[Reko Tomo]

I just want to update about my problem which finally (maybe, hopefully) I solved it after trying “this and that”.

So, after I change to “Mercury Playback Engine Software Only” in the Premiere project setting,
1. drop frames (laggy video on the Premiere monitor) during the timeline playback is gone
(still only if there is no effect applied to the MTS file)

2. exporting is now faster as the CPU usage (shown in the Task Manager) now vary from 30 to 100% rapidly.

Yet, I still don’t understand because many times I read article I found in the internet, it say that using “Mercury Playback Engine Software Only” will have a slow rendering — using “Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (OpenCL)” will make faster rendering. And also it’s true when I was on my old rig (Intel) because I experience it by myself that if I use “Mercury Playback Engine Software Only” on my old rig I get a slow performance. But now in the new rig (AMD) is on the contrary :).

Thank you.

[Reko Tomo]

Thanks for the suggestion Jon. Really appreciate it.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi Jon,

Thank you for the reply.

I realize that my rig is not enough to edit with Adobe Premiere.
But with the new rig I hope at least I have the editing experience with Premiere the same as when I was in the old rig,
because I thought that the computer configuration in the new rig is similar with my old rig.

As I mentioned before, I never had any drop frames during timeline playback in my old rig
if the timeline only consist the MTS file (one video layer and one audio layer) with no effect.

Now with the new rig, where the timeline also has MTS file only (one video layer and one audio layer) with no effect,
even in 1/4 resolution, I frequently facing laggy/choppy playback (drop frames) randomly.

you wrote:
Cache file should (ideally) be on another drive, separate from OS, apps, and project/media.

I’ve already try that. Plug my other 500gb 7200rpm internal HDD.
Put all the MTS file from my handycam in there.
Set the Media cache file on other HDD, 300gb 7200rpm internal HDD.
Premiere project file (.prproj) save in the SSD where the OS and App is here.
I still experience laggy playback frequently with MTS files only in the timeline (no effect), 1/4 resolution.

When I was in the old rig, everything is in the same physical disk : OS, App, MTS files, Media Cache files.
No laggy playback with MTS files only in the timeline (no effect), even at full resolution.

You wrote:
RAM should be 16GB at bare minimum

Currently I don’t have money to buy one more 8gb DDR4 RAM stick.
But if this is the only solution which will solve the laggy playback and Low CPU usage,
then I will collect some money to buy one more RAM stick in the future.

Thank you once again for your reply, Jon.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi David,

Thank you for your respond.
I follow your instruction, and it turned out Premiere still can be opened without any mogrt file in both directories,
and the Essential Graphics Panel (EGP) within Premiere is blank.

After trying back and forth:
1. it seems at the time Premiere is opened, Premiere reads C:/Users/username/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Common/Motion Graphics Templates/ folder if there is any mogrt file there. If yes then the mogrts are shown in the EGP.

2. it seems Premiere doesn’t read C:/Program Files/Adobe/Premiere Pro 2018/Essential Graphics/ folder, because although I put mogrt file/s in that folder, the mogrts are not showing in the EGP.

My friend told me that he didn’t copy the folders and the mogrt files in C:/Users/username/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Common/Motion Graphics Templates/ folder to
C:/Program Files/Adobe/Premiere Pro 2018/Essential Graphics/ folder. (which caused there are two identical mogrt files in different folder).

I wonder how come the folders and the mogrt files are in C:/Program Files/Adobe/Premiere Pro 2018/Essential Graphics/ folder while there is nobody copy them from the C:/Users/username/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Common/Motion Graphics Templates/ folder then paste them to the C:/Program Files/Adobe/Premiere Pro 2018/Essential Graphics/ folder.

Thanks once again, David.

[Reko Tomo]

I already ordered the 120gb SSD.
I will update you once it arrive and installed to my PC :).
Thanks.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi Jon,
Thank you your kind reply.

Not long before, I have 3 HDD drives (SATA). That time I’ve tried to put Premiere Media cache files on different drive (E: drive), not to my OS physical drive (partitioned as C: and D:), while the MTS video file I put in D: drive.

But to be honest, I can’t tell the difference between putting the Premiere Media Cache files to D: (OS physical drive) and to E: (different physical drive).

I feel it’s just the same when Premiere generates cfa files on importing MTS file and when I do the editing process. But maybe it’s because I don’t do too many heavy editing (composite, color grading, etc), mostly it’s just for a home video. That’s why I just put Premiere generated files on the same D drive.

About a month ago, one of the HDD is dead.
That’s why now I’m planning to buy a SSD.

Why I put option B, because for years until now my C: drive (100gig partitioned) never reach more than 50gb filled with Win7 OS, Adobe Premiere, After Effect, Office, Firefox, Chrome, and some other “little” programs. That’s why I thought rather than the rest of the SSD space not used the whole time maybe it’s OK to put Premiere generated files on that empty space.

