Encore headaches

[Peter Manojlovic]

This is an old problem that's never been resolved for me...

I've got HDV footage that needs exporting as an Mpeg2 for BluRay..
I use any and all of the presets within AME, and Encore always wants to transcode..

Even if i don't touch any of AME's presets, it doesn't seem to make Encore happy.
Encore ALWAYS transcodes....

This is not the case with h.264 material.

Am i the only one running into this mess??

CS4 Master collection.
Thank you...

[Ann Bens]

The H.264 codec is the one you need to use, its better then the mpeg2.

[Peter Manojlovic]

Yes Ann..

Thank you..
I'm totally aware of the different codec schemes.

But Mpeg2Bluray encodes are about twice as fast, and since my source material is Mpeg2, i prefer to stay as close as possible to native..

Yes, I am currently forced to encode to H.264, but still have NO IDEA why Encore forces a transcode, even when the AME settings are written in stone..

Some things i have done to guarantee compliance:

A)Save a preset from Encore, and import the preset into AME..
B)Pull out an Encore transcode, import into a new project..Encore considers it "UNTRANSCODED!!"
C)Compare both AME and Encore transcodes with Gspot and Restream.
They are identical.

Encore still forces another transcode!!

Therefore, Encore will not accept any Mpeg2Blurays unless it goes through the process of retranscoding from within its' software. Ironically, some of the Mpeg2 presets aren't available in AME.
I'm thinking of going through support...

I paid too much for this software to let something like this slip through the cracks..

[Jay West]

Are you now using CS 5.5?

I'm not sure I understand your workflow or exactly how the problem is manifesting itself..

I get that you have HDV material that you want to put on a blue-ray.

Are you encoding to BluRay MPeg from a PPro CS 5.5 timeline by using Export-->Media. and then importing that encoded file to Encore and THEN having trouble with Encore trying to re-encode? If so, have you checked the BluRay settings for your project in Encore? (For that matter, have you checked to be sure that your Encore project is going to a Blu-Ray disk. I've had a couple of projects where I got this problem. I was ready to throw things around the room until I happened to notice that Encore was trying to put my BluRay project onto a standard DVD.)

Have you tried using Dynamic Link from your Premiere Timeline to Encore? Do you get the same problem once Encore transcodes? (That is, is this a problem where Encore insists on transcoding everytime you go into the project?

You mentioned going to support. Call them tomorrow. It may take a couple of tries to get somebody who is familiar with the programs as opposed to somebody reading off a script.

[Peter Manojlovic]

Originally Posted by Jay West

Are you now using CS 5.5?
Are you encoding to BluRay MPeg from a PPro CS 5.5 timeline by using Export-->Media. and then importing that encoded file to Encore and THEN having trouble with Encore trying to re-encode? If so, have you checked the BluRay settings for your project in Encore? (For that matter, have you checked to be sure that your Encore project is going to a Blu-Ray disk. I've had a couple of projects where I got this problem. I was ready to throw things around the room until I happened to notice that Encore was trying to put my BluRay project onto a standard DVD.)

Have you tried using Dynamic Link from your Premiere Timeline to Encore? Do you get the same problem once Encore transcodes? (That is, is this a problem where Encore insists on transcoding everytime you go into the project?

I capture and edit in PPro.
I launch AME as a standalone.
I then import the Premiere Pro Sequence into AME.
I select the sequence inside the queue, and select the Mpeg2Bluray Format, with 1080iNTSC high quality Preset.

The resulting file creates elementary streams i import into Encore.
.M2V's and .AC3's.

I launch Encore.
Make sure that i'm set to Mpeg2, BluRay, Bitrates in the Advanced section are adequate etc....
The good news is that Encore recognizes the chapter points i've created in my Ppro sequence.

Jay, with CS4, if you export your media, it launches AME anyways..There's no separate bypass..
I don't bother importing sequences into Encore, because A) They take waaay to long to encode B)I can't batch encode and C)It's just more traditional and controllable to import assets into Encore, rather than linking sequences..

Again, as i've stated, this does not happen with H.264 files. Only Mpeg2Bluray presets from AME...

Actually, I'm batch encoding as i type this out..

[Jeff Pulera]

When you create the MPEG-2 using AME, is it 1440x1080, or 1920x1080? You should have an option of 1440x1080, but then make sure the same size is used in Encore settings - if Encore is set to 1920 then it may want to transcode your 1440 footage to 1920.

Also verify frame rate - some of my Premiere presets in AME default to the 25fps version even though I'm in the US and it should be 29.97 !

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

[Jeff Pulera]

I just tried creating a short "MPEG-2 for Blu-ray" clip and imported it into Encore CS5, and sure enough, it did say "Untranscoded". This had me confused for a minute, but then I expanded the window farther to the right to show more columns, and under the "Blu-ray Transcode Settings" column, it does say "Don't Transcode".

Is it possible that like me, you were just seeing just part of the available data? When you build a disc, does it actually that it's transcoding the video in the progress window? This would take quite a while and you'd notice it. So I'm asking, how do you know that it is transcoding your files again?

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

[Peter Manojlovic]

Okay, i did a few screen captures....

I'll upload as many as i can...

[Peter Manojlovic]

Except for encoding to DD 224kbps, the settings were untouched...
When the transcode happens, i verify the file by digging deep into the Sources>Transcodes> and see the .m2v, and xmpses and .xmp files...

Just to let you know, i can grab the transcoded .m2v file, stick it in a new project, and it will do a transcode once again...

This is puzzling...
Unless there's something obvious, i'm perplexed...

Again...Not an issue with H.264 files..But Mpeg2 is much speedier, and since my output is typically 1.5 hours, the BluRay gets fully burned..

[Ann Bens]

try exporting to 1920x1080.
What i find odd is that you have to interprete the footage to 1.33 and
the video does not have exact the same amout of frames as the audio.

[Peter Manojlovic]

Originally Posted by Ann Bens

try exporting to 1920x1080.
What i find odd is that you have to interprete the footage to 1.33 and
the video does not have exact the same amout of frames as the audio.

Yes, i found it strange to interperate the footage also..But every other .m2v after that gets interpereted correctly..Good catch Ann...

In fact, i tried exporting as 1920x1080, and using the project settings as such..
I've tried every possible combination of AME preset, with Encore's project settings...It's like playing "whack a mole".

As far as frames go, i can't explain it...Perhaps it's due to the fact that the GOP needed to close, at a different point to the audio..

[Alan Craven]

I came across this with CS4 when I made my first Blu-ray. Eventually Adobe support told me that they were aware of the problem, and it would be sorted in Encore CS5. It would appear that it has not been.

I am afraid that I took the easy way out asnd switched to using H.264, so I was not aware that the problem was still there.

[Peter Manojlovic]

Thanks Alan...

It saves me the headache of going through support..
Yes, i'm still on CS4..

This is/was a big blunder IMHO...I'm surprised they wouldn't patch it...At least in AME...

Thanks everybody.

[Jeff Pulera]

Sorry I lost track of this thread and just discovered it again. According to the screen grabs that were posted, all settings look correct so it does look there it may have been a glitch in CS4.

I just tested CS5.5, exporting MPEG-2 for Blu-ray at 1440x1080i 29.97 and imported the resulting .m2v and .wav files into Encore and it says "Don't Transcode" for the video, so looks like all is well with the current version at least

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers