2010 MacBook Pro and Premiere Pro CS5

Report · Sep 21, 2010

Wondering if my new MacBook Pro with NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M can handle video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Report · Sep 21, 2010

Read Harm on drive setup

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/662972?tstart=0
- click the embedded picture in Harm's message to enlarge to reading size
- you need AT LEAST 2 drives for video editing, 3 is better
- some HD formats work better with (require) RAID

Report · Sep 21, 2010

Thank you for your response. Very helpful info. But this question is in regards to GPU compatibility.

Sorry if that was unclear. But, yes I do have a storage system in place for video editing. I use a DROBO with four 1TB drives for source material. This has worked well for editing in Final Cut Express. I am considering making the switch to Premiere Pro CS5 to edit HDSLR footage, as it can edit it natively without the need for transcoding. I don't see the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M as a supported GPU and wondering if I can still take advantage of the Mercury Processing Engine.

Upon further investigation, there is a CUDA driver on the NVIDIA site that does support the GeForce GT 330M. Does anyone know if this is something I should install?

Many thanks

Report · Sep 21, 2010

Certain GPUs are officially supported for hardware acceleration using the Mercury Playback Engine. This list does not include any mobile GPUs. There is a hack (do a search) to enable this capability on certain other unsupported GPUs, and some have reported success with a small number of mobile GPUs. However, the prerequisitie--official or otherwise--is that the GPU (not the system) have more than 768MB of memory. If your GPU has more memory than that, you might be able to use the hack, but I would be inclined to believe you don't have this much GPU memory with a Mac Book Pro.

Report · Sep 21, 2010

Thanks Colin

My GPU only has 512 MB. So the dilemma now is -

1) Continue editing Nikon and Canon HDSLR footage with transcoding and thus some degradation via Final Cut Express?

or

2) Edit Nikon and Canon HDSLR footage natively with Premiere Pro CS5 for better looking output and suffer slower processing and rendering speeds?

Hmmmmmmm

Perhaps it will be best to wait and see what Apple's response will be to Premiere Pro CS5.

Report · Sep 21, 2010

Well, the thing to keep in mind is that the Mercury Playback Engine is "on" at all times--it's just that having an approved and supported GPU accelerates certain functionality (effects, colorspace conversions, scaling). As far as raw, straightforward editing goes, that still relies primarily on the CPU, RAM and other hardware components. So, as long as your system is up to snuff, you should still have decent editing capability.

That said, H.264 (as is used by the HDSLRs) is pretty taxing on even a beefy system. My fairly recent Windows 7 build (desktop) crunches through several layers of HDSLR footage, even without hardware MPE. It's hard to say exactly what your experience would be with your MBP. I'm not positive, but I believe H.264 is available in the trial; you might download it and see how it works for your purposes.

Report · Oct 03, 2010

Even with a fairly decent system, H264 is tough. Yes technically it can be cut on Premiere, but to intercut h264 & Red footage on the same Red timeline, I have resorted to converting the h264 footage to Prores. cuts like butter.

And Photofish, I would not recommend using that lousy FCP Express Apple intermediate codec. You loose too much.

Report · Oct 03, 2010

You can enable the hardware function of the mercury engine with the 330M in the new macbook pro's... Download CUDA for osx from nvidia, and gfxstatus (just google it, and set it to keep the nvidia chip active by default) then...

Open terminal

Now on the terminal type (adjust folders as needed)

/Applications/FOLDER\ FOR\ PREMIERE/PRO\ INSTALLATION\ Pro\ HERE/SOMETHING\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5.app/Contents/GPUSniffer.app/Contents/MacOS/GPUSniffer

The "uppercased" words might be different for your instalation of CS5, find out yours, do not just simply copy and paste.

- Most of the times, for standard instalations, the following should work, but it will not hurt you to look the actual place where premiere was installed:

CODE

/Applications/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5.app/Contents/GPUSniffer.app/Contents/MacOS/GPUSniffer

- You should get an output similar to this:

QUOTE

Texture memory: 0
Vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
Renderer string: NVIDIA GeForce 330M OpenGL Engine
Version string: 2.1 NVIDIA-1.6.16

OpenGL version as determined by Extensionator...
OpenGL Version 2.0
Supports shaders!
Supports BGRA -> BGRA Shader
Supports VUYA Shader -> BGRA
Supports UYVY/YUYV ->BGRA Shader
Supports YUV 4:2:0 -> BGRA Shader
Testing for CUDA support...
Found 1 devices supporting CUDA.
CUDA Device # 0 properties -
CUDA device details:
Name: GeForce 330M Compute capability: 1.2
Total Video Memory: 512MB
CUDA driver version: 3020
CUDA Device # 0 supported.
Completed shader test!
Internal return value: 7

DO NOT CLOSE THE TERMINAL

ADD YOUR CARD TO THE LIST OF SUPPORTED CARDS.

