ISSUE - Poor hardware encoding quality - Mac M1 PRO chip

[perfect_Eagle5CCD]

The quality of exporting from Premiere Pro using hardware encoding on the new MacBook Pro with M1 PRO chip is extremely poor. I've tried exporting with multiple different projects and footage but the quality when exporting with hardware encoding is pixelated and blurred - the file size is also significantly smaller than the estimated file size.

There is no issue with software encoding and footage is as expected.

I've tried Premiere Pro 2022 and also gone back to 2021 and tried opening with Rosetta instead, still hardware encoding into H264 is extremely poor quality with file sizes less than half the expected file size. This only happens with hardware encoding.

[autokroma]

There is a bug waiting to be fixed there, it has been reported by others. In the meantime you can use AfterCodecs for Premiere Pro and Media Encoder and After Effects
https://www.autokroma.com/AfterCodecs

[AndyCollins]

This is exactly the same as I reported with the original M1 MacMini and seems to be an Apple flaw, possibly in hardware. Encoding using Apple's Compressor also gives the same poor results. Both programs use the same Apple Video Toolbox API.

[AndyCollins]

Anthony, I can see you found my original report! Just so other people can easily find it, it's here:

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro/suggestions/44268828-bug-v15-4-1-h264-e...

[Slawek21823968m64m]

After many tests I decided not to use Hardware Encoder on Mac Mini M1 Quality is poor It works weird I could not achieve intended file size Its a pity that it doesnt work properly I must use software encoder witch is slow Slower than Intel i9 on PC

[Siu Leung5FD7]

Same issue for me. I try many bitrate including extreme high bitrate, and the picture quality still bad.

[defaultaze24wg90e1x]

I am having issues with this as well and it is Feb 5th 2022. How has this not been fixed yet?!

[perfect_Eagle5CCD]

Tim Cone - no one from Apple or Adobe seem to care to be honest.

[Siu Leung5FD7]

I have the exact issue with my projects for H264 exporting.

This issue was found when I switch to M1 version of Adobe products. it wasn't that noticeable with the Intel version using Rosetta 2.

Hardware encoding for H264 was unacceptable bad with anytime bitrate.
Software encoding was better but still have artifact with double bitrate.
the same video upload to YouTube and download the H264 version is looking better with the smaller file size.


I notice this since the first version of the Apple Silicon Adobe product, and now Feb 16, 2022 and this issue is not yet solve.


Here's some reference:

MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) 16GB RAM 1TB storage
OS version: MacOS Monterey 12.2.1

Premiere Pro 22.2.0 Build 128
Media Encoder 22.2 Build 64

Format: QuickTime
Preset: AppleProRes 422

Quality: 100
Width: 1920
Height: 1080
Frame Rate: 50
Field Order: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)
HDR Graphics White (Nits): 203 (75% HLG, 58% PQ)
Depth 8-bpc

Filesize:
00:29:48:37 / 51.46 GB


Format: H.264
Preset: Match Source - High bitrate

Width: 1920
Height: 1080
Frame Rate: 50
Field Order: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)

Encoding Setting
Performance: Hardware Encoding
Profile: Main
Level: 4.2
Export Color Space Rec.709
HDR Graphic White (Nits): 203 (75% HLG, 58% PQ)

Bitrate Setting
Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 1 pass
Target Bitrate [Mbps]: 10

Filesize:
00:29:48:37 / 1.64 GB



Format: H.264
Preset: Custom, base on “Match Source - High bitrate” double bitrate and software encoding

Width: 1920
Height: 1080
Frame Rate: 50
Field Order: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)

TV Standard: PAL

Encoding Setting
Performance: Software Encoding
Profile: Main
Level: 4.2
Export Color Space Rec.709
HDR Graphic White (Nits): 203 (75% HLG, 58% PQ)


Bitrate Setting
Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 1 pass

Target Bitrate [Mbps]: 20
Maximum Bitrate [Mbps]: 24

Filesize:
00:29:48:37 / 4.54 GB

Using ProRes 422 Source upload to YouTube and download from YouTube
Format: H.264
Preset: unknown (YouTube)

Metadata:
major_brand : isom
minor_version : 512
compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
encoder : Lavf58.29.100
Duration: 00:29:48.80, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 2390 kb/s
Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 2252 kb/s, 50 fps, 50 tbr, 90k tbn, 100 tbc (default)

Filesize:
00:29:48:37 / 534.4 MB

[Étienne Boulanger]

Macbook pro M1 max 32go
I am having issues with this as well March 1st 2022. Hello, is there someone at the line?. H264 hardware is ok But I can't export with h265 Hardware encoding. The quality is very poor. Using software encoding is not an option as it takes forever to render.
10 minutes 8k, 60fps 360 video : M1-software encoding-80 mbs is like 5-6 hours.
The same render time is 40-45 minutes with previous PC 20xi9.
Try with premiere Beta and it is the same. It is very sad to build your project with the new M1 (very very fast editing btw), and find that you can not export at the end. Hope Adobe will react fast with this major issu as a lot of videomaker started to switch to M1 now. Yep, this 5000$ macbook pro is a real beast when editing, and largely faster than a 14k$ PC.

