Schiemer

Q: Jumpy playback from image sequences rendered in Apple Prores and then exported to h264

I will start by saying I have been using FCP since 1.0 and am in no way new to this software, but this issue has me going crazy.


First the Specs:

MacPro 2 x 2.66 Quad cor Intel Xeon

16 gig Ram

OS 10.9.2

FCP 7.0.3 (sorry but I am not a fan of FCP10 at all)


In other words, a beast of a system that has played back everything I have ever built on it for years until now. So now for the issue: I work with an amazing 3D Max builder and we have created a building animation exported from that program into and image sequence ( we have tried JPG, TGA and PNG still all with the same effect). I open Quicktime 7 Pro, build the image sequence, save as .mov, import into FCP and drop it into my 1080p30 Apple Prores (HQ ... we also tried SQ) timelines. The timeline renders perfectly and I can play the video perfectly through my system out of Firewire 800 to my Motu V4HD device which then converts the signal to HDMI to my 55" LED TV. The video and playback is perfect.... until:


If I try to play back the same exact time line into an exported video file, the file will play back with random jumpyness in it. I say random since you can play it back 10 times and it will hiccup during playback at different spots in the video. If you review every frame in the file though using Quicktime 10, 7 or VLC viewer, every frame is perfect. So, it must be the data rate right? Wrong. I have exported now to H264 MP4, M4V, MOV , ect, etc at different data rates from 4mb to 40 mb per second. They all have the same randow jumpyness to it. So it must be my computer right? Nope. I have a Macbook pro that is more powerful than this machine and I rebuild the file using the same method (something I have done a thousand times before) and the exported file does the same thing on that machine. I had my friend do it on his machine... same thing. ERRRR....


We have even tried using After Effects and Premier to the same result. Rendered it straight from Quicktime Pro, same. Rendered it to 720p30, same. Render it to 24fps, same. I had another editor render it using whatever methods he wanted to use... same. Tried Compressor, SAME.  Tried Adobe Media Encoder, SAME......We even, god forbid, used a PC running Premier and built the image sequence and rendered to h264 at 30fps, 5mbs.... @#$@#$ SAME!


We just remade the 3D Studio Max export into a 60fps animation since I thought that the individual frames we appearing too far apart and thus causing the jumpyness. That was causing the playback of the upclose objects flying across the screen fast to appear jittery, but not the random playback jumps. The 60fps did smooth out the animation greatly during fast flybys, but the playback jumps are still there in all players, QT, VLC, the web, etc.


I was starting to think this issue is realted to Mavericks, but since the PC did the same thing that is not it either. I have linked a sample of the clip below exported to 720p30, 25mbs... something that is much smaller than the original and should playback smooth very easily on any of my systems.


FYI: I have now opened numerous projects I have edited over the last few years and noticed that all of them are now jumpy, so this isn't just an image sequence issue. While the other projects don't use image sequences and instead are shot footage edited together, there is still the random jump (far less than the image sequence as you will see) but they are now there... ***? I have cleared preferences in FCP which helps for a short period of time, but once exported I get the same glitch.


As I said... I am stumped... ANYONE have ideas for me to try?


Here is a sample file for you all to see and please tell me if anyone does not see the issue after playing it several times in a row.


www.media3lv.com/switch/NORTH-sample-720p30_25mb-sec.zip

 

One last thing to note... my main goal for these videos is YouTube or Vimeo playback via our company website. I have a few other animations online right now using YouTube and the problem is also showing there. At first I thought it was just my videos, but I have looked at numerous YouTube videos now showing 3D animation and alot of them are jumpy.


www.supernap.com/supernap-building-design.html


www.supernap.com/supernap-tscif-exchange.html


These don't show the issue as bad since the camera fly is much slower, but why is this occuring and is it coming from my source, or is this a known youtube issue? I can program this using out own modules, but YouTube and Vimeo allow for multiple resolutions and a checker script which makes it easier to share over all devices at all quality up to 1080p.


Advice is welcome and appreciated?

Posted on Mar 26, 2014 11:15 AM

Close

Q: Jumpy playback from image sequences rendered in Apple Prores and then exported to h264

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Previous Page 2
  • by David S.,

    David S. David S. Mar 27, 2014 1:58 PM in response to Michael Grenadier
    Level 7 (20,634 points)
    Mar 27, 2014 1:58 PM in response to Michael Grenadier

    I downloaded the video file and it played back smoothly without any frame drops on a 2012 MacBook Pro retina off the internal SSD in 10.8.5.

     

    I also have a dual quad core Mac Pro 2x2.26, and have occasional playback issues with 1080/60p h.264.

     

    Interestingly, it plays back uneventfully and natively on FCP X on the same retina MBP.

