Does Videopad use GPU for export?

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

Hello,

I'm using VideoPad v8.06. 

Recently I bought a new desktop with a decent GPU and I want to put it in use. Apparently even when option "use hardware acceleration" is selected VideoPad is using only CPU.

I see in the task manager that my GPU load is 1-2% which is just an idling. Adobe Premier Rush (and Pro of course) are doing export with GPU and it makes a huge difference!

Here is my desktop:

Processor    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz  - 4.80 GHz
GPU    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (6GB of RAM)
Installed RAM    16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)
Edition    Windows 10 Pro
Version    21H1
OS build    19043.985
Experience    Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.2020.0

My test is to combine two 4K clips from my action camera (1min + 4min):

5min 4K@60fps H.265 135Mbps -> H.264 40Mbps
1. Premiere Rush v1.5.58 (CPU - Soft) -  12 min
2. Premiere Rush v1.5.58 (GPU - HW)   -   3 min
3. VideoPad v8.06 (CPU Only)          - ~72 min

As you can see, even pure SW encoding in Premiere Rush is way faster. There are no effects, just a transition through fade between two clips.
 

When the result is 4K H.265 Videopad is just crashing:

5min 4K@60fps H.265 135Mbps -> H.265 35Mbps
1. Premiere Pro v14.8 (GPU HW) - 3.5 min
2. VideoPad v8.06 (CPU Only)   - crashed
 

I ran export 5min 4K H.265 with VideoPad on my older laptop (16 GB of RAM + Gen 9th Core i7) and it took several hours (3+) to export the resulting 5 min clip. For unknown reasons x265 codec crashes on my new desktop. My version is pretty old but before  paying for the update I want to know if it makes any sense for me or not.

My question is: are there any plans to support GPU HW while exporting?

I understand that VideoPad is way cheaper than Pro and even Rush, but for my needs I mostly need to put several clips together, add heading, text, transitions and export. I find it hard to justify waiting more than 1 hour to export 5min of 4K video.

[borate]

8.06 is dated.  Newest versions have been re-engineered to utilize GPU much more efficiently.  Give this 64-bit release a test drive, even if unlicensed.  Retain your old installer and registration.

If you upload your two-clip test and link it here or to me in a private message via the envelope at the top-right of this forum, someone will check it out.

Upload the clips alone, or the project.  If the latter, follow these simple instructions.  If using Google Drive, GET LINK, and be sure that it isn't "restricted."

•     Back up --- With your project on the timeline, click on MENU at the top-left.  Click FILE|BACK UP PROJECT FILES TO FOLDER.  Choose a folder and SELECT FOLDER.
•     Upload ---  Use a free server - Google Drive, MS OneDrive, etc.* - to upload the saved, numbered FOLDER.    Do NOT upload the individual VPJ or export file. 
•     Get link --- Get a public link.  If using Google Drive click GET SHAREABLE LINK. If necessary change "restricted" to "anyone with the link can view" 
•     Share ---     Click COPY LINK | DONE.  Paste that link here, or click the folder at the top-right of this forum to message it privately to me.  It won't be shared.

          *    Before uploading, right-click the folder, click PROPERTIES.  Look at the File Size to confirm that it's not too big for the free space on the server.

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

Thank you for your answer,.

I installed this 64bit version v10.43 (backed up my old version before).

It is not registered, but allows me to export H.264/265 for now. 

Encoder to H.265 is crashing when I try to produce 4K H.265 @ 35 Mbps

Fault bucket 1969144987551476668, type 5
Event Name: RADAR_PRE_LEAK_64
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: x265enc3x64.exe
P2: 0.0.0.0
P3: 10.0.19043.2.0.0
 

When I try to produce 4K H.265 with default quality (I have no idea what is that, would be good to display at least).

Export starts, but only CPUs are busy, GPU is idling (Encode & Decode at 0%, 3D at 17% but it is Windows).

After 7 minutes of encoding were 9.5% completed (29 seconds of video).

Which makes it (100/9.5) * 7 = ~73 min to finish 100% of work. I stopped here don't see the point to wait more than 1 hour.

Input files and resulting file are on SSD disk.

I have to regretfully admit that after 7 minutes Premiere Pro would export this clip twice, but VideoPAD didn't even reach 10%. 

 

[borate]

Please upload your test files.  We'd like to take a look.  Where are you specifying the 35Mbps setting?

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

Sure, I'm uploading them. It is 5GB, takes a while.

Please don't share them, I will send you a link through PM.

These are the files produced by Insta360 ONE-R 4K module, H.265 @ 60fps

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

25 minutes ago, borate said:

Where are you specifying the 35Mbps setting?

