Announcement: Changes to QuickTime DNxHD support in Premiere Pro 22.3

Report · Apr 26, 2022

In the latest release of Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Media Encoder, we have updated the way we create QuickTime DNxHD files. Here is a brief overview of those changes, as well as a history of updates to DNxHR files.

In the fall of 2020, we made significant changes to our support for DNx media. These changes included bug fixes and additional functionality, such as support for 12-bit DNxHR 444, and brought us up-to-date with the latest DNx specification from Avid.

The downside to doing this was that DNxHR media that was made in this new version of our apps could not be used with older versions. At the time, we were able to avoid making similar changes to DNxHD, and DNxHD files created with new versions still worked with old versions.

But... (you knew there was a "but" coming, right?)

After we made the changes, our friends at Avid told us that there were problems with the files we were creating – our DNxHD output was not working properly in the current version of Avid Media Composer. To fix that, we needed to make some more changes. Unfortunately, those changes affect the DNxHD workflow that we hoped to leave untouched.

So here's the scoop on DNxHD files starting in the v22.3 release of Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Media Encoder.

QuickTime DNxHD media generated in v22.3 or later will not be compatible with previous versions of our products – those files will be imported as audio-only.
DNxHD SQ Thin Raster and DNxHD LB can no longer be exported with an alpha channel
The way we create alpha channel information has changed, so the interface has changed. QuickTime DNx alpha options are now "None" and "Compressed"
We fixed a bug where some Avid DNx media generated by newer versions of Avid Media Composer would import into our products as audio-only. If your DNx media from Avid imports as audio-only, please message me here on the Community or reach out to us on Twitter.com/adobecare
DNxHD output from the 22.3 release and later will no longer work in the older versions of Avid Media Composer. We recommend either updating your version of Avid Media Composer or moving to a DNxHR workflow.

Hope this information helps you keep track of your workflow. Any feedback left in this thread will be brought directly to the formats team!

Report · Sep 23, 2022

Adobe After Effects 22.3 - 22.6

I work in a big Post House, no Update of AVID Media Composer anytime soon.

We need an Avid DNxHD interlaced Workflow!

We're stucked with AE Version 2.2.1 so we can't make use to the full benefits of our Apple M1 or M2 Machines.

Avid DNxHR SQ8Bit always write "progressive" into the Metadata, even if it is "interlaced" -

unusable for us. What is going on? Please fix the DNxHD Problem or the Metadata Problem with DNxHR!

Thank You! Steffen

Report · Sep 23, 2022

@Fergus H ... could you pop in please? This is a real problem for those working with Avid/Premiere/Resolve workflows.

Neil

Report · Oct 10, 2022

Has anyone set up a workaround for this? Some sort of Watch Folder solution that automatically transcodes renders? This is such a pain in the ass, and made us look bad to our post supervisor.

Report · Oct 12, 2022

Right now I would prefer Apple ProRes 4444.

Report · Oct 12, 2022

The only workaround I'm aware of still is to roll back to AE 22.2.1

Report · Oct 27, 2022

It sounds to me like we are in two very similar production environments. Nobody updates the Media Composer under penalty of termination. My editor is mad at ME over this. Now I'm off to see if I can roll back to Premiere 22.2.1.

Report · Oct 11, 2022

Jeez, I'm glad I found this thread, because I was beginning to question my sanity here!

I can confirm that QT import with alpha is still broken with MediaComposer 2018 version (the LAST useful version of that program that lots of us still use)

Rolled back to 22.2.1 now everything works OK again. Still - not very satisfactory.

To the folks at Adobe: It's really nice to hear you're freinds with the Avid people, but let me share some wisdom with you as a seasoned Avid user of over 20 years:

Don't ever, ever, ever install a new MediaComposer release until the screams in the forums have died out.

In your case it probably translates to something like:

Don't ever, ever, ever implement a new Avid spec until the screams in the developer community have died out.

Anyways, back to it, and have a great day!

Report · Nov 01, 2022

really need an urgent fix for this. This is an industry standard that is affecting livelyhood of people and companies. Does anyone know if Adobe is going to do anything for it?