About RAID, I’ve read internet articles about it. But I don’t think I’m able to do it as because some said it can give a headache if one of the drive fail.

Anyway, I will go with your advice (SSD just for OS and App) once I have the SSD.

Thank you once again, Jon.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi Jeff…

I did realize that Amanda use Architect.
That’s why I wrote : “if you will enough”, because it will takes strong will to “leave” Architect and then learn a new program :). But I hope the “VLCPortable” way is fit with Amanda’s case and she still can do the authoring with Architect.

regards.

PS : sorry to be off topic…
I think you are skillful in Encore.
I wonder if you happen to know whether it’s possible or not to do 4 color menu mapping in Encore ?
I open a thread about this question in this forum, still waiting for someone to explain me :).
Thank you.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi Amanda,

Just found out a way from the internet which I hope it works for you.
From the internet info, I did this :

1. Download VLC portable (it’s free), just google it.
2. Install this app to your USB stick.
3. After this installation, it will create a folder in your USB stick with a name “VLCPortable”.
4. Copy your VIDEO_TS folder to this USB stick
5. Open Notepad and wrote this text :
start \VLCPortable\VLCPortable -vvv \video_ts\video_ts.ifo
6. In Notepad click FILE menu then choose SAVE
7a. Choose your USB stick root directory (mine is E:)
7b. Give the “File name” : PlayMovie.bat
7c. change the “Save as type” to : (*.*)
7d. click SAVE.

So now in your USB stick contains :
1. VIDEO_TS folder
2. VLCPortable folder
3. PlayMovie.bat

When you double-click the PlayMovie.bat, it will launch the VLCportable app and automatically display your DVD video first-play. I checked my DVD-movie played in this VLC player, all runs well and also the menu runs well.

I haven’t tried to do these :
1. Copy all those 3 in the USB stick and paste to my hard-drive computer
2. Erase those 3 in the USB stick.
3. Copy the one in the hard-drive then paste it into the USB stick
4. Double click the PlayMovie.bat (the one in the USB stick).
5. See the result.

But I think it will work.
If it works so then you don’t need to install the VLCPortable to each USB stick that you want to make, but just copy those 3 from your hard-drive computer to each new and blank USB stick.

I hope this way is a workaround for your case.

regards.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi Amanda,

If you will enough, maybe you can try to make interactive Flash movie then convert it to self contained executable file (.exe).
I don’t know how to do it, but once I’ve received an exe file and when I double click it the video play in a Flash style.
Please try to do some search with something like “make video as executable file” or “make video as self playing exe file”.

Most of them (some are provided as a free software in the internet) will not support menu.
But I think if you “author” your video as Flash, you can have menu (not exactly like DVD menu which has more features) then convert it to executable file. Please try to google about Interactive Flash video.

you wrote :
A staff member will make the video themselves – what they use is anybody’s guess. Sometimes their iphone, sometimes an old camera they have at the office, sometimes their ipad, whatever.

For me, that’s “terrifying” … let alone if they give you the videos in multiple format :).

regards.

[Reko Tomo]

Amanda, this is me again.
I’m sorry I don’t read well your post.

You wrote :
I have DVD Architect (6 I think, whatever comes with the latest Pro) and Sony Vegas Pro 13. I have one long rendered clip in Vegas with chapter markers. I’ve explained they can watch and press ‘next chapter’ if they want to get to the next one. Each chapter has a title page.

I don’t think this will work with my steps I explain before.
Because once they press the “next chapter” it will goes to whatever menu you assigned within “end action” of each chapter button.

So, I think it won’t be possible to have the condition like this :
1. If the user press next chapter it goes to the next one
2a. if the user doesn’t do anything, once the running chapter finish – it goes back to the main menu.

Assuming that I myself is in this case, I will sacrifice the number 2, with the solution :
2b. If the user want to go back to the main menu, then he has to press the “root menu” button. (NOT “Title menu” button).
After he press the “root menu”, the player display the Main Menu.

Number 2b I can do it within Maestro by link the “chapter menu key” in each chapter button.
IMHO, if finally you found that your Architect has the option “end action” in each chapter button – then I think it should have also the “chapter menu key” in each chapter button.

“Chapter menu key” in each chapter button is when the user (during any chapter that runs) press “root menu” it will bring him/her to whatever page we link during the authoring stage.

“end action” in each chapter button is when the user press “next” button OR don’t do nothing which will bring him/her to whatever page we link during the authoring stage.

As you can see from the picture above, I don’t link the “end action” on each chapter button BUT the last one.
I link the “menu key” button on each chapter button to whatever I want. In this case :
1. when the user is in the chapter-1 running, if he press the “root menu” it will bring him to Scene Selection page with button number-2 highlighted.
2. when the user is in the chapter-2 running, if he press the “root menu” it will bring him to the same Scene Selection page but this time with button number-3 highlighted.
3. And so on repeatedly.

Although I don’t know whether Architect can do that, but I think your Architect has that feature.
I hope this can help you to figure-out about your case.