On the terminal type:

CODE

sudo nano /Applications/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5.app/Contents/cuda_supported_cards.txt

A new window appears, here, simply paste, at the end of the file, the name you copied earlier for your graphic card (GeForce 330M)

NOW

PRESS CTRL + X
ANSWER "Y" (stands for YES, I want to save the file)
Press enter until you get out of the editor.

NOW YOU ONLY HAVE TO FIRE UP YOUR PREMIERE AND CHOOSE YOUR HARDWARE ENABLED MERCURY ENGINE.

ENJOY.

(Btw this will work for any CUDA enabled card!!

Come on Adobe get your act together and just enable this by default! lol

Report · Oct 05, 2010

Hey STUcs5,

First of all... thats a great post! I followed it very strictly but I still can't get Cuda to Operate with only 512mb on my video card. After looking at the output from GPU sniffer the only thing different to your output is the CUDA Driver version. Could this be the problem? Did you download CUDA driver version 3020 from the NIVIDIA website?

Its got me baffled why a CUDA enabled card is not compatable with CS5 regardless of how much V RAM it has.

My GPU sniffer log is below. Any help would be fantastic.

OpenGL version as determined by Extensionator...

OpenGL Version 2.0

Supports shaders!

Supports BGRA -> BGRA Shader

Supports VUYA Shader -> BGRA

Supports UYVY/YUYV ->BGRA Shader

Supports YUV 4:2:0 -> BGRA Shader

Testing for CUDA support...

Found 1 devices supporting CUDA.

CUDA Device # 0 properties -

CUDA device details:

Name: GeForce GT 330M Compute capability: 1.2

Total Video Memory: 511MB

CUDA driver version: 3010

CUDA Device # 0 not choosen because 765MB are required, and 511MB are

present.

Completed shader test!

Internal return value: 7

Report · Oct 06, 2010

Hi, i might have been misleading that wasn't my output, i just changed one i seen in a hack for sake of example, this is mines

Texture memory: 0

Vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation

Renderer string: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M OpenGL Engine

Version string: 2.1 NVIDIA-1.6.18

OpenGL version as determined by Extensionator...

OpenGL Version 2.0

Supports shaders!

Supports BGRA -> BGRA Shader

Supports VUYA Shader -> BGRA

Supports UYVY/YUYV ->BGRA Shader

Supports YUV 4:2:0 -> BGRA Shader

Testing for CUDA support...

Found 1 devices supporting CUDA.

CUDA Device # 0 properties -

CUDA device details:

Name: GeForce GT 330M

Compute capability: 1.2

Total Video Memory: 511MB

CUDA driver version: 3010

CUDA Device # 0 supported.

Completed shader test!

Internal return value: 7

EDIT: Are you using gfxcardstatus to force the MBP to use only the nvidia chip! http://codykrieger.com/gfxCardStatus/

It is strange as this is exactly the same as my output... could you run it again and tell me if this matches "Version string: 2.1 NVIDIA-1.6.18"

Also have you made sure you updated CUDA from the preference panel in osx system preferences...

Also there is a very up to date CUDA release here which is the developer release, basically a beta version here, you could try that, but try after you've made sure all your drivers are up to date first... http://developer.nvidia.com/object/cuda_3_2_toolkit_rc.html

I have 2 colleagues both with mid 2010 MBP's for on shoot rough editings both running the hack fine... Strange. let me know how you get on...

Message was edited by: StuCS5

Report · Oct 07, 2010

Thanks again Stu,

its exactly the same = Version string: 2.1 NVIDIA-1.6.18

GFX cardstatus is running

the CUDA driver is the latest driver

I'm vexed. I might just undo a few things and start again to see if there is something majorly minor that I missed.

If I know its possible then there is no way I going to let it beat me!!

WILL

Report · Oct 14, 2010

Hack is not working on my MBP either. Is this because of the VRAM requirements? Is there a MBP user out there with a 330 M and less than 1GB of VRAM successfully running this hack?

Thanks,

Angus

Report · Oct 14, 2010

With insufficient VRAM, the hack will not work. On PC the minimum is around 896 MB, unless the UI is severly reduced. Don't know about the minimum requirements for the MAC.

Report · Oct 14, 2010

http://www.deviantart.com/download/182641947/proof_by_death_cab_for_stuie-d30qnff.jpg

Dont know how much more proof i can supply...

Report · Oct 14, 2010

Come on Adobe get your act together and just enable this by default! lol

If you want a particular video card to be supported, make a feature request. You can file a feature request here: http://www.adobe.com/go/wish. More on how to give feedback: http://bit.ly/93d6NF

By the way, if you want to make a feature request, the MacBook Pro's video card is usually the GeForce GT 330M, not the GeForce 330M—mine is.

Kevin Monahan - Sr. Community & Engagement Strategist – Pro Video and Audio

Report · Oct 05, 2010

Unfortunately the Drobo is only good for backups. For editing it is too slow.

