You want help? Let's break it down line by line. Is it normal to press play 4 times just to get the timeline to play, even when it's one layer? No. Not unless there's a problem with your media, your settings, your workflow or your computer. Locking the forum can't change the fact that the product isn't working... Not a question. I rarely use After Effects to do serious effects, which is how I know something is not right... Dubious troubleshooting methodology aside, this makes me think that if you do not use it for serious work and now are trying to do serious work then your workflow is bad. Of course, I can't say because you didn't provide us with any information whatsoever because you came here to rant, not get a problem fixed. So at best anything we say will be conjecture. Using Keylight on a clip and trying to watch it is painful... AE can't key something and play it back to save it's life. It can. I'm doing it right now. So, your media, your computer, your settings, your workflow. OK, but the smoking gun is the play below which when I playback with no effects, After Effects still can't play! Some information about your computer, installation, and project would really useful now. How can this program be effective when it can't play back one h.264 video play all by itself! I dunno, a whole industry seems to use it effectively. Any video player on Earth can do things After Effects can't... I will sometimes hit the space bar 4 times or so just to get the timeline to start to play before it lags and freezes after a few seconds. Then why aren't you doing your keying in VLC? So After Effects can't play one layer... it's unusable! How can anyone accurately create effects and preview their timing in After Effects? A whole industry has it figured out.  It's not possible; even simple compositing with a green screen and video underneath has the program stretched to it's limits, Settings, computer, media, workflow.  ONE layer of h.264 video has the program stretched to it's limit!!!!! So many untested variables. So little interest in fixing your own problem. What does Adobe have to say for itself? I know ACPs on here will tell me to re-encode all my footage all day long (Adobe like footage containers no one uses, it's a big secret on here apparently). This is one h.264 clip about 4 minutes long... After Effects cannot play the layer without lags and freezes. ACP offers advice on how to fix workflow. Matt doesn't follow advice. Matt rants that program is broken. Matt doesn't entertain idea that his workflow, that is unaccustomed to doing serious effects, has a weak point in doing serious effects. Anyone know of a free program that works better than AE? It has to be out there." I thought any video player could do this. I'm really sorry that you're having an issue. But I see no sign that you care to fix it. I know nothing about your computer or install. You've given me so little info it could be anything from program error to you don't have a keyboard. I don't even know your OS. No one is covering for Adobe. But if "After Effects can't play one layer... it's unusable! How can anyone accurately create effects and preview their timing in After Effects?" then the entire motion design industry would have collapsed. Being that isn't the case, there is a problem (perhaps your fault or perhaps not) on your computer, install, settings, media, or workflow. I've seen a lot of ACPs be critical of programs & updates when it's warranted. But in the VAST majority of the time, it comes down to user error, incorrect settings, media issues or hardware/firmware issues. You gave no one a way to troubleshoot any of that. So, I assume you'll insult me again and continue proclaiming no one wants to help but it's simply not true.  ... View more

Weird, we all use AE every day. Never had this problem. Makes me think it's not After Effects error. Your computer or your workflow or your media is bad. That's no AEs fault. ... View more