I am currently working on my first project in Encore. I am doing a 50gb Blu-ray disc. I'm in need of a little guidance since this is my first project. I am editing the footage in Avid and exporting a uncompressed quicktime. I take the quicktime into Squeeze and create a .m2v video file and .ac3 audio file. Bring them into Encore and add them to a timeline. When I look at the Blu-ray Transcode Statues it says Untranscoded. Why does this need to be transcoded if it's a .m2v? When I burn a test disc, the video quality doesn't look good even though I have the Automatic Transcode setting at 40mbps. It seems like by transcoding in Encore, I'm doing it twice and that's why the video is suffering. I don't see any way to not transcode in Encore. Anyone have any ideas???

Glenn, your Editor/encore might not be making "compliant" mpeg-2 files for Encore to read or the bitrate is too high, or you used VBR.

I encode in Edius and if the bitrate is over 40,000 Encore will want to transcode it. Or if I use VBR Encore will want to transcode it.

So I never go over 39,000 for the bitrate and always use CBR.

Welcome to the world of -should be better than DVD because we could have learned from the past but we did not not- Blu-ray production.

I am bitter as Encore will not ever accept an h.264 encoded asset from Edius without a run though another program as it is not level 4.1.

Blu-ray will work but one would think it would be a lot smoother than it is at this point in time.

You can also encoder your uncompressed video to Bluray compliance H.264 using Adobe Media Encoder. Then Encore will not transcode it.

I would really like to know how to bypass Encore from transcoding my videos aswell! I have not been able to find a way around it!
I render from Vegas to MainConcept MPEG-2 (.m2v) at constant bitrate.

You can certainly bypass it by using Adobe Media Encoder and select any Bluray preset. I would suggest not to use any Bluray MPEG-2 because of the inferior MainConcept MPEG-2 enginge. But their H.264 encoding engine seems great.

Thanks Taky, you're right. It actually works straight out of Vegas too. Encore says Untranscoded under "DVD" Transcode Status, clearly in reference to DVD's not Blu-ray.

WHOA! Taky, I see your comment re using H.264 vs. MPEG 2 in AME - I'd be really interested as to whether
you have experimented with both and found this to be the case, because if you and/or others have actually seen this demonstrated, then I will change my production immediately from what I've always used, MPEG2 in AME to your suggested H.264!!!!!!!! Thanks for your comment.

Whoops - Again, Taky, I don't then understand? I just read your post below, "Use procoder to convert the same video to mpeg2 for DVD and mpeg-2 for Bluray (Encore is really flaky when working on H.264 files)."

Sooooo, which have you had the best success with if using AME and then Encore????

I did a few BluRay using H.264 encoded by Procoder. Encore just give different unknown error during the built process. Drove me crazy. I did once using H.264 encoded by AME. The video looks great and the authroing process in Encore is fine. However, the long H.264 encoding time makes me turn to MPEG-2. Procoder generates beautiful MPEG-2 output even in lower bit rate. But in AME, resulting MPEG-2 encode is just horrible.

I was also thinking of buying CompressHD by Matrox which encode H.264 in real time for BluRay. About $400. But currently, I'm still using MPEG-2 encoded by Procoder to author BluRay.

Well, I also installed Adobe Media Encoder CS5 5.0.1 with Premiere Pro CS5 5.0.2, and guess what? AME CS5 5.0.1 now produces H.264 Blu-ray files that are compliant with Encore's "Don't Transcode" (for Blu-ray) feature. The first release of AME CS5 produced H.264 Blu-ray files that were not compliant with Encore's "Don't Transcode" feature, requiring a re-transcode.

I've been going NUTS over this over at the Adobe forums....

I've tried every different configuration out there..
I've even tried bringing in a transcoded Encore file into a new Encore project....Encore still insists on retranscoding...
I mean really, why would it need to transcode again?? Encore doesn't even respect it's own transcodes!!!

I'm at a loss....I thought i was the only crazy one....

Are you working on a BluRay project or DVD project in Encore? Does the project panel said the footage is "Don't Transcode" or "Untransacode" ?

How do you bring the "transcoded Encore" file into a new Encore project. where you find those Encore transcoded files?

