Video Editor With Video Transcoding Via GPU

[Jun aka Pekto]

Just wondering if any video pros here have experience with video-editing apps that support transcoding via GPU.

Or is it done via Windows API's and across the board for any video editor?

I was curious about it and checked out some articles. I didn't realize transcoding via gpu has come a long way:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon...review-test/23

[rion]

I heard about this but I had no idea. I even thought new softwares already utilizes gpu.

3d particle effects have been using the gpu for rendering the effects for awhile now. effects like those pixie dust, stars, comets that is on 3d rendering softwares or stand alone effect compositors. I guess it's same way how real time effects on games where created.

what I am aware of recently is the photoshop cs4 utilizes opengl and gpu's ram.

[Jun aka Pekto]

I heard about this but I had no idea. I even thought new softwares already utilizes gpu.

3d particle effects have been using the gpu for rendering the effects for awhile now. effects like those pixie dust, stars, comets that is on 3d rendering softwares or stand alone effect compositors. I guess it's same way how real time effects on games where created.

what I am aware of recently is the photoshop cs4 utilizes opengl and gpu's ram.

What surprised me was the GPU's superiority over quadcores, even the i7's. I wasn't expecting gpu transcoding to be that good.

If that's the case, then I won't miss having such a mighty quadcore since my main use for one would be in video editing. I guess I can sit pretty with my lowly triple core Phenom II and buy a video editing app that has gpu transcoding built-in.

[rion]

I'm only speculating here, I think special effects and real 3d utilizes Gpu while the cpu still handle most of the encoding. but I read avivo video converter uses the gpu solely. perhaps it's really up to the software how to make use of the hardware indeed.

today, I just ordered HD 4850. hope it won't have encoding problems like my both AGP and PCI-E x1650 on effects software I use.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Wouldn't you know it......

As soon as I started inquiring/voicing concerns about gpu transcoding, ATI comes out with new (9.12) Catalyst drivers and Avivo Video Converter.

Installing now.....

[Jun aka Pekto]

I'm only speculating here, I think special effects and real 3d utilizes Gpu while the cpu still handle most of the encoding. but I read avivo video converter uses the gpu solely. perhaps it's really up to the software how to make use of the hardware indeed.

today, I just ordered HD 4850. hope it won't have encoding problems like my both AGP and PCI-E x1650 on effects software I use.

What kind of effects software do you use? Me. I'm mainly home user level. Whatever came with Video Studio 11 or Sony Vegas is fine. Nothing cutting edge like Final Cut Pro or anything.....

I might buy Pinnacle's Studio HD. It's on sale right now.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Anyway, I've installed the latest Catalyst and Avivo Video Converter.

I'm converting a 2.5gb mpeg2 to a 285mb 720p H264 mp4. Transcode time is estimated at 34 minutes.

First, I'm not sure how the video would look since the stock footage resolution is 720x480. My guess is it'll look huge and squished. Second, I can't even remember if 34 minutes convert time is good or not. But, we'll see soon enough. This is just a test to see if it works on my rig.

CPU utilization is still in the 40% range. But, it's nothing like the 90-100% CPU usage with my other transcoder apps.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Bah. Screw that 2.6gb video. 34 minutes was still too long for me. I decided to test Avivo Video Converter on a 264mb mpeg2 I made and converted it to PSP Highest Quality.

Avivo Video Converter took 30 seconds while Pinnacle Mobile Media Converter still took way over 2 minutes and I considered PMMC fast.

I'm impressed with Avivo Stream gpu transcoding so far. Holy Sh*t!

[Jun aka Pekto]

Just to see if it's a fluke or not, I tried another mpeg2 video (DV-AVI isn't supported by the Avivo app).

It's a 282mb video that's 8:02 minutes long. I converted it to the highest quality PSP mp4 format using first Pinnacle Mobile Media Converter (transcoding via cpu, triplecore Phenom II 2.8ghz) and ATI's Avivo Video Converter (transcoding via HD 5770 gpu).

Rendering times:

Pinnacle: 3 minutes, 27 seconds. File size: 47.8mb
Avivo: 28 seconds. File size: 40.7mb

It's no fluke. Transcoding via gpu is awesome!

This is the video I used.....
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAi5k7D-RFQ"]YouTube- TestFileAvivo.mp4[/ame]

[Jun aka Pekto]

Converting 1080p wmv video down to 720p mp4

The original re-sized for comparison:



The ATI Stream version. It's still not as good as say, nVidia's CUDA. The blurriness is still apparent. But, at least this new version is not the pixelated mess it once was in some earlier reviews:


For my home use, it's good enough.

[rion]

hey nice findings. I'd like to compare them myself once I get my 4850. I sold my xfx 9600gt, so I'm using onboard video on my main rig. hehe...

I see opengl on Adobe After effects and particle illussion.



for certain, disabling opengl will slow my encodes on particle illusion. I mean really slow. a minute will take like an hour without opengl. my agp and pcie x1650 pro cannot be used on partile illussion. therefore particle illusion is dependent on gpu. After effects can be used with or without 3d and particle effects, so I'm speculating it uses both cpu and gpu.

