Hardware encoding only available on VBR setting. (Mac M1)

[hifocused]

Hardware encoding only available on VBR 1 pass setting. (Mac M1)

Is this how it is for everyone on a mac or is something wrong with my system?

If I switch to VBR 2 pass or CBR it promps me that isn't available with my hardware. 

I'm on a Mac STudio M1 ultra.  

[R Neil Haugen]

2-pass encoding is a computed thing, totally ... so "hardware" encoding is never available for 2-pass encoding. And by 'hardware' this means parts of the CPU, NOT the GPU use.

That's also confusing ... as the phrase "hardware encoding" is used for two very different things.

On H.264 encodes, this phrase appears in the Summary section of the Export dialog ... and it refers to whether or not the CPU has the extra specially-designed H.264 computing hardware inside it. This use doesn't have anything to do with the GPU use.

OR "hardware only" can refer to GPU work on the effects within Premiere ... which only uses the GPU for things on the "GPU Accelerated Effects List" (search for it) such as color changes, changing frame-size, Warp, that sort of thing. And doesn't have anything to do with H.264 encoding.

Neil

[hifocused]

Thank you for the reply!
So no matter what system you have Mac or PC there is no hardware encoding on CBR or VBR 2 Pass?

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Also if I render out VBR-1 pass in H265 I notice it's softer than 50CBR but takes like 10-15xtimes longer.

see my notse on it.  All of them are the same bit rate.   I saw another post about how hardware encode is softer.  

4K rendered out all looked the same to me. 

I can’t see a quality difference zoomed at 150%

vs H264 VBR-1 pass 50 (hardware) 

vs H264 CBR (software) 

vs H265 CBR (software encode super slow) 

But

h265 VBR-1 looks softer less detail.  

[R Neil Haugen]

First thing ... as has been noted by many, software encoding is slower but often has higher quality of final result.

But the final result always depends on the fine details in the settings for the format/codec. So for the H.264/5 format/codecs, you need to go down to the Profile and Levels controls (in the "more... area) and see about upping those.

It's combinations of the target bitrate, profile, and levels that get the particular results.

Neil

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yes I did all that.  I had all the settings on the MORE the same (max bit depth max render quality) ect. 

[hifocused]

So no matter what system you have Mac or PC there is no hardware encoding on CBR or VBR 2 Pass?

[R Neil Haugen]

Correct.

Which Profile and Levels settings have you tried?

Neil

[hifocused]

Okay thanks!

This has been my typical export you can't see it but it's CBR 100Mbs below.

[R Neil Haugen]

I noted you have a 1920x1080 sequence, but are exporting UHD ... 3840x2160. That of course can be problematic ... are all the clips involved UHD, or are some/all 1920x1080?

[hifocused]

That's just because my video previews are set to 1920x1080.  The project is 3840x2160 see sequence settings.