Abobe Media Encoder is Now Broke After Update!

[leejk]

Hi,

To my dismay, I discovered that Media Encoder no longer exports mp4 files. Each time I try it now, it exports a file with the extension m4v instead of mp4, and it will not play. This is CS6 on a MacBook Pro running mountain lion. It was working previously before the latest update from Adobe. Anyone else experiencing this?

When I try and play back the m4v file, I am seeing this error.

thx

[Mark Mapes]

AME should output m4v files only when the multiplexer is set to None, in which case you get separate audio and video files. Please check which preset was used and what the muxer is set to. Please let us know if it's set to anything other than None, in which case you may have found a bug.

[leejk]

Hi,

I am using a custom preset I tweak which is based off of one of the ipad 2 export presets for h:264. The multiplexer is set to mp4, not none. This preset previously worked fine. Now, the output files have a m4v extension instead of mp4, and do not play back. Looks like a nasty bug.

This also happens when exporting directly from Premiere Pro. Is there a work around?

[Mark Mapes]

I just encoded to all three of the iPad2 system presets, and all outputs are .mp4.

If you send a copy of your custom preset to me [mapes (at) Adobe *dot* com], and I'll see if I can repro with it. [To do so, select it in the Preset Browser and click the Export Presets button.]

[rmloeb]

I'm sure glad I found this forum posting, because I have just wasted 3 days attempting to use AME to create MP4s for a customer!  I have exactly the same problem reported here by others.  I was not exporting audio.  The workaround of exporting audio, even though there is no such track, seems to work, but I'm uncomfortable delivering this as a finished product to this customer.

[leejk]

I noticed that a 6.0.3 update for AME was released very recently for Windows... has anyone tried it to see if the issue has been fixed? I have not see an update for Mac yet.

thx

[ShevaPro]

To reproduce the bug you should import footage without audio. Then you export it without audio. There is 100% chance that you get corrupted m4v file instead of playable mp4.

[Mars_Rising]

This is still borked.

I'm trying to make an mp4 file to use for sound design and it won't let me.

Help me, Adobe Tech Support. You are my only hope!

[Todd_Kopriva]

> Help me, Adobe Tech Support. You are my only hope!

This forum is not Adobe Technical Support. This is a user-to-user forum where people help out in their free time. If you want a guaranteed response from Adobe Technical Support, you can contact them here:

http://www.adobe.com/support/contact

[Crapule_Création]

Do you installed the latest update? I installed it and it fixed my export problems.

[George_Jardine_2]

Mark, or Todd, or anyone.... does anyone know why both AME CS55 and CS6 export .mp4 files that are 20% - 30% larger when running on Mountain Lion, vs. Snow Leopard?

I see this consistently, with same media inputs, same output presets, etc., etc.

[mlfix]

that's a good question...have you checked to make sure the output is set to the same bps ratein both OS's?

Maybe try exporting straight from AE or Premiere and see if anything changes?

sorry I can't be of much more help but please post if you find a solution.

[George_Jardine_2]

These are 1280 x 800 screen capture, so size is really important. With CS 5.5, I'm usually around 500 kbit/s, and with CS6, output is usually at 600 kbit/s.

Yes, the output template is identical. I have set Target Bitrate to .5 Mbps, and Max Bitrate to 1 Mbps.

And I've tried it in both AME and Premiere, but not AE. (I'm assuming they all use the same AME code.....)  It would be really nice to have an answer, because I have two machines I've keep on Snow Leopard just for compression! And would like to upgrade everything to ML.

G.

[liquidguru2]

I had this exact same problem, but when exporting using the Vimeo h264 tweaked preset. The tweak I made was not to export the audio. It then kept making .m4v files, not the .mp4 files and I couldn't play them. I too had no problems with CS5.5

I got around it by simply not unchecking the export audio. It then produced the correct mp4 file and I could play it.

[btdfun]

Same problem, but not with the legacy h264 encoder, which was one work around, the other was just to include audio with the encode.  When checking the log, it shows that it is writing out an .mp4 file.

[stephan mantler]

I had the exact same problem & resolution for trying to produce H.264 Youtube HD 720p 25 video files.

[leejk]

For the others that have experienced this problem, are you running on a Mac, and does the unexpected m4v output play back for you at all?

[stephan mantler]

Yes Keith, Mac OS X 10.8, and no, the m4v output did not play back at all (I tried Quicktime 7 & 8 and VLC), and the 'file' command line utility did not recognize the contents. A superficial hexdump check shows that the file does not have the typical header for 'proper' M4V video files (signature 00 00 00 14 66 74 79 70), so it really seems to be the bare video stream.

[btdfun]

Windows 7 on my end.

[leejk]

Ok, I have logged this as a bug. To me, it is a regression in functionality from 6.0.1 to 6.0.2. Hopefully it will get fixed; I can't fanthom that this would be acceptable by Adobe to leave as is, even if there is a workaround. However the workaround still gives a bigger file than what one without the audio track.

[IanatCintrexAV]

Thanks for posting this guys. I thought I forgot how to export .mp4s till I saw this thread.

[BonniesDharma2012]

I will have to try keeping the Export Audio box checked.  I am having the same .m4v problem when trying to save as mp4, and my videos have no audio (screen capture tutorials) so I chose not to export the audio.  I will see if keeping the box checked works.

I am using Windows 7 64-bit, CS6 Master Collection Student Teacher;  I just downloaded the full version (paid for) a couple of days ago, so apparently, this is still a bug.

I had posted this same type of question earlier today, now I found this forum.  I don't know if the problem was there before the update because I just bought my Adobe products the other day (November 10, 2012) and installed the updates prior to even opening any single one of the Adobe programs.  Oddly enough, Handbrake does a fine job, so I am using that until I figure out the problem with AME.

UPDATE: 

YES!  Keeping that Export Audio box checked resolved the problem.  What I did was (since there was no audio in the original) just take the audio settings down to the lowest possible quality so as to save on file size output.

Thanks for the pointer!

[mlfix]

I seem to have the same problem after leaving the audio on but I check Best Render/Maximum render quality.

I have to also out put a 1440x1080 version for a certain mobile app interface and keep trying to find a built in preset but I always get the 16:9 format. Can't seem to find out how to output to 1440:1080 without stretching the image. and also rendering properly as an mp4 file

[alexenman]

Yes, this has worked for me as well. Really hoping Adobe fix this nonsense, as h264 is kind of like.. ya know... important.

[TL2121]

Just experienced this issue for first time today---just got cs6--when I exported a prppro sequence without audio to h.264 legacy format then it gave me a good .mp4 file that was playable-but the regular h.264 gave me an unplayable (in vlc, playable in windows media player) .m4v file

quick question

what's the difference between the h.264 and the legacy h.264--I guess the mainconcept codec is not used for the new h.264?--Is that it--is there some reason we should not use the legacy format anymore?--i just assume it's more compatible than the "new" h.264 in ame and the legacy still works well for me-so I'd like to continue using it until adobe works out the kinks on the newer version--any thoughts?

Tony