Change Export Quality Settings in Encore CS4

Robert Young · October 21st, 2010, 01:00 PM

Go figure...
If you look at the properties of the final file (in Windows Explorer, for ex.), it definitely says 1920x1080?

Alan Emery · October 21st, 2010, 01:54 PM

Hi Bob,

I'm not sure how to do that.

The output from Encore is either a BR disc (in this case) or an .iso file (which I also created). The input files are for sure 1920x1080. When the problem existed, the previews (and output results) were definitely lower resolution than they are now that the problem has "vanished".

But you are correct, it could be that the earlier preview and output were something else again, and I am just assuming the lower resolution I saw was the 1280x720. Suppose it was just 720x480 and I am now looking at 1280x720, not yet up to 1920x1080. I am not certain how to make that determination from the BR disc or .iso file or even the image on the TV screen (which looks great now).

I did create DVD versions (it took two separate discs in that format to avoid compression beyond standard DVD compression -- the project is nearly two hours long), and my "recollection" is that the preview and output in the "problem era" were in between the SD 720x480 and what I now see and assume to be HD 1920x1080.

Thanks,
Alan

Robert Young · October 21st, 2010, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Emery

I did create DVD versions (it took two separate discs in that format to avoid compression beyond standard DVD compression -- the project is nearly two hours long), and my "recollection" is that the preview and output in the "problem era" were in between the SD 720x480 and what I now see and assume to be HD 1920x1080.

Thanks,
Alan

Hmmm...
If you did your DVD building first, are you absolutely sure that when you switched to building the BR, that you changed the settings at the very top of the Encore "Build" page from: "FORMAT-DVD; OUTPUT- DVD Disk" to "FORMAT- Blu Ray; OUTPUT- Blu Ray Disk".
That is easy to miss and if you failed to make the change, Encore would just keep pumping out 720x480 no matter what you set the HD defaults to.
That could explain everything you have observed.

Alan Emery · October 21st, 2010, 08:41 PM

Good point. If I had done this any other way i would not be certain.

However in this case, the DVD build was two projects in PPro using the original source files of course (all captured originally on nanoflash at 1920x1080 4:2:2 100Mbps) and two separate projects in Encore (DVD1 and DVD2). Then I went back to PPro and put the two DVD timelines into a single sequence and encoded the complete timeline as one file, using the mpegBR setting in AME. I started a new Encore project specifically for the BR end product.

While I would be the first to admit my memory is not perfect, in this case, I know the setting was Format BluRay and Output BluRay image right from the beginning. I did the disc second after the image.

Also I had just completed the DVD projects, so knew what the images looked like in that format. The psd menus in DVD format were nowhere near as clear as they were in the BR project. Somehow it was only the timelines in the BR project that were previewing in the lower resolution.

One other odd thing i noticed at the last before I walked away from my computer in a disgruntled state was that if I stopped the preview in Encore, the frozen image reverted to the higher resoltution. Very strange.

Alan

Sareesh Sudhakaran · October 21st, 2010, 09:21 PM

take snapshots (or render as a few uncompressed TIFF files) of the full screen source footage and then do the same with the BR discs - in your computer. Do you notice a resolution difference? If the output tab in Encore is displaying 720 then your BR player might be upscaling 720 to 1080, thus causing the confusion. The output might still be only 720.

Question: Doesn't the output tab allow you to change the setting from 720 to 1080?

Alan Emery · October 22nd, 2010, 10:02 AM

Hi Sareesh,

Very good idea on how to make the direct comparisons!

I began by playing the source file on Windows media player on one monitor and freezing it on a close-up image with lots of detail. I then played the BR disc on the computer and displayed the same frame on a duplicate monitor immediately beside the first monitor. Both images are being displayed full screen on 24" monitors (1920x1200 resolution). The two images are identical in resolution. There is definitely not the marked difference in resolution that I was seeing in the preview files in Encore before the problem magically disappeared.

I checked again on the settings. File>Edit Quality Presets. The window pops open. I selected the output tab. It shows 1280x720 (23.976 framerate). I then went to the export settings section and changed the output presets to read 1920x1080 (framerate 29.97). The tab information also changes to agree with the choices I made. Clicked OK. Holding my breath.....

Then I re-opened the Edit Quality presets, and it had reverted to the 1280x720 23.976 framerate on the output window. I rechecked the previews with the settings in the incorrect position and the previews are playing (despite what the output information says) the full resolution display equal to what I see on the source file and the BR disc playing in the computer .

I am baffled, nervously happy that it is working, unsure what to do if it happens again, and doubting very much that the presets (as they are set up on my computer anyway) have any visible function.

I continue to debate with Adobe. They so far are polite and apologized for the incorrect url and extended wait on the non-responsive telephone but still want me to buy a support contract. I have told them I want to upgrade, but not until I get the project out of the way because I know from experience that switching programs mid-stream in a big project is not a good idea. So I feel that buying a support contract for a few days to support a program I will not be using shortly seems a waste of money.

