Jack, what is the advantage of your convoluted DVD creation process? As far as I know, Encore will also report problems if they occure during burning...

Hi Ervin,

Which part of the workflow do you find to be particularly "convoluted"? I assume you're happy with the first part of my workflow where I export as MPEG2 directly from the PPro timeline.

I like to export an image file from Encore and burn my DVDs using Nero for several reasons:

1) As far as I know, Encore won't verify the disk after burning (verify = read the entire disk and compare it bit-for-bit with the image file on the hard disk)

2) Encore can't output to multiple DVD drives at once.

3) I have three networked PCs that I use to burn disks when I'm producing at full-pelt (most of my clients require at least 20 disks, some require up to 500). It's far easier to copy an image file onto each PC rather than to put Encore onto each PC.

4) Say a client calls me up and asks me to do another 30 copies of a project we finished a year ago. Using my workflow, I just have to extract 2 files from my LTO2 archive (the DVD image and the Illustrator document of the face-printing). Even if I haven't archived the project yet, it's much faster to burn more copies from an image rather than getting Encore to re-build the project for every new batch of disks.

5) I just don't trust Encore to burn DVDs as reliably as Nero!

I'm certainly not saying that my workflow is what everyone should be using - but it works well for my setup.

Yeah, OK, it makes sense in your particular situation.

However, exporting MPEG2 directly from Premiere is the weak link in your workflow, Adobe is not particularly famous about their MPEG2 encoding capabilities...

Even a $100 software like TMPG Enc does a much, much better job - not just my opinion.

Thanks for the heads-up about Adobe Media Encoder's MPEG2 quality. I'll look into the alternatives.

HELP I need some major help in Encore
 

I have been putting together a large project and all is well. It fit perfectly onto the DVD with 180mb spare.
Since then I have changed the video which is only about 20secs longer. I have also changed some of the menus, removed some moving backgrounds and so on.

Now the problem, I am well over 4.7gb.
I cant find out why. I have even started a new project and placed the old footage and audio on the timeline and this also does not fit on a disk it now says its 5.83gb without and menus. The total rendered file size of the movie im importing (which is already m2v) is only 3.6gb.

Can someone please help me as it needs to be finished tomorow and suddenly this has happened.

An extra note, my m2v footage is 3.6gb my audio is 500mb When I goto build it says that it 5.86gb this is with no menus just a timeline.

Is this the size after transcoding? IF the original files are avi they will take more space than files converted to mpeg2 and dolby ac3.

Are any assets duplicated in the project?

If you still can not manipulate the finsihed size to less than 4.7GB this solution has worked well for me-

Change the project to 8.54GB dual layer.
Build the project to a folder on the hard drive.
Open the folder in dvd shrink.
Use dvdshrink to backup the folder to 4.3GB.
Burn the 4.3GB folder to a blank disc.

Hope this helps.

for some strange reason I ignored the size issue and rendered an iso of the previous version, it said it would be 6gb, the final image was in fact 4.1gb

After messing around I have found that if I split the audio into 3 parts like I did for the original it reduces the size.

Can I delay a button in Encore?
 

I have a motion menu that starts black, I want to buttons to start movie, chapters ect to appear after a few seconds, how can I do this?

Make the motion menu into an actual video in a time line. Set this as the first play, then at the end of that time line, link to the real menu. To help the transition at the end of the video time line, fade in the buttons, these will not be clickable but as soon as they are almost faded in, end the video and switch to the menu.

fade in the buttons?

excuse the poor grammer in my last message...
What I have is a main menu screen for a DVD, It starts black, fades in etc plays some background stuff then fades out. The trouble is that I cant have the play menu, chapters text appear at the start since its black. Also at the end.
If there is a way to fade them in using encore and then back out that would be great.

I also have aftereffects.

Have the buttons be part of the menu video (and make them fade in), but the overlays will only be "active" at your specified "Loop Point" (under the Motion Tab for the menu).

Regards,
George

Software that Authors DDP 2.0?
 

Hello,

I use Adobe Encore and have a client that wants to take their project to the replicator with CSS.

I spoke to the replicator and they need a disc image with DDP 2.0 intructions.

Well, Encore does not do this. Nor do I have a DLT drive.

The replicator said most people burn the DDP stuff to DVD nowdays.

So, does anybody know of a software that I can upgrade to from Encore that works well as an authoring porgram, offers DDP 2.0 and does not cost as much as Scenarist?

Thanks

Encore - delay between First Play & Menu
 

Hi,

Usually when creating DVDs with Encore I have a First Play video which has an 'end action' linked to the DVD menu.

The problem is that there is always a pause (1, 2 seconds) with a blank screen inbetween. It's not the end of the world but when the first play video is crafted to animate into the menu the blank screen and pause destroys the illusion some what.

I have a feeling there is not much I can do about this but any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

How long is the first-play, and what type of menu does it lead into (still or motion)?

To "hide" the transition, you could try making the video part of the menu, and only show the button highlights at the start of the "menu" section -- perhaps end-action jumps to a duplicate menu where the viewer doesn't have to see that first-play again...

Regards,
George

I believe DVD Architect Pro (bundled with Vegas Pro) can do what you want.

There's also Gear Pro Mastering Edition that can take an authored volume and create images (not sure how it handles CSS)

NOTE: I have not submitted a DDP image to a replicator, so I have not used these packages first hand (someone who has experience with them might be able to tell us if they actually work).

Regards,
George