If you have a CUDA card with at least 890+ MB VRAM, you can try the hack. Search here for the many posts on it.

Report · Oct 14, 2010

Don't think you need the hack. My 2010 Macbook Pro edits HDSLR footage just fine without GPU acceleration of the MPE.

Report · Oct 14, 2010

Anyone other than Death Cab For Stuie have this working on a Macbook Pro?

Angus

Report · Oct 15, 2010

This is strange as i refuse to believe i'm the only one (apart from my two friends i know of) that has this working...

Report · Oct 15, 2010

Stu,

Did you use the hack before the 5.02 update or after? Not sure if it matters. I have been trying with the latest updates installed.

Here is my sniffer log.

Texture memory: 0

Vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation

Renderer string: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M OpenGL Engine

Version string: 2.1 NVIDIA-1.6.18

OpenGL version as determined by Extensionator...

OpenGL Version 2.0

Supports shaders!

Supports BGRA -> BGRA Shader

Supports VUYA Shader -> BGRA

Supports UYVY/YUYV ->BGRA Shader

Supports YUV 4:2:0 -> BGRA Shader

Testing for CUDA support...

Found 1 devices supporting CUDA.

CUDA Device # 0 properties -

CUDA device details:

Name: GeForce GT 330M

Compute capability: 1.2

Total Video Memory: 255MB

CUDA driver version: 3010

CUDA Device # 0 not choosen because 765MB are required, and 255MB are present.

Completed shader test!

Internal return value: 7

Report · Oct 15, 2010

I did it before, and checked it was still on afterwards... The hack should work on any card with CUDA enabled (i cant say how performance will be affected with less than the recommended VRAM... Let me go through the process i did everything again as i have now noticed my original post is a little wrong...

Make sure your mac is all upto date driver wise.. Just run Software update

Download CUDA drivers from nVidia http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/macosx-cuda-3.1.17-driver-uk.html

Download, install and run gfxCardStatus and force your mac to use only the nvidia chip.. http://codykrieger.com/gfxCardStatus/

Check CUDA is installed by looking in system preferences...

Then check gpusniffer...

Open terminal...

Now on the terminal type (adjust folders as needed)...

Most of the times, for standard instalations, the following should work, but it will not hurt you to look the actual place where premiere was installed:

CODE

/Applications/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5.app/Contents/GPUSniffer.app/Contents/MacOS/GPUSniffer

You should get an output similar to this: Here is my output...

Texture memory: 0

Vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation

Renderer string: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M OpenGL Engine

Version string: 2.1 NVIDIA-1.6.18

OpenGL version as determined by Extensionator...

OpenGL Version 2.0

Supports shaders!

Supports BGRA -> BGRA Shader

Supports VUYA Shader -> BGRA

Supports UYVY/YUYV ->BGRA Shader

Supports YUV 4:2:0 -> BGRA Shader

Testing for CUDA support...

Found 1 devices supporting CUDA.

CUDA Device # 0 properties -

CUDA device details:

Name: GeForce GT 330M

Compute capability: 1.2

Total Video Memory: 511MB

CUDA driver version: 3010

CUDA Device # 0 supported.

Completed shader test!

Internal return value: 7

(Regardless of output try the next part anyways...)

DO NOT CLOSE THE TERMINAL

TO ADD YOUR CARD TO THE LIST OF SUPPORTED CARDS.

On the terminal type:

CODE

sudo nano /Applications/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS5.app/Contents/cuda_supported_cards.txt

Insert your card at the end of the listed cards... Your cards name is shown in the gpusniffer output.. i.e for Mid 2010 MBP as shown above "GeForce GT 330M" (i left the GT part out in my original post)

Press CTRL + X
Answer "Y" (stands for YES, I want to save the file)
Press enter until you get out of the editor.

Then that's it... Thats the hack, Hardware Mercury Engine should be enabled... Judging by the gpusniffer outputs that say 'device not chosen' all i can think is are you forcing the nvidia chipset with gfxstatus?

Hope that is a little clearer (remember CUDA, Gfxcardstatus forcing nvidia, add card to supported list, save, job done...)

Let me know how you get on...

Stuart

Report · Oct 17, 2010

Still not working. Any other suggestions? Appreciate all the help thus far.

Angus

Report · Oct 17, 2010

Thanks for the tip, Stuart. Tried the hack and it works great on my mid-2010 Macbook Pro.

Report · Oct 17, 2010

Glad it is working for someone else!

Angus i'm a little stumped, let me look into it, i think google might have to be our friend here... It could well be the lack of vram...

Report · Nov 19, 2010

Hi, StuCS5:

Your posts for the CS5 mods are great. I really appreciate the detail you've added.

I'm thinking of buying a MBP to use Adobe Premiere CS5 and After Effects. Could I get the Tech Specs for the portable you have it running on? Any recommedations for a new purchaser wanting to buy the "best" MacBook Pro for CS5? screen size/resolution. RAM, etc.

Thanks!!