How to utilize intel quick sync in premiere cs5 export to H264 (sandybridge laptop)?

Report · May 09, 2011

As I have a sandybridge laptop on order (Lenovo w520), I wonder what would be the best way of exporting the timeline utilizing the Intel Quick Sync option. Cyberlink has a videoconverter program that utilizes the Quick Sync option. Would I try to use a video frame server, an uncompressed video output or is there any development completed using the SDK? There are indications that the quick sync option may have better quality and half the render time compared to an Nvidia graphic card. Thanks.

Report · Jul 22, 2011

The instructions to use QuickSync via Adobe Media Encoder (has to be installed in Premier Pro's plugin folder) are here (As well as the link to download the plugin which ). Please note this plugin is a prototype and Intel is leaving it open to ISVs to integrate the technology to speed up encoding & transcoding.

Note: To USE Intel's Quick Sync Technology you MUST meet the following conditions:

You have an Intel 2nd Generation Core CPU (i3/i5/i7) a.k.a. SandyBridge (so e.g. i5 2 500 or 2500, the 2 denotes 2nd gen)
Your computer uses either the Intel H67/Z68 chipsets or mobile variants of such
Your computer is an:
- H67 equipped computer (or mobile variants) which can use QuickSync as long as there is a monitor connected to the onboard graphics (otherwise, QuickSync is disabled)
- Z68 equipped computer (or mobile variants) which can use QuickSync as long as there is a monitor connected to the onboard graphics OR they use a discrete GPU, the onboard video is enabled and Lucid Virtu is installed which allows access to QuickSync
- Laptops equipped with nvidia Optimus technology should be able to use this (I'm looking to do some testing on a Lenovo W520 shortly).

Those who have P67 chipset are just plain out of luck as QuickSync is disabled on those boards since the GPU cannot be enabled at all.

To summarize what the QuickSync plugin does: Via a plugin (see top of this post) it can somewhat speed up encoding of video from Premier Pro using the media encoder and selecting the encoding type from the drop down menu of formats. QuickSync does NOT affect anything else in Premier Pro. It does not interact with MPE, it does not interact with GPU-based rendering. It is only a plugin to speed up final export via the media encoder. It is a prototype and as such it is not recommended for professional use. This plugin is just a proof of concept.