Currently I am hosting many Zoom meetings and record most of them to the Zoom Cloud. They are generally about an hour long. After “processing”, Zoom produces mp4 files which I download to my computer for editing.  I have successfully imported these to Studio 24U and placed it on the timeline.  Then I have a problem: Firstly the audio waveform takes ages to write and I get no response when I try to play the hour-long clip, no matter where the play head is. I leave it for some minutes and suddenly it jumps into life and plays: move the play head again and it will again only play after a minute or so.  Editing is impossible. 

So what is going on here? I have a workaround: I import the Zoom mp4 track into my previous [simple] editor (Wondershare Filmora 9), place it on its timeline and, without editing, export it as mp4. This produces a larger mp4 file than the original (half as big again) but, if I now import THIS mp4 file into Studio 24U, I can edit it with no problem before exporting it, again as an mp4 file.

Are there various codecs for mp4 files, as clearly mp4’s are not all the same. Of course it is a container so maybe the Zoom mp4, which is smaller, contains less information than required By Studio. 

Would be grateful to anyone who knows what’s going on here. Thanks.

John 

Smoothie:

Are there various codecs for mp4 files, as clearly mp4’s are not all the same.

Absolutely !

Use Mediainfo on your file and post here a screenshot of its result : http://forums.pinnaclesys.com/forums/thread/708486.aspx

saby:

Smoothie:

Are there various codecs for mp4 files, as clearly mp4’s are not all the same.

Absolutely !

Use Mediainfo on your file and post here a screenshot of its result : http://forums.pinnaclesys.com/forums/thread/708486.aspx

Thanks, will explore Mediainfo and report back.

Meanwhile, has anyone experience of successfully importing/editing Zoom mp4 files into Studio?

AFAIK, Zoom files have variable framerate. That's not something that Pinnacle Studio is happy to handle.

saby:

AFAIK, Zoom files have variable framerate. That's not something that Pinnacle Studio is happy to handle.

FWIW

Zoom's settings do allow it to create recordings that are compatible with video editing proigrams (the conversion happens automatically upon stopping the recording). The resulting file does then have a constant frame rrate and can be edited in Studio.

Regards,
Richard

FYI the attached text file from MediaInfo shows what file propereties Zoom produced for one of the meetings I recorded when a recording was set up to produce files compatible with video editors.

It is H.264 coded, with a constant 25fps frame ratye, and a mono AAC audio channel. Pulling the file into Studio 24, no undue delays are observed when scrubbing, staring/stopping playback - and the audio waveform only took a few seconds to appear after adding the file to Studio's timeline

Regards,
Richard

culpanr:

FYI the attached text file from MediaInfo shows what file propereties Zoom produced for one of the meetings I recorded when a recording was set up to produce files compatible with video editors.

It is H.264 coded, with a constant 25fps frame ratye, and a mono AAC audio channel. Pulling the file into Studio 24, no undue delays are observed when scrubbing, staring/stopping playback - and the audio waveform only took a few seconds to appear after adding the file to Studio's timeline

Regards,
Richard

That’s  really helpful, Richard.  I will look at mine tomorrow.  

Question: After a Zoom meeting I let Zoom “prepare” the cloud recording in the background. When it says it has finished it gives me the chance to download the resultant mp4 file. Presumably this is the non-Studio-compatible non-fixed frame rate version with the smaller file size. At what point, and how, do I tell it to give me a Studio-compatible constant frame rate H.264 coded mp4 file? I cannot see options for this. Note: I am downloading the recording made “in the cloud” by Zoom - not a local recording. 

Thanks again for your help.

I don't know about the options available for cloud recordings as I am using a free account (and don't have any cloud storage). But the attached screen-grab shows what I see for configuring local recordings (note the check-box "Optimize for 3rd party video editor"

HTH
Richard

culpanr:

I don't know about the options available for cloud recordings as I am using a free account (and don't have any cloud storage). But the attached screen-grab shows what I see for configuring local recordings (note the check-box "Optimize for 3rd party video editor"

HTH
Richard

Thanks, Richard, I had noticed the Optimize for 3rd party video editor tick-box (it is also available for cloud recordings) and will try using that in future. Strange that my simpler Filmora9 editing software allows a standard Zoom mp4 import whereas Studio is 'more fussy'. For interest,  I have attached a MediaInfo text file for the offending Zoom mp4 which won't import into Studio.

