Media Encoder hangs rendering a prores proxy under OSX/macOS

[kev.lee.wright]

System:

Version: Media Encoder 2.1.1 (build 12)

OS: macOS High Sierra 10.13.4

HW: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)

GPU:  AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2048 MB /  Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB

Settings:

source file: 3840x2160 h264 in quicktime container, 25fps, 4:2:0 8-bit colour, approx 1hr long

Target format: Quicktime / 1024x540 AppleProRes 422 (Proxy)

Renderer: Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (OpenCL)

When invoking "create proxies" under premiere, with the above system/settings, Media Encoder stalls and becomes unresponsive roughly 25% of the way through - though it continues to utilise very high amounts of CPU.  Both source and target files are on the local system disc.  The system is set up to NOT sleep when running of mains power.

Given that the estimated transcode time is 4 hours, it's especially painful to lose an hour's time when it dies

[chrisgoor]

Still remaining patient but it's been quite a while since Adobe was aware of the problem.

When will it be fixed?

[Dmitri Graf]

I can't comment on release schedule, but soon.

[Angry_Beards]

Hi Dima, thanks for the update.

This issue is really starting to disrupt my schedule now. I've lost a great deal of time due to it and I'm sure I can't be the only one expecting compensation?

[Iskandar Bwefar]

I’m having the same issue. Trying to encode proxy files captured with my Panasonic EVA1. It’s about 80 minutes of footage. ME get’s stuck after a while and then I have to manually restart it.

System:

Version: Media Encoder 12.1.1 (build 12)

OS: macOS High Sierra 10.13.5

HW: MacBook Pro 2016

GPU:  Radeon Pro 460 4096 MB

Settings:

Source file: 4096x2160 h264 in Quicktime container, 25fps, 4:2:2 10-bit color

Target format: Quicktime / 1024x540 AppleProRes 422 (Proxy)

Renderer: Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (OpenCL)

[mattiasg20167126]

I have the same issue now. All proxy making from 4K to a lower resolution has worked fine in the past, but when I started making proxies from the material out of my new Gopro Hero 6, then I have this exact issue. Halfway through the making of the proxy it freezes. Sometimes it also freezes before getting started.

This sucks! Looks like the bug has been there fore more than a month now and I have no way of completing my current job until the bug is resolved! =(

[madmark]

Another (very painful) workaround is to use CC17 media encoder. It works for me. The painful part is having to set each clip up by hand, and then attach by hand. Not ideal, but in a pinch it can work.

[Wagner Cursino Santos]

Hi Folks,

Also preventing from losing all my hair due to this new AME feature (save us some disk space by not creating too many proxy files!!). On my end here I'm just moving on:

1) Open ACTIVITY MONITOR, the go to the WINDOW menu, and open GPU history. Depending on your Mac setup, it will show one or 2 rows.

2) Open a finder window showing the location of your proxy files

3) Open your Premiere project, and go create your proxies. It will fire up AME, and start doing it's thing.

4) By the 3rd clip (probably), it will crash. But WAIT - it didnt crash. It's still running. Keep an eye on the GPU HISTORY.

5) When the GPU history gets idle, you latest proxy file is ready.

6) FORCE QUIT AME, and sometimes FORCE QUIT Premiere as well, since it can happen that PR will crash too.

7) If Premiere didn't crash, good. Just save the project, and ATTACH the PROXY just created (but not showed to us).

8) If Premiere crashed together with AME, the restart it and check for missing (not attached) proxies, and re-attach them.

9) Clean Media Cache and Delete Unused Caches, to keep things as clean as feasible.

10) Go to the next files needing Proxies, and create them, and just keep looking at the GPU history and your proxy folder. And on and on...

I've been doing this for 3 weeks now. It works. Once you have your proxies, your are good to go to your editing. Just to make sure: I have two Macs - MacBook Air 8 GB RAM (brand new) and MacBook Pro 16 GB RAM, Touch Bar and a nice GPU. The problem happens exactly the same o both machines, with several different projects. Even creating from scratch.

Never thought Adobe engineers would allow such a nightmare land on one of the most sensitive aspect of our workflow. I used to let my computer running overnight with dozens of files, and by the morning all proxies created, and good to go. Now I spend almost 2 days babysitting this process. I have 5 big projects do delivery by the end of the month. Will have to stay up awake for several nights to make it happen. At age of 50, not very healthy. Thanks Adobe!

[ccs32326005]

I have fixed I think - it's a little ugly - but trash newest version of AME and then from Cloud installer got to Media Encoder other versions and install version 12.1 instead.. Just testing now but seems to be working! 

This bug has been around so long!!

[Wagner Cursino Santos]

Hi Fellows,

Just an update to the AME Proxy issue.

I made a simple test: Just asked PR to create the proxies as usual. It fired up AME, and as expected, it halted at the 3rd clip - BUT - also as expected - it kept creating the proxy file under the hood.

The NEWS: Instead of looking at the GPU graph, and when its activity went to idle, Force-Quit everything, this time I made it different: JUST LET IT PROCEED...

