H265 Editing Bugged in Premiere 2022

[trashcaneron]

I have a fuji XT3 that shoots 10-bit H265 / HEVC video files. Until CC 2021, you had to transcode those H265 files to a different codec in order to edit the files. With CC 2021, the H265 files seemed to run fine - sometimes they'd be a little choppy, but for basic editing, I didn't need to transcode. I could even scrub the footage most of the time. I know I should transcode, but keeping the footage small means I can fit a lot more footage on my internal hard drive. 

Fast forward to CC 2022, I started a new project with new footage. Premiere won't even playback H265 footage in Premiere anymore. Sup with that? Opened up an older project and have the same problem. The older project, the footage worked fine previously. 

This all using the same hard drive with consistently speedy read / write speeds. 

Dumbing the quality in Premiere also doesn't seem to work.

I'm installing a previous version of Premiere to see if that solves it. Groan. 

** update **

Opening the same file with previously confirmed functioning footage does work in Premiere CC 2021. Version 15.4.1 runs the HEVC / H265 footage in Premiere passibly. Premiere 2022 does not. I have reverted back to 2021 for Premiere. 

Creating a new project in CC 2021 (15.4.1) with new H265 footage also works just fine. 

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi canvokey,

Sorry for the frustration. I've seen this issue more than once lately. These 10-bit 4:2:0 files are rather "bleeding edge," so support for them might be spotty right now. I would transcode them for now in a pro post-production workflow. I do know that full support for these files is on the roadmap, however, I cannot share any details on that as the topic is out of my purview.

Right now, I believe engineering does not have hardware decoding for these files, as they do for other flavors of H.264/HEVC, so their performance is rather dependent on CPU and less so for your GPU (unlike other Long GOP files that might be supported for hardware decoding). The product team typically introduces innovations along these lines in Beta first, so I would keep an eye on upcoming versions of the feature there.

Thanks,
Kevin 

[trashcaneron]

FYI anyone else with this issue.

Premire 2021 still plays H265 files just fine on intel machines. 

Premiere 2022 doesn't play H265 files very well on intel machines. 

Premiere 2022 plays H265 files just fine on M1 machines.

Premiere 2022 running in Rosetta on M1 machines plays OK, but not great (better than intel). 

What I've learned here is now you have to try Premiere 4 different ways to find out which works in which scenario. Maybe it's time to have one-ring-to-rule-them-all? Or a QA team, that, you know does QA.

[trashcaneron]

JK that was all a lie. After spending more time with it... 

PR 2021 is still the only way to go for H265 HEVC. Bummer. 

[Kevin-Monahan]

canvokey,

Apologies. See if the Beta is working for your files. 

Thanks,
Kevin

[trashcaneron]

It is not, Kevin.

Cross posted- On the M1 Max 22.3.0 Beta performs better than the non beta version in playing back HEVC, but it is still so choppy that it's not functional to use as an editor for this type of footage. Using J,K,L transport control fails miserably and some footage just doesn't play back at all. This is after a cache clean and waiting for my file to update media (from 2021 to 2022 beta). Point being, not a solution (for XT3 footage, at least). Sticking to 2021 for now. 

[trashcaneron]

Do we have any updates on this? Still using PR 2021 and it has some bugs that I'd love to not have to deal with anyrmore! 

[trashcaneron]

@Kevin-Monahan I saw that you marked the above as a correct answer... but still not a solve. Any updates on this working in CC 2022? 

[Kevin-Monahan]

Sorry about that, trashcaneron. I unmarked it as solved for you. Looks like Mayjain says it's fixed in the Beta. Update the Beta and let me know if it is finally working for you. Much appreciated and sorry for all the hassle!

Thanks,
Kevin

[Andy 1968]

Someone else had a similar problem. If it worked and no it no longer does the Quick Sync or Nvenc could have cut out. Even if Quick Sync and Nvenc are enabled they can cut out. You would have to check your stats to see if the GPUs are encoding or decoding as seen in the video link below.  

[trashcaneron]

Hmm I'm on a Mac. This problem is cross platform. The files work in 2021. They do not work in 2022. 

[Andy 1968]

Is Quick Sync working? 

[trashcaneron]

Not an Intel processor ! 

[mayjain]

Hi @trashcaneron @Andy 1968 ,

Sorry for this problem regarding Fuji XT3 media files. We have fixed this in the latest beta builds and this is also on track to be available in normal builds. We will update you soon.

Meanwhile, you can download the latest Premiere Pro Beta build from Creative Cloud --> Beta apps --> Premiere Pro (Beta).
https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/creative-cloud-public-beta.html

Please let us know how it goes in the beta build.

Thanks,
Mayjain

[trashcaneron · Accepted solution]

FYI Premiere Pro 22.3.0 (mid april release) works with HEVC finally !! nice 

[Matthew22950650b2q4]

No it doesn't. It won't work with anything shot at 50fps and slowed down within premiere..eithwer interpretted or speed changed. 

The 4k x265 shot at 25fps plays back fine but it can't play 1080P50fps.

I'm on a mac and it doesn't work in Prem 2022 or the latest beta. The latest beta is too unstable to use for work.

[trashcaneron]

Hmmm, I am not having problems with Premiere anymore as far as playback and editing of HEVC XT3 files. Throwing fx on that footage has miserable results and is super slow, however. 

I shoot everything either at 23.976 or 59.94. In Premiere, those files run just fine. Make sure your timeline frame rate matches your file frame rate? It definitely runs like an idiot if I throw a 59.94 into a 23.976 timebas.e 

I'm only running into world-ending issue with After Effects. AE's performance with those same files is miserable. This is a new problem. 

[Matthew22950650b2q4]

Still not working properly for me at all in Premiere. The issue I believe is in 2022 where my stadard workflow no longer works. I create a 25fps timeline. My A-can is taklking heads all shot at 25fps and my overlay is shot at 50fps. 

I import the 50fps footage and interpret it as 25fps.. then drop it on the timeline. I've worked this way without a hitch since 2015.

The only way I can work now with the Fuji 50fps is to make quicktime proxies of every single file and edit with those. The colourspace is so inaccurate tho with the proxies I end up guessing my grade. I can't even skip through the frames of a clip if I toggle off proxie.

The beta crashes as well so it's all a right pain.

[trashcaneron]

Unfortunate twist: After Effects 2022 is now having extremely poor performace with HEVC files. Can't even use Lumetri at 4k resolution and expect quick rendering... Thought we've already been down this path...

[Matthew22950650b2q4]

Same problem here. I can't even get smooth playback on XT3 1080P .x265 footage anymore. Edited with it just fine in 2021. Software issue.

I'm on 22.4.0 MAC

[Matthew22950650b2q4]

An update here. I just went and downloaded the latest beta to try and get smooth playback on my xt3 footage and it crashes just trying to rearrange windows. 

It's a bit of an insult to have someone from Adobe say "These 10-bit 4:2:0 files are rather "bleeding edge," so support for them might be spotty right now." this is just ridiculous. I've been editing these files with 2020 & 2021 just fine. the xT3 came out in 2019 so there is nothing bleeding edge about it.

[trashcaneron]

Couldn't agree more.