Prototype standardized MSP 6.5 test file

[Dr Mordrid]

For the purpose of testing one MSPro 6.5 system vs. another etc.

http://www.digitalvideo.8m.net/testfile.zip

Since video clips are large using a color clip can both keep the download small but still provide enough action by fading the color from one extreme to another over its duration. On Va there is one that fades from black to white and another on Vb one that fades from red to blue, that way both chroma and luma get in the act. A couple of moving paths are applied, also using variable color clips, that fly around each other over color clip that uses the color balance filter to vary its appearance. A test-long marquee title that repeats for the duration is also in the mix.

One idea for a change in it is to add a Cool3D project file to the project. Any other ideas?

Dr. Mordrid

[Hulk]

Perhaps a small mp3 audio snippet that can be crossfaded a few times just to add some audio to the mix. Doesn't need to be more than 50k or so.

Good job on the test project. This will also run on MS Pro 6.0

I volunteer to post a table of results on the web if you would like.

Now we can finally see how all of these different CPU and motherboard combinations perform.

[Dr Mordrid]

Hmm...MP3 'eh?

The reason I left audio out was so it would run without any additional files, but if I post the one with a C3D project file I guess an MP3 could go as well. The +C3D is running about 850k though.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jerry Jones]

Work computer:

Dell Dimension 8100 with Intel Pentium 4 processor (1.7gHz) with 512mb of rambus memory

Home computer:

self-assembled AMD Athlon system built around a SiS 735 chipset motherboard by Elite Group called the K7S5A running a 1.4gHz AMD Athlon (266) with 512mb of PC2100 DDR memory.

I just ran Doc's test on both computers.

Results:

Intel Pentium 4: 7:34
AMD Athlon Thunderbird: 8:38

Remember, Ulead MediaStudio Pro 6.5 features code that has been *optimized* for both 3DNow! and the superior instruction set of the Pentium 4 called "SSE2."

So I am very pleased with my home video workstation as I paid less than $900 (including 19" monitor) for it by shopping carefully on the http://www.pricewatch.com Web site.

The cost/performance ratio of the AMD Athlon is - in my view - quite good.

I'd like to see some dual Pentium III tests.

[Dr Mordrid]

Now....try both with Instant Preview turned on and time it with a stopwatch/clock or whatever.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jerry Jones]

Wow. I wasn't expecting this after our Pentium 4 1.7gHz computer edged my home Athlon 1.4gHz by about a minute using Terry's test file.

After I created the .avis on both computers, I converted them to MPEG-2 using VBR at 5500.

Surprise... THE ATHLON WON... this time.

That's right. The 1.4gHz Athlon created the MPEG-2 file in 4:22.
The 1.7gHz Pentium 4 did it in 4:58.

Perhaps the SSE2 isn't as crucial where the MPEG encoding is concerned.

Jerry

I'll run the test again on the P4 tomorrow to be certain.

[Dr Mordrid]

GoMotion is FPU dependent. Since the Athlons have a faster one....

GoMotion Pro's SDK is going out to developers this month and it's more dependent on SSE2. IF Ulead issues products using that SDK things may very well change again.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jerry Jones]

I ran the test again.

Same results.

Athlon 1.4 is definitely faster than the Pentium 1.7 where MPEG-2 encoding is concerned.

Incredible.

[Uwe]

Hi Terry !

I made your test with my new Athlon XP 1800+ / 512 MB DDR-RAM and the time to create the avi-file was 7:50.

The time to convert the avi-clip to MPEG-2 with a variable bitrate of 5500 was 2:29 with a motion estimation of 10 (normal) and 3:53 with a motion estimation of 20 (very slow).

You created a really nice test-project ! Thank you !

Bye, Uwe.

[Jerry Jones]

Very interesting.

The trend continues...

The Athlons are superfast for MPEG-2 encoding...

...but not as fast as Pentium for DV rendering.

Man - your MPEG-2 encoding time was awesome!!!

JJ

[wkulecz]

Here are some results on "slow" machines.

PIII-800 Preview: ~18min MPEG2: ~20min.
Dual PIII-500 Prieview: ~22min MPEG2: ~26min.
([edit] I was confused I have 800 Cu not 850 in this box)
Both are ASUS BX chipset motherboards with 1GB SDRAM

Dual test wasn't "fair" as I had two Email clients and WinVNC running minimized in the background while surfing these forums during the rendering -- but that's why I got the dual CPU in the first place.

Going from ~20 to <5min on the MPEG2 encoding makes very intrested in the 1.4G Athelon!

--wally.

[rodgreen]

Hi all

I've been away for a while, but managed to run the test on my ageing PIII-500.

Got ~24 mins .... may be time to upgrade!

Rod

PS
Great idea Doc!

[Sciascia]

Silly question. What exactly are you measuring? Is it the time to for MSP to build a preview in the timeline or to actually create a file? I am running MSP6.0, so I may be able to add a comparison from there. I also have the mPEGG encoder plugin, which by the way does not allow you to encode audio with an Athlon CPU. It works fine with just video and creating a seperate wave file for the audio, then using TMPGEnc and the toolame plugin for audio.

Anyway, I would like to take a look to see how I compare, but what exactly are you using for the measurement?

[wkulecz]

I timed both. Load the project, press preview and time the render. When this completed I did File->Create and choose mpg NTSC-DVD template 5500 VBR and timed the file creation.

Doc is working on one that will have both Premiere and MSP projects to produce the same video, then we can get some seriously useful info about MSP6 vs. MSP6.5 vs. Premiere6 vs. Premiere6 with RT hardware.

--wally.

[Dr Mordrid]

Yup, I'm hoping to have the new projects ready soon. I'm targeting the following;

1. MSPro 6.0 and 6.5.

2. Premiere 6 generic

3. Premiere 6 + RT-2000 + MVT 3.0/3.1 (which have realtime & hardware rendering for 60+ Premiere 6 f/x)

Those results should be very interesting.

Dr. Mordrid