Media Encoder just stops encoding proxies (only proxies!)

Report · Jan 06, 2020

Whenever I try to create a proxy, ME starts working and then just stops after a while. No crashes, no freezes - it just stops doing anything. I can hear my CPU vent slowing down and the CPU usage goes down to 0%. ME doesn't crash, it's still functioning and I can pause the encode.

The really weird thing about this is that this only happens when I try to encode proxies. Now I only recently learned about proxies and I never used them before so I don't now whether this is a new issue. Maybe it never worked on my system. Encoding videos (normal export) still works finde. It's just the proxies that don't work.

Report · Jan 07, 2020

What format are you choosing when trying to create proxies? Have you tried one of the other formats?

Also, forgetting the proxy workflow, what happens if you try to manually transcode a video using the same format as you chose while making proxies?

Report · Jan 07, 2020

I tried QuickTime GoPro CineForm as well as Apple ProRes 422 Proxy in every resolution available. Using these presets in normal export works fine. But it's not the same because it mixes my sound down to one channel so I can't use it as a proxy. Otherwise I would be fine with exporting the sequence manually and then attaching it later.

Report · Jan 07, 2020

Understood. Yes, Premiere is frustratingly inflexible when it comes to proxies and audio.

You say that AME stops working after a while. Can you narrow down where the issue is? Try creating only one proxy. You can also hit Cmd/Ctrl+L while in AME to bring up the log. Scroll to the very bottom and see if there's anything useful.

Does the proxy get created but maybe AME hangs when it's communicating back with Premiere to attach it, or does AME hang in the middle of encoding?

Report · Jan 10, 2020

AME stops in the middle of the encoding process. The file created isn't complete so it never get's to the point where it could send the file back to Premiere. As soon as AME hangs and the encode stops, part of the program freezes. I'm still able to pause the encode but trying to completely stop it results in AME freezing completely so I have to kill it in the Task Manager. The log just says that the encode was interrupted by the user and nothing else.

But in the last couple days I started to use Handbrake with their built-in proxy preset and that works pretty well so it's not that big of deal anymore.

Report · Jan 10, 2020

Ok, well I'm glad you at least have a workaround. I wonder, though, if theres an issue with your footage, or something wonky with your user account. If you wanted to explore this further you could always try completely different footage (maybe even a different format, just in case) and a new user account to see what happens in a 'clean' environment.

Report · Jan 10, 2020

I tried atleast three different projects with different files and everytime the same thing happens. I reinstalled AME and nothing changed.

Report · Jan 10, 2020

Sorry to hear that. Then I would recommend testing a new user account.

Report · Jan 18, 2020

I didn't really understand the idea behind this process but I did what you asked for and nothing changed. I tried to create a proxy for the exact same file, once with my normal account and once with a fresh one. The first time, it stopped after around eight minutes, the second time it stopped after one.

Report · Jan 18, 2020

The purpose was to see whether the issue was local to your user account (settings and preferences that can easily be wiped out and that live in specific folders) vs something problematic deeper in the app's structure. Since the problem is happening on all accounts I recommend the nuclear option. It's no fun, but also neither is dealing with this problem: https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

Report · Jan 19, 2020

So what are you suggesting? I used the tool to completely remove ME but that didn't help.

Report · Jan 20, 2020

At this point it's hard to say. Is all of your footage, even though it's from different projects, the same format?

It could also be your hardware. Maybe you have a driver conflict, or maybe you're running an older version of Windows with some incompatibilites. Both of these can easily cause unexplained problems with software. The next thing I would try is to make sure all of your Adobe apps (or at least AME is running the latest version of 2020), and that Windows and your GPU driver are up-to-date.

Report · Jan 20, 2020

Yes, all files are the same format from the same source. They're TS files. All apps are running in the newest version, I always update everything. Windows 10 just got an update a couple of days ago and GPU drivers are up to date.

Report · Jan 20, 2020

Well that's good, at least. TS doesn't tell you anything about the file, though, it just means Transport Stream. What codec and resolution are they? What camera did they come from, and at what settings?