[Jun aka Pekto]

hey nice findings. I'd like to compare them myself once I get my 4850. I sold my xfx 9600gt, so I'm using onboard video on my main rig. hehe...

I see opengl on Adobe After effects and particle illussion.



for certain, disabling opengl will slow my encodes on particle illusion. I mean really slow. a minute will take like an hour without opengl. my agp and pcie x1650 pro cannot be used on partile illussion. therefore particle illusion is dependent on gpu. After effects can be used with or without 3d and particle effects, so I'm speculating it uses both cpu and gpu.

I though ATI has its own implementation of industrial-level OpenGL that works with After Effects although it isn't as strong as nVidia's.

Seeing as you use it a lot, I'm surprised you didn't go with a better nVidia card rather than ATI.

[rion]

though I'm a nvidia fanboi, it would be a smart choice for a 5.5k budget to choose 4850 over gts 250 Green edition until gtx 300 series comes out in a steady price. they say the gt300 supposed to be more on gpu particle effects encoding and better power consumption than the gt2xxx.

[Jun aka Pekto]

though I'm a nvidia fanboi, it would be a smart choice for a 5.5k budget to choose 4850 over gts 250 Green edition until gtx 300 series comes out in a steady price. they say the gt300 supposed to be more on gpu particle effects encoding and better power consumption than the gt2xxx.

Hmmm. I don't know if you can wait that long. I probably would've kept the 9600GT and waited. You could've made good use of CUDA in the meantime which is superior to ATI Stream.

The reason I stuck with an ATI card (besides following my buying pattern of alternating between nVidia and ATI) is because I have an AMD cpu. Sticking with all AMD/ATI seemed to make the most sense for system stability.

I was going to buy either the 4870 or even the 4890 (I couldn't find any 5850's anywhere). But, those cards eat up a lot of power and put out a lot of heat which can sometimes affect stability. The 5770 seems a lot more stingy and runs cooler. So I bought it despite being slower than the two cards I mentioned.

The 5770 is close enough to the 4870 performance-wise, but runs much cooler. I'm happy with it for now. But if I move up to multi-display gaming, I'm definitely going with nVidia.

[rion]

the itch was so intense, hehe... got an iceq blue pcb to match my giga mobo.

yeah, the 4870 sucks a lot of power even on idle. even 4850 and gts250 does sucks a lot. the 4850 iceq is suppose to eat less than most 4850 despite factory oc. I just hope for my sake.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/H..._IceQ4/24.html
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/gra...urbox-512mb/10

[rion]

I'm officialy screwed by Ati.

got my 4850, can't render my effects software. opengl issues. already updated the software and drivers. tried different settings. it was the old same problem like my other two rigs. the AGP x1650 with Pentium 4 and PCIE X1650 on a dual core.



My Resident Evil 5 benchmark is laggy on area 3


I got a random BSOD for the first time on my rig. =(

I don't think I will be going back to ati anymore. too much blows already from my old expriences. Weirdness is just too much...

hoping I still may able to fix my problem, even just for my effects software rendering.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Anything OpenGL, I'd go nVidia.

As for After Effects problems, have you tried this?

http://deecay.blogspot.com/2009/01/a...4-was-not.html

I was messing with the Cartoon plugin in Adobe After Effect CS4 which utility the GPU capability. It didn't work on my machine as the rendering was ultra slow. When I opened preference. it said that "OpenGL Not Found". But when I went to Adobe site, it stated clearly that my card (ATI HD4850) is one of the supported card.

So I updated my After Effect from 9.0 to 9.0.1. I also update the driver to ATI Catalyst version 8.12, which is far higher than the required 8.8 stated on the Adobe well page. Well, the After Effect perference still says OpenGL Not Found.

Being fustrated, I opened Photoshop CS4, as I remembered that Photoshop CS4 also support GPU. The perference in Photoshop CS4 found the GPU, stated the ATI 4850.

Here's the strange thing: I then opened Adobe After Effect CS4 again and BOOM! This time AFter Effect saw the GPU and allow me to check the OpenGL checkbox. Once checked, everything goes awesome. The render of Cartoon effect is now instantly. Pretty sweet.

Well ... at least it works now.

Weird.

[rion]

Thanks, I tried it, Opengl is still uncheckable in AE... no openGl videocard found.



3d special effect will be slower...

my main problem is with particle illussion. though I can make it run if I disable opengl. it is slower and image is not so crisp.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Adobe apps tend to be some of the more sensitive apps around. I don't have much OpenGL stuff besides games and those run fine with the 5770.

[Jun aka Pekto]

My Resident Evil 5 benchmark is laggy on area 3

Just wondering what your settings are for that game.

I don't have the game. But, I do have the benchmarking tool based on the game.

The settings I have for the 19" monitor:
1440x900
2xAA
Vsync off
All other settings at highest DX10

My results:


46fps doesn't sound bad at all especially if the gap between minimum and maximum frame rates aren't big. ATI cards are known to have steadier frame rates.

I got to Level 9 (of 11 total) so far of Crysis at High-Very High(max) settings at maximum (Delta) difficulty with frame rates mostly in the 30's and even upper 20's. Game play was very smooth which I needed since I was sniping with just a reflex sight and making head shots.