Playback suddenly very choppy

[SimonAllen]

I'm seeing an inexplicable change in the playback that's just occurred this week.

When I attempt to playback a sequence it starts off okay, and then after 3 or 4 seconds it's so choppy it's impossible to edit with any accuracy.

Some details:

Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Version 10.0.19041 Build 19041

Processor AMD FX(tm)-4300 Quad-Core Processor, 3800 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)

Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 32.0 GB

GPU 1: NVIDIA Quadro M2000 (Primary)

GPU 2: NVIDIA Quadro K2000 (Secondary)

Adobe Premiere Pro V15.2.0 Build 35

I am working in 4K, so I don't expect it all to be super fast with the setup I've got, but what's odd is that until last week it was all working acceptably.

What's changed? I have no idea.

Windows update slowed things down, but that's completed and it's not improved since then.

I've been through all the usual things to speed up the playback; changing resolution, clearing the cache, project set to GPU (CUDA) Acceleration, disabling High Quality Playback, etc.

Obviously, I'll be using proxies to move forward, but I'd really like to know why it's suddenly changed.

I also found that after installing extra RAM up to 32GB, and also when I installed the M2000 GPU (second hand) it was lightening fast, but then slowed down significantly (but was still usable).

Anyone else seen this, or can shed any light on what's happening?

Cheers

Simon

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Simon,

Sorry about that. Have you tried any standard troubleshooting procedures yet? Delete media cache or trash preferences yet, for example? Let us know.

Thanks,
Kevin

[SimonAllen]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for your response.

Yes, I've been through all the usual methods as shown in te video you've recommended in another similar post.

That's why I'm baffled, I've seen this before but clearing the cached media etc worked on that occasion.

Cheers

Simon

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Simon,

Your issue might be related to a new feature that affects your GPU. Can you check out troubleshooting here? 

Thanks,
Kevin

[SimonAllen]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for coming back to me so quickly.

I've followed the guide and both the image sharpening, and inti aliasing - FXAA were already off/disabled.

So I still have the same problem.

What's next?

Cheers

Simon

[uncle_marty]

I had this happen with the latest Windows 10 Pro update a couple days ago (20H2, 19042.985). Taking a clue from another thread I went to Preferences > Audio Hardware, and set Default Input to "No Input". For some reason this solved the issue.

[SimonAllen]

Hi Marty,

Thanks for that.

Sadly, I saw the same post and tried, but no joy for me 😞

I also realised I had my Media Cache on a slower drive so changed that, still no better though.

After two days of no editing I'm now converting all my clips to proxies.

Cheers

Simon

[SimonAllen]

Now all my clips are converted to proxies, I've toggled the timeline to play the proxies.

It's still dropping loads of frames and is just as choppy and unusable 😞

I'm at a total loss and unable to edit anything.

[Andy 1968]

Can you show us your stats?

[SimonAllen]

Hi Andy,

Thanks - what stats do you want to see?

[Andy 1968]

The video below should be helpful. 

[Jonathon222919479dgi]

Thank you for this, I have been struggling for so long... 

This helped so much!!

[deanr54227158]

This fixed my issue... have no idea why though.

[Peru Bob]

What are the hard drives (how many, what kind, what is on each, what capacity, and how full)?

[SimonAllen]

Hi Bob,

I have 2 hard drives, but only using the C drive for Premiere Pro and all my projects, media, and cache files:

1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 3.5" SSHD
Size 930.15 GB (998,738,137,088 bytes)
Free Space 375.16 GB (402,826,891,264 bytes)

Cheers

Simon

[Peru Bob]

That hybrid drive might be slowing things down.

A fast SSD is recommended.  Two is better.

[Andy 1968]

A mechanical hard drive will work for H.264. Pro Res, BRAW and R3D files not so much. The Windows Task Manager will find the weakest link.

[SimonAllen]

Hi Andy and Bob,

Thanks for your responses.

My media files are mostly from my GoPro Hero 8, 60FPS, 4K.

When I attempt to playback my sequence, even at 1/8th res, and the window quite small, and using proxies, the stats are:

• CPU: 100% 3.85GHz
• Memory: 13.6/31.9 GB (43%)
• Disk 0 (C:) 4%
• GPU 1 NVIDIA Quadro M2000: 2%

See the screenshot attached.

Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (CUDA) is selected for the project.

Up until the recent update, on the 12th May, I was having very little trouble, certainly nothing I couldn't handle by dropping the plaback window resolution.

As nothing else has changed in my system it has to be something in the update, as far as I can see.

I'll consider adding a fast SSD or two, but based on how it behaved before compared to after the update I'm not entirely sure it's going to help a lot.

Cheers

Simon

[Andy 1968]

The video might be some odd variation of H.264. That being said 4K at 60P is going to be hard to playback on most systems.

[SimonAllen]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your help with this, I really appreciate it 🙂

The GoPro 8 files are .mp4, but 4K at 60fps are H.265.

So you're correct about playback for that resolution and frame rate on most systems, but it doesn't explain the change from how PP was behaving before the update, or why it's exactly the same problem when using proxy files instead.

It's exactly the same project that I'd got part way through editing last Monday 10th. When I went back to it on Wednesday 12th, after the update that was when my trouble began.

I may have to roll back to a previous version until the bugs are ironed out.

Cheers

Simon

[Andy 1968]

I don't know if the Quadro cards have Nvenc but maybe it was decoding the H.265 video files.

[SimonAllen]

I've done some digging and I don't think my old cards have Nvenc, the latest Quadro RTX cards do.

I have a Quadro RTX A4000 on my shopping list, but they're quite pricey so it will be later in the year before I buy one.

However, I don't think the GPU is the issue I've got.

Cheers

Simon

[Andy 1968]

I think the GPU shortage is going to last until next year but who knows for sure?

[SimonAllen]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your help so far.

I've uninstalled the latest update and gone back to V15.1.0, and guess what, it's just as bad as the update.

So that means it's not the new version that's the problem after all. It just happened to coincide with the update.

I guess my next thing is to try installing a fast SSD as Peru Bob suggested.

I'd planned to build one into my next computer, but having never installed one I'm not sure how it should be configured.

Is it best to install the system software, and Premiere Pro on it? And also put the project files etc. there too.

Any guidance you can provide will be very gratefully received 🙂

Cheers

Simon

[FlyingFourFun]

Andy 1968; His card does have NVENC:

Video Encode and Decode GPU Support Matrix [NEW] | NVIDIA Developer

It's the bottom line of this Matrix GM206

He could compare the footage his using to what's supported on the matrix; OP might be using new footage/settings that genreate files not supported by his generation of NVENC.