Inspiring

This error again - Frame Substitution Recursion & Error Retrieving Frame

Forum|Forum|10 months ago
April 1, 2025
17 replies
2517 views

I've dealt with this error before but it now seems to be on steroids - Frame Substitution Recursion attempt aborting after multiple attempts on file...

Mac Mini M4 Pro

64G memory

Sequoia 15.1

Media Hard Drive - WD_BLACK 4TB SN850X NVMe SSDGen4 PCIe, M.2 2280, Up to 7,300 MB/s

1.9TB available of 4TB

Premiere Pro 24.?, 25.2 and 25.3 (beta)

I'm editing multiple footage files that I've used consistently since 2022. They are h.264 mp4 files - basically B-Roll masterfiles for work that have never given me any issue. Some of the footage is 59.97fps, some are 29.97. None are variable framerate, all have been exported into these file formats from their original sources and used without issue for some time, including on a much less powerful machine.

At the beginning of January I was using Premiere Pro (beta) - not sure which version - and every footage clip in the library started giving me the "Error retrieving frame" error. I couldn't get it to stop so I switched to the non-beta version 24.? Things were fine for a few months until today when all my exports failed and every timeline and clip started giving me the "Frame Substitution Recursion..." error. I had not changed any settings, no updates on software or OS, just halfway through the day errors started. Errors also occur in Media Encoder.

Things I've tried -

Clearing cache

Deleting rendered files (there were none)
Restarting Premiere

Restarting computer
Plugging the hard drive directly into the computer via different port.

Creating a new premiere file and importing the footage in fresh.
Upgrading premiere to 25.2
Uninstalling premiere and reinstalling 25.2

Uninstalling beta and reinstalling and trying on beta 25.3

Pounding my keyboard in anger.

Crying in the corner.

Nothing has worked, though for some reason I can't stop re-trying the last two.

Show previous replies

jamieclarke

Community Manager

Hi @JeremyAndrewDavis - I see this issue now, It happens when using Scene Edit Detection in version 25.2.

jamieclarke

Community Manager

Hi @konraderer - Can you try and hold down "SHIFT" while launching Premiere and check the box
"Clear media cache files"

K

konraderer

Known Participant

and this is Adobe Premiere 25.2.0, updated today.

On a Windows 11 system.

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9900K CPU @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz
Installed RAM 64.0 GB
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070

K

konraderer

Known Participant

I closed my project on April 1, when I open it on April 5 every clip is black and all flashing Frame substitution recursion attempt aborting after multiple attempts."

I moved one of these files to my internal HD and it worked for a moment, went offline, now seems to be working. But I haven't got room to put these all on my internal HD.

What's a sane fix for this that would allow me to pretend that this is a functioning professional editing program long enough for me to finish this cut?

File info:

File Path: J:\TTMFT production\120724\A_CAM\A01\A001B30R\A001C001_120101_B30R.mxf
Type: MXF
File Size: 16.79 GB
Image Size: 3424 x 2202
Frame Rate: 23.976
Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 24-bit - 5 Channels
Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - 5 Channels
Total Duration: 00:01:06:05
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0
Alpha: None
Color Space: Rec. 709
Color Space Override: Off
Input LUT: None

MXF File details:
Wrapper type: MXF OP1a (type: SingleItem SinglePackage MultiTrack Stream Internal)
File generated by: ARRI, ALEXA Mini (SUP 6.01.01)
ARRIRAW

Proxy Media

File Path: N:\KINO KIBEI 2\PF proxies\Narrative footage proxies\A001C001_120101_B30R_Proxy.mov
Type: QuickTime Movie
File Size: 193.22 MB
Image Size: 1712 x 1101
Frame Rate: 23.976
Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 24-bit - Mono
Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - Mono
Total Duration: 00:01:06:05
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0
Alpha: None
Color Space: Rec. 709
Color Space Override: Off
Input LUT: None

QuickTime Details:
Movie contains 1 video track(s), 1 audio track(s), 0 closed caption track(s), and 1 timecode track(s).