[Evan Seplow]

Very frustrating! - Just set up the new computer in March 2022. Macbook Max 16" and same issue. Can't render out of premiere! ****** compressed, jpegged image. Unusable! It's the entire reason to buy the new $5k computer!

[perfect_Eagle5CCD]

I know right - I don't get why more people are not complaining about this or raising it as an issue. It seems like people are not realising it - maybe they are not perfectionists and just assume all is OK with their exports?! Adobe/Apple need to sort this out! I don't know how to get it escalated to a high up developer to look into.

[jmvdigital]

Personally, I was very afraid of this issue when I first got my M1 Max. But I rendered out a previous project when I got it (hardware acceleration, same preset as before), took 100% screen grabs of the same frame and overlaid them in Photoshop. There were minor differences in the noise/compression pattern, but one was not obviously better than the other. It was VERY difficult to tell the two renders apart. I've now rendered out several 4K 100mbps projects and have no concerns with the quality.

And as a commercial pro photographer/videographer working on client projects, I feel confident in saying the above. Maybe there's an issue, I won't deny it, I'm just thinking that either it's intermittent, affecting only certain machines, or certain PP settings are triggering it.

[J-D-F]

It’s April and it’s still not working. I’m looking for a new ecosystem at this point. I’ve been with Adobe since 1994 and between this and nerfing 3D tools in CC so they can sell yet another license is ridiculous. If hardware acceleration doesn’t work they need to turn it off or buy a company that knows what they are doing.

[defaultaze24wg90e1x]

Here’s to another comment 2 months after my other one and STILL not fixed!

[defaultaze24wg90e1x]

Let’s talk about how Davinci which is free is able to encode h.264 in hardware but Adobe which costs can’t?

[Adam Fyfe]

Im very happy people are commenting on this because I've been losing my mind trying to export multiple projects in different formats. Has anyone been able to talk to Abode because it's deemed to be very difficult.

[Anders23177395akzw]

Actually this is a huge issue. Parts of a 4k video becomes pixelated down to perhaps 144p.
It's clearly related to the Apple Hardware.

I'm on a Macbook Pro Max 64 GB, latest everything. Had the issue for 6 months now. Seen others creators who uploaded the final video on YouTube with this bug appearing here and there.

Now need to run Software encoding which takes 4 times as long and twice as long as the Intel iMac I sold. Might have to buy an intel Mac back. Grrrr.... Has anyone found any workaround??

[Adam Fyfe]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I canceled my subscription which was a joke because of the outrageous cancellation fee. I've moved my services over to Final Cut Pro which I can buy outright. should have never doubted native apple software. Lesson learned :heavy_check_mark:

[J-D-F]

Adam Fyfe... I didn't think about that. I've been looking for a reason to leave the Adobe ecosystem. At this point After Effects is the only thing keeping me in, and that license is looking pretty pathetic considering I can't properly render on a brand new computer. My hardware isn't getting any newer. Final Cut and Motion may be the only choice.

[superchargedmagazine]

Have the same issue on my M1 Pro MBP. What resolves the issue for me is to have it export twice.

Set Bitrate Encoding: VBR to 2 passes. That pretty much nails my target bitrate and quality. Although it may say "Software only", when sending it to Media Encoder it will still use the hardware encoding.

But it takes twice the time as usual. Pretty annoying but better than having to wait 4+ times when encoding using software only.

[mayjain]

Hi All, Sorry for this problem again. We have made some fixes to increase the bit rates(file sizes) of exported files in the latest beta build(22.5.0.16 or higher) and consequently improve the quality of exported files. You should see better bit rates(file sizes) now on M1 machines in all exported files. Please check the latest beta build and let us know how it goes.

Thanks,
Mayjain

[elegant_character5D4E]

Holy God I'm so glad people are also having this issue. (Although I can't believe Adobe let this become an issue at all). I feel like I've been taking crazy pills! For some reason the combination of Premiere + the M1 Chip + ProRes files just isn't working. It seems like it just cant render the clips fully. Like others have mentioned, the only solution seems to be to open in Rosetta Mode and turn off the hardware encoding... which completely destroys rendering times, effectively making the power of the M1 chip useless. And of course, this is a non issue when working with Davinci or Final Cut.
All the compressed H.265 stuff works fine, this seems to only be when working with the ProRes codec.
I keep hoping an update will fix the issue, but after downloading the newest one today... still no fix. Come on adobe. How can you expect us to stay excited about the program if you can't keep up on this stuff? I guess it's time to move on to greener pastures.

[autokroma]

It's only the builtin encoder that is like this, AfterCodecs exporter works fine !

Could you send us an exported file that is not working or displaying glitches ?

[J-D-F]

This is still a problem. Approaching a year now.