Report · Jan 20, 2020

The files are created by the Elgato Software, it's not a camera file. Mediainfo says: MPEG-TS, AVC, High@L4.1, 1920x1080 pixels, 60 FPS, Colorspace YUV, Chroma Subsampling 4:2:0, progressive, BT.709

This format in itself is just a pain to scrub through and it takes forever to load. That's why I have to work with either proxies or an equivalent.

Report · Jan 20, 2020

Ah, then your footage might be the problem. But that still doesn't explain why regular conversion works but the proxy workflow doesn't. So these are either screen recordings or game recordings? Yes, that would be a pain to scrub through, especially on a machine that's not necessarily high performance, but even on a beefy machine that could be problematic.

Without knowing which piece of Elgato software I can't say if there are other options that would be better for export, but I think if nothing else, you need to file a bug on the AME UserVoice site: https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911308-media-encoder

If you have no problem transcoding with the normal workflow, but the Proxy workflow is throwing an error, then that's something the engineering team should know. Provide as much information as you can, most of which was already covered in these posts.

Since you are able to transcode normally, are you aware that you can batch attach proxies without the Proxy workflow? https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/kb/ingest-proxy-workflow-premiere-pro-cc-2015.html

This article has a section about attaching that details what you need to know for this to be successful, but it should give you a decent workaround.

Report · Jan 20, 2020

OK first of all: thank you very much for your patience and your help! I think I'm onto something. When I first said that the encode only freezes when I try to render proxies, I really meant that. But I don't export in any one of the formats used for proxies. I followed your advice and tried encoding a video directly through AME without the proxy workflow and it gets stuck. So the problem seems to be something regarding the codec or my system not being able to work with that.

So what I need is some way to repair or fix broken codecs on my system or to completely wipe the codecs that are used for proxies in AME and reinstall them. Something's up with them and I start to believe that this has nothing to do with AME or proxies.

Report · Jan 21, 2020

You're welcome, and it's always tough to narrow down a problem like this. I don't think the encoders are the problem, I think it might be that the decoder reading your footage is not happy with whatever Elgato is exporting. If you properly ran the Cleaner Tool then you already wiped AME and its components out.

You can try directly exporting to the same settings that AME got stuck on, but from within Premiere. If this is the case then that further confirms your source footage is the problem. Your Handbrake solution might just be the way to go here as it can often be more flexible with weird footage.

Report · Jan 10, 2020

Tolosuka,

can you open AME, Preferences, Audio Hardware

and make sure your Default Output isn't set to a disconnected device? I had a user expericing something similar and the issue ended up being AME was trying to connect to a disconnected audio device.

Report · Jan 11, 2020

Just checked - it's set to the correct device.

Report · Aug 06, 2020

I am having same issue. Haven't used proxies since January, Yesterday i wanted to use proxies and media encoder won't encode them it just stops.vI also updated to latest everything and still same issue.

I DID manage to encode some yesterday but on repeating today it failed again. Pressing STOP hangs ME and i need to them kill it

/J

Report · Nov 11, 2020

I have the same issue, happend on AME 2019, using AME 2020 and PR 2020, problem solved, keep both PR AME 2019 and 2020, because there maybe problems with AME and PR 2020.

Report · Jan 29, 2021

I am having the same issue. I'm trying to create proxies for my Canon Cinema RAW Light footage. I've tried every defaul ingest preset as well as creating a custom ProRes 422 720p preset.

AME barely encodes the first file, then crashes. Sometimes it freezes my computer with it. I've resorted to creating proxies outside of the project file, with AME 2019 (which I will have to manually relink later). This seems to be working, but it's a major inconvenience to my workflow, as I deal with huge RAW files all the time.

This has to be a bug with the new AME v.14, I've never had this issue before and I've troubleshooted as far as I can go. Adobe, please fix!!

Report · Apr 07, 2021

I've been having the same issue. I'm trying to create proxies from a Eos R and a GH5. It just stops Encoring, the system doesn't crash, it literally stops Encoring. I'm using AME 2021 the newest version on a windows pc! Anybody know how to fix this problem?????

Report · Apr 18, 2021

I have the same problems. Proxies created in AME or Premiere>AME or AE>AME all crashes. I have Black Magic .braw files. They all stop after a few minutes. I'm on PC and my colleague on a Mac had to create my proxies in AME.

Adobe is always creating havok with my deadlines....

I wonder if the graphic card (Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti) and Adobe has compability issues?