Best encoding method for DVD
 

I'd like to streamline producing dvds. Currently SD video is edited in Premiere 6, exported as a large mpeg2, imported into Encore, the Re-encoded to fit on a dvd. I would prefer to encode it once in Premiere but was told Encore does a better job (is that true?). There is also the convenience that Encore automatically calculates the encode to fit on a dvd. Note these are deposition with little motion that are highly compressed to fit up to 4 hours on a dvd.

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

4 hours on a DVD? Prepare for crap visual quality as a trade off.

Andrew

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

you can also use dynamic link to import directly into Encore avoiding rendering it out of Premiere but it probably takes the same amount of time, Encore will calculate the bit rate etc. to fit on a DVD.

Hour and a half is as far as I'd go for DVD as Andrew stated the result for four hours might be pretty bad thats if Encore would allow that.

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

Only real solution is to encode to mp4 and put the file on the disc ... at which point you might as well use a USB drive.

Andrew

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

Tmpgenc Video Mastering

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

I've always heard the opposite - that Encore does a WORSE job of encoding than using Premiere/Media Encoder. That's the general consensus on Adobe forums.

Definitely no sense in encoding twice - extra time spent, plus quality loss from double compression.

Just figure out the correct bitrate for the video duration, and encode once. Rule of thumb is 560/minutes = bitrate, which for 4 hours = 2.3 then. I usually round the result down a little for safety margin. Or try a bitrate calculator like this - DVD-HQ : Bitrate & GOP calculator which says 2250 for 240 minutes.

My typical event DVDs are 2 hours give or take, with decent quality (never had a complaint), and I did once go three hours on a talking head video - it looked very good actually! Amazing what a low bitrate can do when nothing in the image is moving, locked-down tripod shot. Never dreamed of 4 hours but sounds like you've been doing it that way. But for what you are doing, aesthetics are not paramount.

Thanks

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

In Prem. Export video and audio as TWO separate files. I think it's under the selection for multiplex. Import into Encore and line them up on the timeline It's some time since I've done this but I'm certain there is a setting in which you can tell Encore NOT to transcode the video file, just the audio. You now have you're original video file. I used to export from Prem. At 8mb CBR and found it worked Ok. 4 hours on a dvd will give you rubbish.

If you can't follow this, come back and I'll see If I can get a more detailed workflow.
Peter

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

Thx for the input. Actually interviews where most of the image doesn't change can be compressed significantly more than a normal video. In this field people prefer convenience of not having to switch discs over any quality gains.

I'll need to do a test to see if there's a difference between highly compressed encoding in Premiere vs Encore. But the benefits of Encore picking the highest bitrate to fit on a dvd is a nice feature. I know that when manually selecting the bitrate vbr yields the best quality but you often go over the size limit and need to re encode. You can use cbr to take the guess work out of it but then compression is less efficient...

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

Agree the best for me anyway. You can get it to encode to elementary streams that you get audio and video files that you can take into Encore. You have an indication of exactly how it is filling the disc too. I actually edit with EDIUS and author with DVDArchitect but always encode with TMPGenc.

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

Encore CS6 uses the same encoder as Premiere CS6. The only difference is in Premiere you have much more controle over the settings.
You can frameserve from Premiere to Tmpgenc Video Mastering and import the encoded file into Encore for authoring. I still do this for BD (dont make dvd anymore) in CC2017.
Still use Video Mastering 5 as they did not update the encoders to version 6 just the program itself.

Re: Best encoding method for DVD
 

If they use the same encoder it then would make sense to encode it once in Premiere at a bit rate that fills most of the dvd but leaves a margin of error to prevent over run.