Report · Nov 01, 2022

Our fix has been to render DNXHR and force it to 1080p in the resize settings. All of our recent ae's have been happy with this compromise, on their various versions of Media Composer.

Report · Nov 16, 2022

Just an FYI... Re-wrapping 22.3 DNxHD MOV's with ffmpeg allows them to be imported. Also not a great workaround, but at least ffmpeg once again comes to the rescue when Adobe f's up. Maybe Adobe can fix it by making another 10 processes run at system startup.

Report · Jul 27, 2023

Thank you! But - Is Adobe gone mad???????? So any of my da vinci files (latest version) is not running on premiere anymore? Thats a masive inconvenience! MASSIV!!!

Report · Jul 27, 2023

Please please please stop killing our work flow with you call bug fixes. PLEASE dont touch running systems! Please respect the people who work and trust with your products for decades!! Please please please!! Especially in the Windows world with Da vinci and Premiere After effects working together this is a crazy. Throwing handgranates towards your customers is Sillicon Valley way of showing who is in charge. Trust me on the longer run we are. Like you lost big against Da vinci - with more and more - not only colorist - moving on...

food for thoughts

Report · Sep 12, 2023

The lack of standard workflow concerns required before an update its pushed out is the result of ADOBE's entry level consumer focused business model at work...unfortunately. Priority is to make sure the noob subscription herd is interested. Everything else is minutia. I remember a day when updates were only once or twice a year and no one updated anyway for several years at a time. Less time with updates, more time creating. This new paradigm is frankly just silly contantly searching for whats now missing/broken.

Mod note: Profanity removed. Please avoid in the future because of minors reading here.

Report · Sep 12, 2023

We all have our viewpoints. Mine in many ways may be close to yours, at least as a preference.

But those days ain't these days. It isn't just "noobs" wanting changes *now*. There are teams from major companies and post houses that need this or that capability yesterday, and camera makers are dumping out altered or completely new formats.

So the pressure on the devs for this and other post apps to make altered tools or new code for new processes is intense and ongoing.

Report · Sep 12, 2023

I would argue "Drag n drop presets" gets more marketing money than "integrates with professional workflows". Im not holding my breath for ADOBE to address professional workflows and AVID compatability concerns when you cant even archive a client's Premier project if ADOBE discontinues allowing you to "borrow" that project version. No guarantee future versions will support opening it. "Want us to re-cut your project from 2020...I will have to check if ADOBE says if we are allowed to open it." Not enough people understand this important fact.

Report · Sep 12, 2023

In my experience over the years, most users are more aware of their specific workflow issues than most other things. Pretty normal human behavior, right? Not that many users look at more of an over-all picture.

Like the other user a couple weeks back arguing that because PrPro's ProRES RAW support is so minimalistic, it's not a real professional program, like say, Resolve.

Losting argument right off the bat.

Because at least Premiere can work with PrRes raw, even with only that silly single "exposure" control. Resolve does not allow ProRes raw in any way shape or form, and their staffers have been pretty blunt on the BM forums that it ain't coming anytime soon. As in ... perhaps ever.

So I noted in this in a followup post and was told essentially this was irrelevant. Right ... 😉

I work for/with/teach pro colorists, mostly based in Resolve, and am constantly around their discussions with all the interoperability issues between apps. That being sorta the bane of the pro colorist. Premiere has issues, but then, they also can have issues with Avid/Resolve workflows. Ain't none of these apps 'talks' well with the others. Sadly.

So PrPro devs are working on greater Red and Arri support, but ... that apparently isn't really pro work. Because they also have to work to be useful with drone and mirrorless cameras also. Which are not only used on prosumer work, but as secondary cams in many rather high-end things. And from the complaints by colorists I see, in a lot of long-form and episodic work.

All this to say the devs have difficult choices, I recognize that. And I don't often agree with their priority list myself ... which a number of the devs are quite aware of. But we all want a different priority list from every other user out there.

And I always encourage other users to post their suggested priorities ... with detailed reasons for their workflow ... right here. Argue for things. Post "Ideas". I go upvote a lot of Ideas that I probably wouldn't use, but I can see they'd be of great use to others. So yea, I'll vote for that thing.