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Is Adobe Support Lying to me? “this project contained a sequence that could not be opened no sequence preview preset file or codec could be associated with this sequence type”
So, I have been working with premiere for over a year now and have made 100 youtube videos and feel like I know what I’m doing. I’m also a software engineer with 25 years experience, so I think I have a decent idea about how software works, files and the file system, but I don’t know how Premiere is coded at all.
I received the following error when opening a project I have been working on:
“premiere this project contained a sequence that could not be opened no sequence preview preset file or codec could be associated with this sequence type.”
I received this error a couple weeks ago and deleted my cache folder(s) and was able to get into the project but all of the clips on the timeline were red, indicating missing media. After some googling and reading some adobe articles, I did some random combination of uninstall and using the Adobe cleaning tool and deleting my cache folders and somehow the project loaded properly. I also saw a little window after reinstall and login about installing codecs, and based on what I read, I believe it was a codec issue. I don’t know why Adobe is destroying my codecs or licenses for them and I haven’t installed any other software such as codec packs or media players etc…
So, today I was not so lucky and couldn’t recover the project. I first deleted my cache folders and then I was at least able to open the project but all clips in the timeline were red. If I tried to relink the media, it would warn me about breaking the audio and I can’t undo it. Selecting Yes would show the video but no audio. After a few uninstall, clean and reinstall, nothing happened, so I opened a chat session and allowed the Adobe rep to remote into my computer and take control. The session lasted almost 2 hours. First he did all kinds of things, none of which worked. Then he accused me of “breaking the AVCHD folder structure”, which I wasn’t even aware of.
So, here is what he told me. He said do NOT use the double click of your bin (double click on empty space) to import media. He said you must use the media browser only. Also he said that by me copying my *.MTS files onto my hard drive without the files in the folders above was a problem. He said to copy the AVCHD folder over to the hard drive, which is 2 folders above where the .MTS files are. Mind you, I have been doing that for over a year and editing every day and only run into this twice, and I think that both times is when Adobe did an update. If I’m required to do that, it’s going to make it awfully messy for me to copy files from my sd card into separate project folders since the names of the metadata/supporting files do not match the MTS files. It seems like a messy workflow.
So after explaining all this to me, he said that there was nothing I could do and my project was trashed. I was able to prove him wrong in 60 seconds, by using the media browser to import all the media again from a different folder on my hard drive, but the same files, and then simply linking the media from that new folder.
He also explained to me that if I used MP4 that I wouldn’t have this problem, but I had an MP4 file in there and it was suffering from the same symptoms. I had to make a copy of the mp4 file and then link that media to the new copy and it worked.
While I may concede ignorance on the MTS files and their metadata, if Adobe was designed to work with the metadata then why would it let me import ten thousand MTS for over a year and work just fine, no problems without any of the supporting files? Also, why would the programmers allow there to be an import process that didn’t work, or work differently than another import method without informing the user etc.? Furthermore if this was my fault and I wouldn’t have a problem with MP4, then why did I have a problem with MP4. He blamed my computer and said it was a permission issue where I was allowed to access video but not audio, again it makes no sense.
I firmly believe Adobe has cost me about 10 hours of work. Work that I can make a high dollar return on. I firmly believe that Adobe is damaging, removing, uninstalling, unregistering my codecs somehow and the magical uninstall & clean and reinstall and relogin is not working. I believe the audio was not working because of said missing codec.
Does anyone have any comments or insight into this? I’m working on a video for a charity and I was destroyed to think I had to start over. If this happens one more time, I will probably stop using the Adobe products even though I would be heartbroken, as I love using them and have become proficient.
Thanks for anyone’s insight and time.
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17 Replies
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[Brandon Davids] “Then he accused me of “breaking the AVCHD folder structure”, which I wasn’t even aware of.”
Here’s the thing. This folder structure thing has been in a bunch of AVCHD workflow white papers from the time the codec came out. Usually the camera manufacturers had their own tools to deal with the footage or in the case of FCP one would log and transcode it to prores or what have you.
[Brandon Davids] “It seems like a messy workflow.”
AVCHD being troublesome with its folder structures et al isn’t Adobe’s fault. You can bring in some mts files and not have problems with them. Certain workflows might get broken (missing timecode) and spanned clips might not work properly so the “whole card in its own folder and use media browser” is a sure way to keep that working correctly.
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Thanks for the info. I guess that if I wanted to move the videos from my sd card into different folders because I shot totally different movies with them, that I could move the entire SD card to a folder on my hard drive and then move the MTS files wherever I want, and then simply make a copy of ALL the supporting files above them, since they don’t take up much room.
Now what about the fact that my MP4 file was broken and the fact that when this happened last time, that I was able to recover somehow?
I appreciate your knowledge and time, thanks.
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If you have the whole Creative Cloud paid for you could add Prelude to your arsenal. You can transcode your AVCHD footage to some other format (like DNxHD or Cineform) that doesn’t require the folder structure thing. Those formats also require less of your computer and run better than AVCHD. On the downside depending on the settings they might take more space than AVCHD.
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Thanks. I’ll look into that. I do have the CC suite. I have a beast of a computer with multiple and fast M.2 SSD’s but I do a lot of PIP style overlays, green screen, animation and effects. Sometimes, I have to drop down to 1/2 resolution for preview to make it smooth, especially if I have some 4k clips. More speed is always good!
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If you do go the transcoding route….
choosing Quicktime as your media container has the added benefit of being Metadata Keyword capable in Adobe Bridge as well. This allows you media to become much more discoverable as well.
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX
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Also….Terho….
did you know the latest version of Media Encoder has:
• Media Browser panel built in
• ability to Mark IN/OUT in the Picon View
• Options to Stitch multiple files on Encode?
It’s getting very good!
I’m relying on it more and more every day.
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX
Let’s Connect on Linkedin
Examples: Retail Automotive Motion Graphics Spots
Example: Customer Facing Explainer Video
Example: Infotainment & Package editorial -
[Brandon Davids] “I received the following error when opening a project I have been working on:
“premiere this project contained a sequence that could not be opened no sequence preview preset file or codec could be associated with this sequence type.”
“You don’t need to transcode, this means your copy of Premiere is in Trial Mode, which removes project presets. You need to troubleshoot that.
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This is exactly why I asked this question. I think this is a problem with Adobe. I would never just un-register my software. I think adobe did an update and got screwed up. When I log back in it’s not properly registering my codecs etc…
I did a full uninstall and clean and it didn’t help.
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You did a full install of Premiere or Creative Cloud App?
sometimes the Cloud App needs a fresh install…
and as the cloud app itself is the gateway to verifying your account credentials…
that can definitely push you into trial mode…
ugh….
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX
Let’s Connect on Linkedin
Examples: Retail Automotive Motion Graphics Spots
Example: Customer Facing Explainer Video
Example: Infotainment & Package editorial -
From the original post. I got the error message when opening the project, and the project won’t open. I can delete all my cache folders and then load the project, but then all media is red and appears unlinked but none of my media has sound.
I did a full uininstall and a full clean of the entire adobe suite using the adobe clean tool, including the CC app. On installation of CC app, by downloading from Adobe, logging in and then re-installing premiere and media encoder etc…. it didn’t help.
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