Now that I can finish the project (magic at play somewhere), and even though I have no idea why this happened or what I can do if it happens again, I am "out of the woods" for now, but I do think Adobe has been unreasonable in this case.

If I get any more insights, i will let you all know!

Alan

Sareesh Sudhakaran · October 22nd, 2010, 10:03 PM

Strange, but hey, the visual test is the best way to check and make sure....after all, it's what the audience uses to judge something!

Robert Young · October 23rd, 2010, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Emery

...I want to upgrade, but not until I get the project out of the way

Smart move- get your project finished, then trade up to CS5.
You'll never look back :)

Alan Emery · October 26th, 2010, 10:20 AM

Once again, thanks to everyone for your assistance.

A brief update on Adobe's position: even though I told them I just need this one bit of information so I can finish the project before I upgrade to CS5, they are adamant; I must purchase a service contract or they won't help me (even though they know it is just for a day or so and I am not going to use the CS4 version of the product again).

They actually told a little fib and said that they are "not allowed" to respond to my question. A corporation can do whatever they want to or for a customer, it is their choice. There is no rule other than corporate policy to determine how they respond. I expect that Adobe simply does not care about individual customers with a tiny need for assistance and little purchasing power.

So in the end I was able to complete the project without their assistance. I am now a hostile and suspicious customer rather than the loyal and supportive customer I once was. If their behaviour remains unhelpful over time, I guess it will be time to choose another product line. Too bad, they make pretty good products sometimes, but if they don't support them it is difficult to remain loyal.

Hats off to the helpful folks at dvinfo and thumbs down for Adobe.

Alan

Robert Young · October 26th, 2010, 05:17 PM

Well, I understand your frustration with Adobe.
It's like dealing with a government agency- but most of the big companies are like that.
However- CS5 is really good, so don't let it get under your skin too much...

Alan Emery · November 12th, 2010, 04:02 PM

Hi again,

I have been away for a bit, but on my return, Adobe decided to call and help me even though they are "not allowed" to assist without extracting money from me if my software is one upgrade plus 90 days old. They actually did not ask for money this time. I spoke to a nice person who tried to assist me, but in the end and because I had already solved the problem we mutually decided to call it quits.

Several of you and also the Adobe technical guy said the key is to get everything in the project (from capture to NLE timeline to encoding to importing into an Encore timeline) set up with the format you want to end up with in the DVD or BluRay final. Don't forget to set the player to high. Make sure your timeline shows the correct settings in the Properties tab. As for the export quality presets, they do not seem to have any effect on my project outputs.

Now I will take your collective suggestions, get CS5, and hope for the best. Many thanks for all your help and encouragement.

Alan

October 21st, 2010, 01:00 PM	#16
Robert Young Trustee Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Coronado Island Posts: 1,472	Go figure... If you look at the properties of the final file (in Windows Explorer, for ex.), it definitely says 1920x1080? __________________ Bob

October 21st, 2010, 09:21 PM	#20
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	take snapshots (or render as a few uncompressed TIFF files) of the full screen source footage and then do the same with the BR discs - in your computer. Do you notice a resolution difference? If the output tab in Encore is displaying 720 then your BR player might be upscaling 720 to 1080, thus causing the confusion. The output might still be only 720. Question: Doesn't the output tab allow you to change the setting from 720 to 1080? __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

October 22nd, 2010, 10:03 PM	#22
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	Strange, but hey, the visual test is the best way to check and make sure....after all, it's what the audience uses to judge something! __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

October 26th, 2010, 05:17 PM	#25
Robert Young Trustee Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Coronado Island Posts: 1,472	Well, I understand your frustration with Adobe. It's like dealing with a government agency- but most of the big companies are like that. However- CS5 is really good, so don't let it get under your skin too much... __________________ Bob

October 21st, 2010, 01:54 PM	#17
Alan Emery Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Janetville Ontario Canada Posts: 210	Hi Bob, I'm not sure how to do that. The output from Encore is either a BR disc (in this case) or an .iso file (which I also created). The input files are for sure 1920x1080. When the problem existed, the previews (and output results) were definitely lower resolution than they are now that the problem has "vanished". But you are correct, it could be that the earlier preview and output were something else again, and I am just assuming the lower resolution I saw was the 1280x720. Suppose it was just 720x480 and I am now looking at 1280x720, not yet up to 1920x1080. I am not certain how to make that determination from the BR disc or .iso file or even the image on the TV screen (which looks great now). I did create DVD versions (it took two separate discs in that format to avoid compression beyond standard DVD compression -- the project is nearly two hours long), and my "recollection" is that the preview and output in the "problem era" were in between the SD 720x480 and what I now see and assume to be HD 1920x1080. Thanks, Alan