Nothing obviously wrong in this file should prevent PS from handling it correctly.

saby:

Nothing obviously wrong in this file should prevent PS from handling it correctly.

The only thing I could think of is how the video and audio is packaged up into the .MP4 file - is the video and audio evenly spread through the whole file, or is the audio "all in a big lump" at the end of the file (which might slow things down if it's not on a solid state drive and the hard drive heads are having to continuously flick back and forth between reading bits of video and audio.

The differences in the MediaInfo output are most likely only because mine was a lower resolution (1280x720 instad of 1920x1080).

culpanr:

saby:

Nothing obviously wrong in this file should prevent PS from handling it correctly.

The only thing I could think of is how the video and audio is packaged up into the .MP4 file - is the video and audio evenly spread through the whole file, or is the audio "all in a big lump" at the end of the file (which might slow things down if it's not on a solid state drive and the hard drive heads are having to continuously flick back and forth between reading bits of video and audio.

The differences in the MediaInfo output are most likely only because mine was a lower resolution (1280x720 instad of 1920x1080).

Thanks again - Not sure why the mp4 file would have the audio "all in a big lump" though, Richard!   [FYI: My S24U program files are on an SSD with media on a partitioned 1Tb HDD.]

I have attached hereto the MediaInfo text file for the same video but this time it's the file that imported OK into PS.  You will recall I derived it by importing into Filmora and, without any editing, exported it straight out as an mp4 which Studio was happy to import and edit.  It obviously transcoded into a different "flavour" of mp4 which Studio finds acceptable.  There seem to be a few differences if you put the MediaInfo text files alongside - eg bitrate.

Will definitely try ticking the "Optimizing for 3rd party editor" next time I host a Zoom meeting (on Monday).

The main technical details I can point out is that your first video has a variable GOP size, while the second has a fixed GOP size and the 1st video has multiple Reference frames (11). 

These details may have an impact on how a software must decode the core structure of the video.

I stated above "Will definitely try ticking the "Optimizing for 3rd party editor" next time I host a Zoom meeting ...".

I have just tried a test-record from a Zoom meeting I was hosting with "Optimizing for 3rd party editor" ticked in Zoom "Settings"
and I am pleased to report that the resultant [larger] mp4 file imported satisfactorily into Studio 24U for editing.

Thanks again for your help, folks!

Would you show here what Mediainfo can tell about this file ?

saby:

Would you show here what Mediainfo can tell about this file ?

MediaInfo textfile attached.  This file works fine in Studio24U.

Hi John,

I have seen the same problem with MP4 files coming out of Zoom and also from my Mavic Mini drone.

Those files do NOT seem to be directly compatible or fast importable to Pinnacle Studio; don't know why?

So, Yes, I pre-convert the files using a video file conversion tool prior to editing in Pinnacle Studio

 

A

drhitch:

Hi John,

I have seen the same problem with MP4 files coming out of Zoom and also from my Mavic Mini drone.

Those files do NOT seem to be directly compatible or fast importable to Pinnacle Studio; don't know why?

So, Yes, I pre-convert the files using a video file conversion tool prior to editing in Pinnacle Studio

 

Thanks. I have definitely cured the Import from Zoom problem by ticking  “Optimize for 3rd party editors" in the Zoom Settings/Record Page before starting the meeting. Since I have done that, I’ve had no problem Importing to, and Editing in, Studio 24.

drhitch:

I have seen the same problem with MP4 files coming out of Zoom and also from my Mavic Mini drone.

Those files do NOT seem to be directly compatible or fast importable to Pinnacle Studio; don't know why?

So, Yes, I pre-convert the files using a video file conversion tool prior to editing in Pinnacle Studio

It's not the same issues.

Fast importabe does not make sense.Once imported in the library, if you add a clip to the timeline, either backgorund rendering is turned on and you have to wait it is completed, or it is turned off and you can edit the file immediately.