Media Encoder cc 2014.1 crashing with unknown error on h.264 every time

Question

I am unable to render ANY timelines using h.264 for any format (presets or customized). The audio preparation procedure completes and the timeline seems to render fine for a while. The render never committees and variably crashes somewhere during the render with the very helpful "Unknown Error" every singe time.
Example from the log file:
- Encoding Time: 00:06:03
10/26/2014 02:59:12 PM : Encoding Failed
A low-level exception occurred in: H.264 (Exporter)
Export Error
Error compiling movie.
Unknown error.
Anyone have a suggestions? Any solutions, Adobe?

Answer 1

Hi KB8WFH,
KB8WFH wrote:
It is almost never in the same place. I have encountered both on a Mac and a Windows PC a problem where it will always crash when it encounters a Warp Stabilizer effect added to a clip. But even removing those, the render failed every time at seemingly random place soon the same sequence/timeline being rendered.
That's pretty frustrating but it doesn't sound familiar. I can look into it.
KB8WFH wrote:
I have noticed that this seems to now only happen on projects I upgraded from a previous version of Premiere.
OK. Sorry to hear that exports are affected as well.
KB8WFH wrote:
I understand Adobe's policy is that it is not a good idea to move a project from over version into an upgraded application, but this is really not practical.
Actually, it's not Adobe's policy, it's mine. It's also been a general editor's rule of thumb since the dawn of NLEs.
Project file handling is something I learned in trade school. I was taught to protect the project file from application updates. This was at Avid Bootcamp back in 1996 by some of the best NLE instructors in Hollywood. Eventually, I taught these concepts to my NLE students when I became a certified instructor a bit later.
I learned that not only do you avoid updating your project file, but you must have at least 3 back up copies at all times in 3 different places every single day. You should also avoid updating your OS, plug-ins or crucial hardware along the way. The more complex the project file is, the more susceptible it may be to corruption and you must be even more vigilant than normal projects, as you may be protecting weeks, months, or even years of work.
With the many updates of Premiere Pro CC it's certainly not that practical, but something to keep in mind as you work on a large project.
KB8WFH wrote:
New versions are used for their new features and big fixes. Microsoft does not tell their customers not to open documents made in previous versions of their MS Word in upgraded versions because of issues. That defeats the entire purpose of upgraded software.
I do understand your stance on upgrading software. It should not be harmful to do. You should also be able to update a Premiere Pro project file without too much trouble. Sometimes, it's crucial to see if you can take advantage of a bug fix with an update. I learned that you just need to be super careful with large, complex projects like features and docs. If you must update, do so with plenty of project file back ups and a wary eye. If the situation goes awry, you can always return to these project files.
KB8WFH wrote:
I am attempting to use the project Manager to export the timeline into a new project and see if I can render that and it it makes any difference. Will let you know as soon as I have any results.
That's a good idea. Let us know if it works for you.
Thanks,
Kevin