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siyabendbartin
Participating Frequently
November 18, 2023
Question

Can't edit my HEVC (H265) videos in Premiere Pro 2023

  • November 18, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 10833 views

Version 23.6.0 (Build 65) user here.

 

I was using H264 codec to record and edit but from now on I've decided to do it on H265 since it provides higher quality and lower file size. I recorded some stuff but I can't edit them in Premiere Pro 2023. It's so laggy and shows you the next frame maybe after 15 seconds, impossible to make your edits.


I don't think that my specs are the problem, I have 6900 XT GPU, 5800x3D CPU and 36 GB 3600 MHz RAM's.

 

I need your help everyone.

    2 replies

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    November 18, 2023

    RJL and Warren are giving you excellent professional advice. H.264/5 is a mess for editing, as ... there are very few actual video frames recorded/encoded to file. Maybe every 15-30 or more. Those are called iframes.

     

    In-between those few frames it stores frame datasets, that's all. Called p or b frames, depending on things. It's why the size on disc is so small!

     

    But those are just essentially a chart listing :

    a) pixels that have changed since the last iframe.

    b) pixels that will change before the next iframe.

    c) both.

     

    So to playback that file, frame by frame on the monitor, the computer has to do a TON of math work to de-encode and decompress and reconstruct up to 60 frames, storing them in RAM or cache files.

     

    That's why h.264/5 is great for small file on disc, but lousy for playback in all NLE apps.

     

    And why Warren's comment about generational issues is SO important to note!

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
      R
      RjL190365
      Legend
      November 18, 2023

      Which software are you using to record?

       

      If it is OBS, and your recording has an .mp4 extension, then it's the way that OBS wraps the container format that trips up Premiere Pro. Also, Premiere Pro has trouble dealing with VFR (Variable Frame Rate)  HEVC material as all NLEs currently in use had been designed many years ago when all video content was CFR (Constant Frame Rate).

       

      And if your recordings have a 4:2:2 chroma subsampling, forget about hardware decoding as no discrete GPU outside of Intel's ARC series supports it.

        S
        siyabendbartinAuthor
        Participating Frequently
        November 18, 2023

        I am using OBS and yeah, VBR was on but I've just changed it to CBR since it is better for gaming videos. But nothing has changed, I still can't edit my records on Premiere Pro.

        I also bought something from Microsoft Store named "HEVC Video Extensions" but it didn't help.

         

        I really don't want to go back H264 codec. Please help me.

        R Neil Haugen
        R Neil Haugen
        Legend
        November 20, 2023

        Guys, I appreciate you trying to help me. However, I don't know whether it is because my English is not very good or because I am not very knowledgeable on this subject, what you wrote was not helpful to me.

         

        H265 provides lower file size, faster rendering speed. That's why i want to use it. But I am very surprised that Premiere Pro doesn't let me editing my H265 videos smoothly. We are in 2024, it should be run fine...

        You gave me some advices about OBS, but I also record 1-minute clips with Radeon Software while playing games then montage them. Even if I fix the OBS part, I won't be able to edit videos from Radeon Software.

         

        By the way, the version of Premier Pro that I wrote in the first message was not up to date, I guess none of you noticed that lol, but it doesn't matter, because even though I updated it, the problem was not solved.

         

        What can I say, I am disappointed with Premiere Pro.


        H.264/5 are great at storing data in a very small space.

         

        They are the worst media to edit from in any NLE. Period.

         

        Why?

         

        They don't actually record all of every frame, they only record an actual frame (called iframes) every 9-30 or more 'frames' of video. For the other 29 or so frames, they make the computer recreate image data from keeping a copy of that iframe, maybe decoding/decompressing another iframe, and then using charts of pixel data.

         

        As in ... datasets of a) pixels that have changed since the last iframe or b) pixels that will change before the next iframe and c) BOTH.

         

        So to simply show a frame, the computer has to decode and decompress likely two iframes, store them to RAM/cache, then compute every frame in between from those datasets before they can show the first frame after an iframe.

         

        Some computers have the specialized chips, and can do 'hardware' encoding/decoding, and they can handle this without "as much" trouble. But many computers don't. No computer can play long-GOP H.264/5 as easily as they can an intraframe codec like ProRes, DNx, or Cineform.

         

        The "intraframe" codecs I listed are larger on disc because every frame is complete in and of itself, none requires any other decoding work. So they are vastly easier on the hardware to play.

         

        I work for/with/teach pro colorists. Some of the major teaching ones. I spend a lot of time at pro events and online in discussions with them about workflows.

         

        Most of them have 'heavy iron', computers VASTLY more powerful, loaded, and expensive than you or I. They'll have typically $15,000 (cheap setup) to $50,000 in monitors and calibration devices alone!

         

        And nearly all the ones I know ... on getting a job in from a client ... look for H.264/5 media. If it's 'there', they transcode all of it immediately, and grade from the transcodes. Because they don't want that stuff messing up their playback.

        Everyone's mileage always varies ...
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