Amazingly, even with no GPU activity, it keeps running. Eventually, after some minutes (5 minutes I think), it will move to the next file, and create the proxy. And on and on... Until it FINISHES! Yes, truly! At this point, AME would come back to life, out of the unresponsive state, and you just normally quit it, and you're good.

Premiere is not that lucky, maybe it would still be at the unresponsive state, and you might need to Force-Quit it. But then reopen it, and reattach all of your proxies, they will be ready to go.

HOWEVER ----> It's not that beautiful. There's a caveat, the PERFORMANCE. Just letting AME keep going thru it's 'unresponsive' state will get your proxies done. But it will TAKE A LOT MORE TIME. It seems (not confirmed) that it stops using the GPU, and move thru software-based rendering. Again, not confirmed if that is the reason. The thing is that you need to take this into consideration.

If you just leave your office by 6 pm, and just let the computer run overnight, this might do the trick. It will do in 10 hours, what would take 3 hours. But still, when you arrive at 8 am your proxies will be there anyways... So there you have it.

[ccs32326005]

Wagner is the "just leave it fix" using newest version of AME or v12.1  - I have had success with downgrading to 12.1 however there are times it beachballs and if I leave it going it does complete.  But not sure now if I had the latest version that it would have completed anyway..?

[Wagner Cursino Santos]

Hi ccs32326005. I tried the downgraded AME 12.1 (instead of 12.1.1 - the current version). Unfortunately, it made no difference to me. It just halted on the 3rd clip as usual (but kept working under the hood).

Also, with the clips I managed to create proxies, some of them came with no audio (in spite of the waveforms being displayed). By closing PR and reopening, I could hear audio in the SOURCE window, but not in the Timeline/Program window. So it seems I have another glitch to deal with in Premiere CC 2018, and not only Adobe Media Encoder.

Since I have too much work to do, and have no more time to spend just trying to have my videos available to me for editing, I decide to move to FINAL CUT PRO X. I know, it doesn't have all the features of Adobe Creative Cloud, but I just imported all my videos (.MP4, .MOV, .MTS), It just ingested 70 GB and created all PROXIES in about 1 hour, no halting or hanging or freezing. I just selected NEW MULTICAM CLIP. It created a syncronized video out of 3 cameras and 1 audio track. I cut it, equalized the sound, color corrected it, in about 45 minutes. Thanks Final Cut.

Adobe unfortunately is too worried adding new features, because the monthly payment system might demand it, which translates into more potential bugs in the system.

[Dmitri Graf]

We just released AME 12.1.2 where this bug is fixed.

Please download and let us know your results. Thanks.

[ccs32326005]

Wow - fingers crossed!  Hope no other bugs added..  Will be testing shortly

[Wagner Cursino Santos]

Hello, Will test it today and let you know. Thanks for the info.

[Wagner Cursino Santos]

Hi Dima,

I tested on a small project this afternoon, and it worked fine so far. The only thing to report: In the 'Create Multi-Camera Source Sequence' option it created a slightly out of sync sequence, I'd say 0,5 seconds out of sync between the footage (3 videos - MTS, .MOV (1080p 60fps and 24fps) and .MP4 (4k 24fps) - and one .AAC audio track). However not a deal-breaker, just a matter of spending 1 or 2 minutes to manually fine-tune the sync. Very different from the previous nightmare-ish situation. And based on the very different codecs involved here, it's kind of understandable.

I will test now with some big projects I have, and let you know the outcome.

So far so good.

[ccs32326005]

Did a test of 200 proxies of C300 MkII and FS7 4K footage to Pro Res.  All varying lengths from long interviews to short B-roll.  All went through overnight and took around 3hrs.

Did same test before update and never finished after 14hrs.. 

It certainly might be fixed!

[Dmitri Graf]

That is great news. Very happy to hear that.

[ccs32326005]

Just to add..  Adobe premiere didn't crash in the background either like previously while creating proxies..  so that is fixed too

[Wagner Cursino Santos]

Hi Folks,

Did more strong tests. It seems it's fixed. Converted 12 videos from .MOV to .MP4 using the new AME. It worked with no issues.

It seems Adobe is back on business.

Thanks for fixing that.

[Angry_Beards]

Hi Dima,

Thank you for the update. My desk top app tells me I am running the most up to date version of AME but when I check it's actually running 12.0.1. I have clicked 'check for app updates' but the new release doesn't show up. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks

[Dmitri Graf]

Hi Angry_Beards,

If the update isn't showing up, I'd recommend uninstalling AME, then installing it again through Creative Cloud app. It will install the latest version.

Also, restarting your computer is a good idea to clear the cache.

Glad to hear that the update is working for the rest of the people.

[JesseSchluntz]

Thanks Dima. Updating today.

[madmark]

Just batch converted a two day shoot last night - no problems!

[JesseSchluntz]

Add me to the list of users needing a fix for this please. I'm on a new imac pro and AME is useless for creating prores proxy batches. constantly freezing. This has been happening for months. H264 encodes are no problem.

This issue is not listed under the new version's bug fixes, so I'm hesitant to update. See attached.

[Dmitri Graf]

Jesse, this issue is fixed in 12.1.2 so please update.

We have many different lists so this bug just didn't make it into this list, but I verified personally that it's fixed in 12.1.2.

Cheers,