October 21st, 2010, 08:41 PM	#19
Alan Emery Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Janetville Ontario Canada Posts: 210	Good point. If I had done this any other way i would not be certain. However in this case, the DVD build was two projects in PPro using the original source files of course (all captured originally on nanoflash at 1920x1080 4:2:2 100Mbps) and two separate projects in Encore (DVD1 and DVD2). Then I went back to PPro and put the two DVD timelines into a single sequence and encoded the complete timeline as one file, using the mpegBR setting in AME. I started a new Encore project specifically for the BR end product. While I would be the first to admit my memory is not perfect, in this case, I know the setting was Format BluRay and Output BluRay image right from the beginning. I did the disc second after the image. Also I had just completed the DVD projects, so knew what the images looked like in that format. The psd menus in DVD format were nowhere near as clear as they were in the BR project. Somehow it was only the timelines in the BR project that were previewing in the lower resolution. One other odd thing i noticed at the last before I walked away from my computer in a disgruntled state was that if I stopped the preview in Encore, the frozen image reverted to the higher resoltution. Very strange. Alan

October 22nd, 2010, 10:02 AM	#21
Alan Emery Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Janetville Ontario Canada Posts: 210	Hi Sareesh, Very good idea on how to make the direct comparisons! I began by playing the source file on Windows media player on one monitor and freezing it on a close-up image with lots of detail. I then played the BR disc on the computer and displayed the same frame on a duplicate monitor immediately beside the first monitor. Both images are being displayed full screen on 24" monitors (1920x1200 resolution). The two images are identical in resolution. There is definitely not the marked difference in resolution that I was seeing in the preview files in Encore before the problem magically disappeared. I checked again on the settings. File>Edit Quality Presets. The window pops open. I selected the output tab. It shows 1280x720 (23.976 framerate). I then went to the export settings section and changed the output presets to read 1920x1080 (framerate 29.97). The tab information also changes to agree with the choices I made. Clicked OK. Holding my breath..... Then I re-opened the Edit Quality presets, and it had reverted to the 1280x720 23.976 framerate on the output window. I rechecked the previews with the settings in the incorrect position and the previews are playing (despite what the output information says) the full resolution display equal to what I see on the source file and the BR disc playing in the computer . I am baffled, nervously happy that it is working, unsure what to do if it happens again, and doubting very much that the presets (as they are set up on my computer anyway) have any visible function. I continue to debate with Adobe. They so far are polite and apologized for the incorrect url and extended wait on the non-responsive telephone but still want me to buy a support contract. I have told them I want to upgrade, but not until I get the project out of the way because I know from experience that switching programs mid-stream in a big project is not a good idea. So I feel that buying a support contract for a few days to support a program I will not be using shortly seems a waste of money. Now that I can finish the project (magic at play somewhere), and even though I have no idea why this happened or what I can do if it happens again, I am "out of the woods" for now, but I do think Adobe has been unreasonable in this case. If I get any more insights, i will let you all know! Alan

October 26th, 2010, 10:20 AM	#24
Alan Emery Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Janetville Ontario Canada Posts: 210	Once again, thanks to everyone for your assistance. A brief update on Adobe's position: even though I told them I just need this one bit of information so I can finish the project before I upgrade to CS5, they are adamant; I must purchase a service contract or they won't help me (even though they know it is just for a day or so and I am not going to use the CS4 version of the product again). They actually told a little fib and said that they are "not allowed" to respond to my question. A corporation can do whatever they want to or for a customer, it is their choice. There is no rule other than corporate policy to determine how they respond. I expect that Adobe simply does not care about individual customers with a tiny need for assistance and little purchasing power. So in the end I was able to complete the project without their assistance. I am now a hostile and suspicious customer rather than the loyal and supportive customer I once was. If their behaviour remains unhelpful over time, I guess it will be time to choose another product line. Too bad, they make pretty good products sometimes, but if they don't support them it is difficult to remain loyal. Hats off to the helpful folks at dvinfo and thumbs down for Adobe. Alan

November 12th, 2010, 04:02 PM	#26
Alan Emery Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Janetville Ontario Canada Posts: 210	Hi again, I have been away for a bit, but on my return, Adobe decided to call and help me even though they are "not allowed" to assist without extracting money from me if my software is one upgrade plus 90 days old. They actually did not ask for money this time. I spoke to a nice person who tried to assist me, but in the end and because I had already solved the problem we mutually decided to call it quits. Several of you and also the Adobe technical guy said the key is to get everything in the project (from capture to NLE timeline to encoding to importing into an Encore timeline) set up with the format you want to end up with in the DVD or BluRay final. Don't forget to set the player to high. Make sure your timeline shows the correct settings in the Properties tab. As for the export quality presets, they do not seem to have any effect on my project outputs. Now I will take your collective suggestions, get CS5, and hope for the best. Many thanks for all your help and encouragement. Alan