I'm not sure how to add picture here or insert HTML code. Here is the direct link to the screen shot.

[borate]

You must have entered the choice directly, as it's not one of the presets...

You have correctly posted a link to the image, thanks.  Awaiting the PM file/s.

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

Sure it is not shown, but I can edit it - so I just change 40000 to 35000.

Is it invalid usage? I have been always doing that, as I find 15Mbps is more suitable for my needs, so I always adjusted bitrate manually.

[borate]

Never thought of entering a bitrate manually;  in hindsight realized that you had.  Don't see why that would be a problem, but only testing can confirm.

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

I sent you the link to download the file and password through PM.

They will expire in 7 days.

Let me know if you were able to get them.

Thanks!

[borate]

Thanks for sharing.  For good measure it was allowed to fully cache in VP 10.43 (64-bit).  That took a long time.  This is a GeForce 1060 card.

No H265 crash, but it failed at 25, 35 and 40MB.   Default was okay.  Export wasn't attempted.

With H264 and export @SmartMax 60fps, 35000kbps the result was consistent with yours.  No GPU activity witnessed.  That's inconsistent with the new pipeline introduced recently where there has been considerable usage, so something may be amiss.

This info has been passed along to the developers.  Please do leave your files up for several days.

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

1 hour ago, borate said:

This info has been passed along to the developers.  Please do leave your files up for several days.

Thanks. I have no control over expiration period of the shared files. I use a corporate plan and this 7 day expiration period is enforced by the corporate policy.

I don't have available 5 GB on my personal OneDrive or DropBox, I will see what I can do.

1 hour ago, borate said:

With H264 and export @SmartMax 60fps, 35000kbps the result was consistent with yours.  No GPU activity witnessed.  That's inconsistent with the new pipeline introduced recently where there has been considerable usage, so something may be amiss.

This info has been passed along to the developers.  Please do leave your files up for several days.

Hopefully I will get a free upgrade license to test export with GPU when it is implemented 😃 

[borate]

Seeing good GPU action with a variety of projects here.

But word has it that HEVC encoding, which your files are, does not support that feature at this time.

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

We're in 2021 now, all mobile phones and action cameras produce HEVC / H.265 by default.

These are 30% smaller (and require 5 times more CPU power to encode/decode), taking into account the size of modern videos nobody wants to use H.264 anymore.

Encode H.265 with raw CPU power is not a solution, it should be GPU + CPU.

Thanks for the information though. There is a hope for us, simple users 😃

[borate]

On the I-7 PC, there was no GPU usage.  However, after further testing...

an I-3 laptop had GPU activity between 7 and 15% (CPU 52%).  Export of your :50 file alone at 4K H264, 60fps took 20minutes or so.

There was no GPU readout when exporting with H265.

Under investigation.  If there are further developments they will be reported here.

[Oleg Osovitskiy]

3 minutes ago, borate said:

CPU 52%

Even if there is no GPU activity on my machine I don't see VideoPAD uses more than 50% CPU on 4 cores (out of 16).

While Adobe Premiere Rush loads all 16 cores to 99-100% (and additionally it loads GPU to 80-90%).

[Lancelot Chan]

Has h265 GPU encoding been implemented? 

[borate]

Appears so.  This, on a 1.75-hour mp4 export at 1080, 24 fps.

[Lancelot Chan]

Is the 81.7% GPU usage? And you're using 32 bit version? Surprise!

[borate]

Yes, on both accounts.  Version 12.05.

[Lancelot Chan]

I thought you would be using 64 bit.  Anyway, would you mind clicking on the arrow on the left of the videopad process on the task manager, and see how much GPU the x265enc3.exe is using? 

[borate]

x265enc3.exe is not listed in task manager.  How much GPU is used varies with the content.

Above, it was in the 80s.  Project B averaged in the 30-40s.  Project C came in at about 8 or 9.

[Lancelot Chan]

Hmmm.... you can open resource monitor and see x265enc3 during a h265 encoding

https://www.isunshare.com/windows-10/7-ways-to-access-resource-monitor-in-windows-10.html

But anyway, how long it takes to encode in h265 then? Much faster than before?

[borate]

Resource monitor does not list x265enc3.exe.

Mp4 runs on a thirty-second simple three-clip project exported In :21 for both encoders.

[Lancelot Chan]

I can confirm that when using GPU, videopad does not use x265enc3.exe or the 64bit version of it. The main program controls the GPU work, though most of the work were during editing. When exporting anything with effects / overlay, the encoder become very little utilized.

Now only when I do lossless editing in h264 does videopad summons up the x264enc7x64.exe to deal with it.