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AE 24.0.3. imported Prores luminance flicker

Contributor ,
Nov 22, 2023 Nov 22, 2023

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M1 Mac Ultra
macOS Ventura 13.6.1
AE 24.0.3.

 

Imported Prores 4444 and XQ files have luminance level drop when RAM previewing and exporting. The frame you start previewing from and a couple of first frames on the timeline have dropped luminance levels.

[Please see the attached video.]
If you turn "Quality and sampling" to low preview does not flicker. But you cannot use this for final rendering.

Screenshot 2023-11-22 at 15.15.03.JPG

 

Hardware acceleration is turned off for both Import and Export.
Color Management or Color Depth settings have no effect.

 

This problem is getting more than annoying because I have not been able to update AE from 23.2.1. Most of my work is Prores originals. No client will accept anything like this. It is getting very hard to justify paying monthly for the Adobe subscription. As a long-time customer, I demand this problem gets proper attention.

Can anybody please confirm if this is a known problem? I have been exchanging messages and trying to get help, but so far, nothing has happened. Prores files work fine with the mentioned AE 23.2.1. Upgrading to any higher version has this Prores problem.

 

Respectfully
Mr Jari Hakala

Bug Investigating
TOPICS
Import and export , Performance

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Adobe Employee , Mar 08, 2024 Mar 08, 2024

This should be fixed in the 24.4 build 9 Beta which is now available for testing.

Please let me know if you are seeing the same.

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19 Comments
Adobe Employee ,
Nov 22, 2023 Nov 22, 2023

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Looking into this.

Two quick questions to get started:

1. Could you attach the ProRes gradient clip that is demonstrating the issue for you?
2. Do you seem the same flickering with this footage in Premiere Pro?

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Contributor ,
Nov 23, 2023 Nov 23, 2023

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Hello Paul,

 

Thanks for your reply.
Any clip rendered as a Prores 4444 from AE will do. I am happy to send my test clip (5-second long HD1080 Prores 4444) Here is a Wetransfer link to download the test clip in Prores format (expires on 30.11.).

https://we.tl/t-J47Uv70sXM

if you can pm me an email or a drop box, etc. I can send it directly to you for download.

 

"Cache frames" is off.
Exported video flickers even if dropped directly to Render Queue without any RAM preview.

 

The problem may pass unnoticed with real live material. Add an imported Prores 4444 clip with some peak whites to a timeline and add a levels effect. Lower the gamma drastically to make only the highlights visible and it is quite easy to notice. The luminance level drops in a couple of first frames on the timeline and the frame you started your preview from. This is visible in the rendered result.

 

(2.  Sorry, I don't use Premiere, so I cannot confirm if the problem is visible there too.)

 

Regards

 

Jari Hakala

Postwork

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Adobe Employee ,
Nov 29, 2023 Nov 29, 2023

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Was out for a few days. Looking into this now.

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Adobe Employee ,
Nov 29, 2023 Nov 29, 2023

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OK Jari, I think I've got something here. Try these steps:

1. Launch AE.
2. In Preferences (Settings): Memory & Performance, disable Enable Multiframe Rendering.
3. In Preferences (Settings): Media & Disk Cache, Clean Database & Cache (or if you want to be absolutely thorough, navigate to the Database and Cache folder locations and delete them from disk).
4. New Composition.
5. In the Composition Menu: Preview, disable Cache Frames When Idle.
6. Quit AE.
7. Relaunch, import your ProRes gradient clip into a new composition.

Does the flicker no longer occur?

That is what I am seeing on my Mac system.

Paul

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Contributor ,
Nov 29, 2023 Nov 29, 2023

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Hi Paul,

I followed your steps to the letter, but sadly the preview still flickers on my Mac.

 

Jari

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Adobe Employee ,
Nov 29, 2023 Nov 29, 2023

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Ah, I think it's a bit more subtle, and I don't think Render Multiple Frames is actually involved.

So repeat the steps up to 7, ignoring step 2.

Now:

1. Step forward frame by frame in the Comp using the Cmd+Right Arrow key combo — no flicker?
2. Back to time 0, Purge all memory (disc cache already off).
3. Spacebar to start a preview — yes flicker?

This is what I'm seeing.





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Contributor ,
Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

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Hello

 

Time zone difference makes a small delay... 🙃

 

- When I drop a Prores clip to a comp, whatever frame I am parked at has already the dropped luminance level. It seems I cannot bypass this.
- Advancing frame by frame holds the levels same, so no flicker.
- After purging all memory & cahe and pressing play causes a flicker. A couple of first frames on the timeline and the frame you started the playback from.

 

What is interesting to me, luminance level stays correct when turning layer sampling to low.
AE internal generated solids, shapes, etc are not affected. Only imported Prores encoded material.
PS. This does happen with Prores 422 too!

 

Regards
Jari

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Adobe Employee ,
Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

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To clarify (and this is my suspicion as well), it's the initial "dropped luminance" frames that are incorrect relevant to the source footage?

Now that we have a clear repro case, we're digging in to why this is happening.

Thanks for your persistence here!

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Contributor ,
Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

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Yes. The dropped level is the incorrect one.

Hope this gets solved soon.

 

Thank you

Jari

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Adobe Employee ,
Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

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Investigating

Status Investigating

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Contributor ,
Dec 09, 2023 Dec 09, 2023

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Sigh... AE version 24.1 just appeared. M1 Mac Prores is still flickering.

I knew I was over-optimistic to hope for a Christmas present 🙂, but...

 

maybe a Happy New Year's surprise?

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Contributor ,
Jan 22, 2024 Jan 22, 2024

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Dear Adobe,
Any news yet? Soon it will be a year since I was able to update my After Effects version. I am getting a bit annoyed and frustrated business-wise.
I am open to suggestions and happy to receive some compensation.

 

Respectfully

 

 

 

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Adobe Employee ,
Jan 25, 2024 Jan 25, 2024

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Jari,

Apologies for taking so long to get back to you.

 

I understand your frustration with this issue.

It definitely took much longer than it should have for it to be recognized as a separate and unique issue. It was repeatedly confused with a different ProRes flickering issue (that had previously been resolved), and it wasn't until I really dug into it in December that it was clearly a different (and very consequential issue). 

I wish I could confirm that it will be fixed in the next AE release, but that is unlikely to be the case. I know it doesn't really help you to know that I am pushing very hard for this issue to be addressed ASAP, but that is really all I can tell you at this point.

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Contributor ,
Jan 30, 2024 Jan 30, 2024

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Paul,

Thank you for the update.

 

 

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Adobe Employee ,
Feb 22, 2024 Feb 22, 2024

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Still actively working on it. This has proven a difficult issue to resolved, but it is indeed in-process.

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Contributor ,
Feb 22, 2024 Feb 22, 2024

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Thank you, Paul.

I appreciate the update. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

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Adobe Employee ,
Mar 08, 2024 Mar 08, 2024

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This should be fixed in the 24.4 build 9 Beta which is now available for testing.

Please let me know if you are seeing the same.

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Contributor ,
Mar 08, 2024 Mar 08, 2024

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Paul, thank you.

I tested importing a Prores 4444 video clip and I cannot see the luminance flicker anymore.

 

Can you shed any information on when version 24.4 will be officially released, please?

 

Happy

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Adobe Employee ,
Mar 11, 2024 Mar 11, 2024

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LATEST

Probably 6-8 weeks out.

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