can't choose software rendering on a m-1 13" 2020 macbook pro

[Michael Grenadier]

when running the native version of premiere in project settings.  If I quit and launch the intel version, the option is available.  And I did try and create a new project in the native version...  Is this normal behavior?  I'm also seeing some glitching on playback of both rendered and unredered material when working on the native version.  The sources are all 1080 prores422 30p having been transcoded from avchd and iphone material using editready (and yes, the iphone material is now constant frame rate).    RAM is maxed out at 16gigs...  and Premiere is up to date...   Am I missing something obvious?  

[Kevin-Monahan · Accepted solution]

m,

Yes. There is no software-only option for the ARM version of the application. Can you try allocating more RAM for the app in Preferences > Memory? That is in the known issues doc. I noticed some playback problems with UHD H.264. After rendering to ProRes LT it stopped occurring.

Kevin

[Michael Grenadier]

thanks as always Kevin.  Just wanted to make sure there wasn't an issue with my configuration...  Will check the RAM allocation when I get in to the studio.   There's only 16 gigs of RAM total.  How would you configure this option?   Was seeing the playback issue with prores proxy proxies...   

[Michael Grenadier]

Hey Kevin,

just got one of those irritating reminders from Adobe "Did you get the answer you needed" and there's no option for "sort of."   Still seeing the glitching although all the video sources have been transcoded to prores 422.  I did reducing the ram reserved for adobe apps to 12 gigs which didn't make any difference.  I've tried running premiere without any other apps running...   Outputting to h264 1080 vimeo preset has some of these issues.  I've changed my preview format to prores422 which didn't completely remove the issue and even rendering the entire timeline and then exporting with use previews to prores422 will had some (but fewer issues).  Switching to the intel version and switching to software rendering improved the situation but did not solve the problem...  Since the problem is intermittent and unpredictable, I think it somewhat helped but can't be sure.  I finally used a 2017 macbook pro for the output which worked just fine.  So the issue is either in the m-1 macbookpro or in premiere not the project or the media (I assume).

Can go in to more detail has to what's happening but it's inconsistent and unpredictable.  Will try creating a new user today on the m-1 machine and see if that makes a difference.  I'm not on the system right now, but I did update to the latest version of premiere and the latest mac OS

Any ideas?  Should I increase the ram reserved for adobe apps to more than 12 gigs?  Will try this when I get in to the studio today.   

And of course, if anyone else has any suggestions, or explanation, please speak up.    Thanks to everyone here as always.  This forum is an incredible resource...    Gotta say, I thought it was premature on the clients part buying an m-1 macbookpro 6 months ago...  particularly with the RAM limitation of 16 gigs.  I've specced out a new macbookpro for another client with the RAM maxed out.  Hopefully that will eliminate this issue...  honestly although I've been working with macs since early avid media composer days, I've been having far fewer issues on a decent although not maxed out custom built windows machine.  Unfortunately most of my clients are windows phobic...

[Michael Grenadier · Accepted solution]

so I reduced the ram reserved for OS and other apps down to 3 gigs and it solved the issue...

[Michael Grenadier]

and then the problem returned...  restarting using the "intel" version and changing to software rendering got me over that hump.  but not a lot of fun.  I do have access to an intel macbookpro that I can switch to for my final output and sometimes sending the problem shot to AE and the replacing the clip in the timeline with the AE render solves the problem...  It's possible there's something off in the source material as I did see some sections that got very pixelated when I exported...  source material is a combo of iphone footage and 1080 avchd from a sony cam and large still images.  but all the source video was transcoded via edit ready to prores422.  The thing that solved the problem with the pixelization was to output has prores422(hq) which was fine and then bring that file into AME and then export as h264 for vimeo...   Luckily it's a 6 minute piece so workarounds are not horribly time-consuming...  and my client trusts me to solve the problem rather than blame me for it...