Video:
There are 1589 frames with a duration of 1001/24000ths.

Video track 1:
Duration is 0:01:06:06
Average frame rate is 23.98 fps

Video track 1 contains 1 type(s) of video data:

Video data block #1:
Frame Size = 1712 x 1101
Compressor = Apple ProRes 422 Proxy
Quality = Most (5.00)

Audio:
Audio track 1 contains 1 type(s) of audio data:

Audio data block #1:
Format = 24 bit - 5 channels
Rate = 48000 Hz
Compressor = uncompressed

Timecode:
Timecode track 1 contains 1 type(s) of data:

Timecode data block #1:
Start Time = 09:52:47:20
Reel name =

File Path: J:\TTMFT production\120724\A_CAM\A01\A001B30R\A001C010_120101_B30R.mxf
Type: MXF
File Size: 29.29 GB
Image Size: 3424 x 2202
Frame Rate: 23.976
Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 24-bit - 5 Channels
Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - 5 Channels
Total Duration: 00:01:55:13
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0
Alpha: None
Color Space: Rec. 709
Color Space Override: Off
Input LUT: None

MXF File details:
Wrapper type: MXF OP1a (type: SingleItem SinglePackage MultiTrack Stream Internal)
File generated by: ARRI, ALEXA Mini (SUP 6.01.01)
ARRIRAW

Proxy Media

File Path: N:\KINO KIBEI 2\PF proxies\Narrative footage proxies\A001C010_120101_B30R_Proxy.mov
Type: QuickTime Movie
File Size: 535.38 MB
Image Size: 1712 x 1101
Frame Rate: 23.976
Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 24-bit - Mono
Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - Mono
Total Duration: 00:01:55:13
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0
Alpha: None
Color Space: Rec. 709
Color Space Override: Off
Input LUT: None

QuickTime Details:
Movie contains 1 video track(s), 1 audio track(s), 0 closed caption track(s), and 1 timecode track(s).

Video:
There are 2773 frames with a duration of 1001/24000ths.

Video track 1:
Duration is 0:01:55:15
Average frame rate is 23.98 fps

Video track 1 contains 1 type(s) of video data:

Video data block #1:
Frame Size = 1712 x 1101
Compressor = DNxHR LB 8-bit
Quality = Most (5.00)

Audio:
Audio track 1 contains 1 type(s) of audio data:

Audio data block #1:
Format = 24 bit - 5 channels
Rate = 48000 Hz
Compressor = uncompressed

Timecode:
Timecode track 1 contains 1 type(s) of data:

Timecode data block #1:
Start Time = 10:33:01:03
Reel name =

jamieclarke

Community Manager

Hi @JeremyAndrewDavis - just confirming after you transferred the files to your internal hd, you disconnected your external hard drive? Can you send one of the problem files and project to jamiec@adobe.com

JeremyAndrewDavisAuthor

Inspiring

Thanks @jamieclarke

I'm working in Premiere Pro 25.2

And just for clairty, my computer is a 14‑core CPU, 20‑core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine so this footage should be a cake walk.

I transferred the files to the internal computer hard drive and I'm getting the same errors.
I'm experiencing this error across multiple timelines that source multiple clips.

Here are a few:

This one is 60fps:

This one is 25fps (shot in AU):

This is another 25fps clip:

This one is 60fps:

One of these clips won't export at all. I've been able to export one which took forever and forced the fan on my computer to kick on high, which hasn't happened on anything simple like this before. Then, that exported video freezes on a frame and the rest of the video is that frame frozen.

jamieclarke

Community Manager

Hi @JeremyAndrewDavis - Thanks for submitting your bug report. We need a few more details to try to help with the issue.

Can you provide a screenshot of the media file properties for your files?

Are you getting frame recurssion errors on 1 file or multiple files?
Have you tried transferring the problem files to your internal hard drive and then relaunching Premiere to see if you still get the same errors?

We’ve made updates to address this issue in version 25. I recommend troubleshooting in version 25.0 or later.

Sorry for the frustration.

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