Jerky H264 playback on time line and after exportation-conversion-render

[Åke Mora]

I don't know why but it seems impossible to export-render a project made with H264 video clips. Original videos looks and moves smooth but when rendered with any of the Adobe software, the resulting clip gets jerky and jumpy on fast movements, even when previewed on the time line. At first I thought it was a preview issues that would be solved in the render, but it also happens in the rendered file.

Does anyone experience the same issue? Have you been able to solve it? I tried to convert it to other formats with Media Encoder but the resulting covnertions have the same issue. 

Very mysterious...

[Warren Heaton]

Do you know the bit rate of the H264 source footage?  Low bit-rate H264 is a delivery format, not a source format.

[Åke Mora]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_CDcCMEifV5xfCmunepJDLg8QvYnYx1/view?usp=sharing

Example files and info about the video file. Actually they are low bitrate files, they are videos recorded with my mobile phone but they playback nice and smoothly on any video player on Windows but they become jerky on any Adobe software.

[Jeff Bellune]

Yes. Please post screenshots of your sequence settings, your export settings, and a screenshot of the tree view of MediaInfo of one of the clips that causes problems for you.

[Åke Mora]

It happens with any sequence settings, by default I create a sequence by dragging the source file to the time line so the sequence settings are the same of the source file and any kind of H264 that I have recorded with my mobile phone becomes jerky.

Export settings are the default YOUTUBE 1080 Media Encoder settings. In the attached file is the media info file.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_CDcCMEifV5xfCmunepJDLg8QvYnYx1/view?usp=sharing

Example files and info about the video file. Actually they are low bitrate files, they are videos recorded with my mobile phone but they playback nice and smoothly on any video player on Windows but they become jerky on any Adobe software.

[Jeff Bellune]

Please post a screenshot so we don't have to download unknown files. 

[Åke Mora]

Ok, I can post a screenshot about the file info but the files are video files showing the absence of jerkyness and the existence of it on the rendered files. I don't know how I will be able to show that with a screenshot. Could try to upload them to GDrive as video files that you can streamwatch. Would that be work?

[Jeff Bellune]

 

[Åke Mora]

Should I convert it to a constant frame rate? Is that even possible?

[Åke Mora]

Found this thread, confirmed that the problem is related to the variable frame rate. I have tried to transcode to constant frame rate with Handbrake software and the resulting video is jerky too so it looks like it is this process that "breaks" the video. The ideal thing would be for premiere to be able to work and render variable framerates but I think it doesn't, does it?

[Jeff Bellune]

---

@Åke Mora wrote:

 I have tried to transcode to constant frame rate with Handbrake software 

---

Were you successful? Did MediaInfo show constant frame rate for the Handbrake video? If so, what is that frame rate?

I have rarely seen such huge number variations in the frame rates as shown in the MediaInfo information that you posted. The clip(s) may be unsalvageable for use in Pr.

[Åke Mora]

Yes, it converted it properly but the result is the same: jerky motion.

General
Complete name : d:\Users\Ake\Desktop\Test Original-1.m4v
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (mp42/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 13.4 MiB
Duration : 8 s 470 ms
Overall bit rate : 13.3 Mb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2021-12-21 09:45:28
Tagged date : UTC 2021-12-21 09:45:28
Writing application : HandBrake 1.4.2 2021100300

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L5
Format settings : CABAC / 5 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 5 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 8 s 434 ms
Bit rate : 13.0 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 30.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.210
Stream size : 13.1 MiB (97%)
Writing library : x264 core 163 r3059 b684ebe0
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:-1:-1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.15 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-3 / threads=34 / lookahead_threads=5 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=5 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=1 / keyint=300 / keyint_min=30 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=30 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=18.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2021-12-21 09:45:28
Tagged date : UTC 2021-12-21 09:45:28
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 8 s 470 ms
Source duration : 8 s 491 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 162 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 167 KiB (1%)
Source stream size : 167 KiB (1%)
Title : Stereo
Language : English
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1
Encoded date : UTC 2021-12-21 09:45:28
Tagged date : UTC 2021-12-21 09:45:28
mdhd_Duration : 8469

Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 8 s 470 ms
Source duration : 8 s 491 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 162 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 167 KiB (1%)
Source stream size : 167 KiB (1%)
Title : Stereo
Language : English
Default : No
Alternate group : 1
Encoded date : UTC 2021-12-21 09:45:28
Tagged date : UTC 2021-12-21 09:45:28
mdhd_Duration : 8469

[Åke Mora]

Yes, Handbrake did the job, managed to get variable frame rate in the resulting conversion but it is jerky anyway. So, conclusion is that the problem is the variable frame rate of the source videos and that Premiere can't work properly with those. Also, the conclusion is that it is not just an Adobe issue, none of the other conversion software I have tried manage to render properly a variable frame rate to a constant frame rate. 

I will let you know if I find a solution but I don't think there will be any except changing camera 😄

[Peru Bob]

Try turning off Hardware encoding in the Video tab of the export settings.

[Åke Mora]

Tried, same result 😞

[Andy 1968]

At 30 frames per second motion graphics can be jerky. Try 60 frames per second. 

[Åke Mora]

It is not motion graphics, it is normal video. Tried at 60 frames per second anyway and still is jerky.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_CDcCMEifV5xfCmunepJDLg8QvYnYx1/view?usp=sharing

Example files and info about the video file. Actually they are low bitrate files, they are videos recorded with my mobile phone but they playback nice and smoothly on any video player on Windows but they become jerky on any Adobe software.

[Andy 1968]

I think Premiere Pro has poblems with variable frame rates.