) - could try that, while i am just thinking about it)

Hi Wil!

Thank you so much for your reply.

Meanwhile I was looking on an other forum and I found an other solution that someone also posted here in the previous post but he said that don't work on Monterey, probably he missed a detail.

Meanwhile you export and “VTDecoderXPCService” reach the critical size "for me is 120 gb" you just need to go on the browser of final cut and play a clip that is longer than 15 sec. you can't just play the timeline, because probably you don't have a clip so long. Also an audio file work

In that way the memory also refresh!

The easiest way: While you are exporting check with the activity monitor your memory consumption, once the process "VTDecoderXPCService Service" gets over 25GB, hit a right mouse click on Your project file (within FCP) and select "Duplicate Project as..." after that a window will open, do nothing and wait around 15 seconds that will reset the VTDecoderXPCService and your export continues, repeat as often as needed while you are exporting

I have the exact same issue. I also spent hours on the phone with apple to no avail. The only workaround I've found is to cut the project into multiple smaller projects and export them all separately. Then I have to stitch them together again. That works. I can't tell you the amount of frustration this has caused...

I've attached an etrecheck report just in case, but it seems like no one has found an actual solution for this so far?

Wil -- amazing editing work! As for camera settings, I also use pretty much the exact same settings as you, and have the same problem.

Another workaround I've been using is to use the range tool to select sections of my timeline and then just export sections at a time. That seems to work. Very frustrating, but at least the project will eventually get exported that way. In fact, that's the solution that the apple support team suggested as well...

Before a "real" solution is found, I've decided to send apple the same feedback report every day until it's fixed. I suggest you do the same. If we make enough noise, maybe something will happen. I've been dealing with this problem since January and still nothing has changed. Feedback form found here: Feedback - macOS - Apple

Hi Tom, I believe that the main culprit is the Operating System, followed by the Codec and its duration. If I take out 8min. then I am able to render even under Monterey, but the Service goes up to over 40GB of memory usage. The number of layers are quite modest, maybe 6 at max. the grading, titles and so on are “normal” and if I stitch together a 8bit footage then it runs through without any suspicious memory leaks.

Hi Everyone I have the same issue.

I Have a Sony a7s III and use the codec xavcs 4k 4:2:2 10 bit, my Mac is Apple M1 Max with 64gb of ram

After many test I understood that the problem come out when you have many short clips on a long time line like 15-18 min.

Shorter are the clips faster the VTDecoderXPCService burn memory. After "memory used" reach 62-64 gb "swap used" start go up and when reach 62-64 gb come out the error "Your System Has Run Out of Application Memory".

This project that you see below have like 559 items (video and audio) with many cut, every clips duration is like 1-3 sec. If I try to export that most of the time the export fail. If I put the same amount of clips on timeline but without doing any cut the memory refresh every 2-3 min and don't even reach 25 gb

The problem can be solved by doing the optimized option on part of the used clip, but that is waste of time and when you have a project like that if you optimise every clip your library reach 1,8 TB.

I had the same issue with the Mac mini 16gb, I bought the Mac max hoping that solve the problem.... You have no idea how I feel now....

Btw sorry for my English

Valo

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