  • by Schiemer,

    Schiemer Schiemer Mar 27, 2014 3:04 PM in response to David S.
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Notebooks
    Mar 27, 2014 3:04 PM in response to David S.

    Just so you all know, the image sequence is at 60fps, but I have been rendering it at 1080p30 and tried 29.97. Anytime I try 1080p60 in a timeline within FCP I get dropped frames.  It will never play smooth at 60fps.  This playback issue is NOT dropped frames though.  I don't get the warnings of dropped frames during 1080p30 playback, it just plays crappy in the preview window and in exported files, yet perfectly through the Motu V4HD even though the preview window is jumping at the same time during playback.  Meg the Dog, ironically the same name of my dog at home:) seems to see the same glitch, but mine is not repeatable in the same spot every time.

     

    I find it strange that the only people playing fine are not using Mavericks.

     

    I think I will shoot a video with my phone of the playback on this and other machine just so you all can see it.

  • by Schiemer,

    Schiemer Schiemer Mar 27, 2014 3:43 PM in response to Schiemer
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Notebooks
    Mar 27, 2014 3:43 PM in response to Schiemer

    Hi all, below is a link to a video made with my phone that shows the playback of the 1080p30 video in FCP to the Motu V4HD smooth as can be.  It took deleting the FCP preferences, not easy to do in Mavricks, to allow smooth playback in the preview window again. FCP always goes back to being jumpy sooner or later, yet the Motu will always plays smooth regardless.  Then, in the video you will see me move to QT 10 and playback the supplied 720p30 file linked in the original post.  You'll see the video (sorry for it being out of focus) play jumpy in random spots as I play it over and over.  This happens on this machine, my Macbook pro, my office mates Macbook pro, my friends MacPro and 2 different PC systems running QT.  All the individual frames are fine, but playback is not.  I have never been so frustrated with a video project before:( 

     

    Any advice is appreciated:

     

    http://www.media3lv.com/switch/jumpy-playback-example.zip

  • by Schiemer,

    Schiemer Schiemer Mar 27, 2014 4:12 PM in response to Schiemer
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Notebooks
    Mar 27, 2014 4:12 PM in response to Schiemer

    To hopefully get some help with this and see if it is just my system, below is a 15 second sample of the original 30fps image sequence opened into Quicktime7 Pro and saved as a file. It's a fairly big file since no compession was done during this save, so you have to put this into an FCP project at 1080/30fps using whatever codec you think would be best and then rendered.  Once done, export to h264 at 1080/30fps or 720p30 at anywhere from 5 - 20 mbs.  Does your new video file play properly?  If so, can you please get me that new sample file and I can see if it works on my machine too?

     

    Thanks to those that are willing to help with this, I know this should be an easy task, but it is not working right for me...

     

    http://www.media3lv.com/switch/north-jpg-image-sequence.zip

  • by Michael Grenadier,

    Michael Grenadier Michael Grenadier Mar 27, 2014 10:04 PM in response to David S.
    Level 7 (20,362 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 27, 2014 10:04 PM in response to David S.

    and Travis Ballstadt says

    "I downloaded it onto an early 2008 Mac Pro running 10.7.5 and it played fine in QTX and FC7."

     

     


     

     


  • by Schiemer,

    Schiemer Schiemer Mar 28, 2014 9:28 AM in response to Michael Grenadier
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Notebooks
    Mar 28, 2014 9:28 AM in response to Michael Grenadier

    So this is really starting to lean toward an OS Mavericks situation for playback.  I have a new MacPro on order (its take 2 months so far and it's still not here) and once it's here I should be able to get this to work properly with this new monster machine or it's definately a Mavericks issue.

  • by Michael Grenadier,

    Michael Grenadier Michael Grenadier Mar 28, 2014 9:31 AM in response to Schiemer
    Level 7 (20,362 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 28, 2014 9:31 AM in response to Schiemer

    there are a number of basic troubleshooting steps.

     

    Try creating a new account.

     

    disconnect ethernet and turn off wifi

     

    Some app or setting may be screwing things up.

  • by Michael Grenadier,

    Michael Grenadier Michael Grenadier Mar 28, 2014 10:21 AM in response to Michael Grenadier
    Level 7 (20,362 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 28, 2014 10:21 AM in response to Michael Grenadier

    Also, do you have any antiviral software running?  That can cause problems.

  • by Schiemer,

    Schiemer Schiemer Mar 28, 2014 10:41 AM in response to Michael Grenadier
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Notebooks
    Mar 28, 2014 10:41 AM in response to Michael Grenadier

    I will try the user change (although this has never fixed anything in the past for me)

     

    I will try disconnecting the ethernet and not run and other software

     

    I will also try a single monitor instead of a dual setup.

     

    No antivirus software is running.

Previous Page 2