Good questions Taky....

I had Encore build a BluRay project..All the files were therefore transcoded..

As a test, i created a brand new project, and imported the .M2V's and .AC3's from the folder of the previous project...
They are located under the Folder>Sources>Transcodes>_session USF .m2v and .ac3 files.
These are the transcoded assets that get used to build an .ISO...

As i was saying, i used these files in a new project, and Encore considered the status as untranscoded..
How can this be?

This is only happening with .M2V files for BluRay...
It's never an issue with SD DVD footage..

Is your BluRay project MPEG-2 or H.264?

I assumed you read the "Untranscoded" is under the column or BluRay?

Have you considered using Adobe Media Encoder to encode all your files with MPEG-2 BluRay preset before importing to Encore?

Yes, this is where the problem actually started....
I actually prefer AME because the speed is faster, and i can batch encode..

AME's BluRayMpeg2 settings have many presets..
I used the presets 1440x1080i high quality to best match my source footage.

It's pretty well idiot proof...
Playback is gorgeous.
Unfortunately, Encore wants that these files need transcoding.

I've also tried many variations (muxed, demuxed, data rates, etc....), and no matter what i do, Encore wants a transcode...

This isn't my first time encoding, and i'm not a beginner at this...There's obviously a bug, issue or corrupted preference that's holding me back....

I suspect that the assets are fine, but i suspect that there's something in the header of the file that tells Encore to do a transcode..

I use Encore CS2/CS3/CS4, never experienced such problem.

Have you checked Adobe.com for any for any Encore latest updates?

You didn't answer me the question. At the Encore bluray project settings, are you setting it up as 1920x1280 or 1440x1080? is it a MPEG-2 project or H.264 project?

When i create a new Encore project for HD, I set it up for Mpeg-2 1440x1080@29.97fps.
I've also tried the project settings from 14mbps all the way up to 40mbps..

I've tried encoding and forcing my source footage to 1920x1080, just in case Encore doesn't like Anamorphic.
I've tried different GOP settings.


Obviously, within Encore, the encodes go fine...I modify Presets without a hitch, and Encore transcodes fine...
But the presets are 95% identical to AME's...

Downloaded updates two days ago..
Thanks...

Thanks so much for this Taky!! I've been looking all over trying to figure out an error message that Encore kept giving me after burning half a Blu-Ray. I was using a format that it was having problems with and using ME CS5 did the trick. Thanks again!!

That's great! Glad I can help.

Do you mind sharing your workflow exactly for Premiere CS5 to Procoder3 to Encore CS5?

From Premiere what do you output for use in Procoder? There is match sequence settings export I used (24p 1080p DSLR), encoded in Procoder for DVD, then I imported to Encore but Encore encoded it again.


Thanks.

I put together an article in my blog showing my workflow. Take a look

Adobe Premiere Pro and Encore Outputing DVD and BluRay Workflow | L.A. Color Blog (http://lacoloronline.com/blog/?10176-From-Acquisition-to-Production)

The way I do involve using a separate computer for encoding work. I will export to an intermediate AVI file. Then use Adobe Media Encoder (or Procoder) to export each video into 4 files in different data rate. Take a look.

Thank you for sharing that information Taky. Very interesting methodology with the bitrates for different scenes - makes sense.

Thanks.

Thanks! glad you find it useful. The way it works takes longer time. But then I can always avoid having Encore to transcode.

Also, for Procoder, it's easier as there's a watch folder setup. I can setup preset that allow one encoding to output 4 different bitrates file at once. For AME, I have to create the encoding job 4 times.

I like the way I can mix and match different bit rate. Some chapters are more static and less watched, those I can pick a lower data rate version and save the extra bandwidth for more watch chapters, or those with more motion in it.

Also, the steps I lay out in Encore allows me to author once but output both to DVD and BluRay.

Taky....

Back to the original poster...

I believe there is a bug in Encore that never got resolved.
Mpeg2Bluray presets are not respected, and always demand a retranscode...

This is not the case with h.264 files..

This thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/adobe-creative-suite/499030-encore-headaches.html) unofficially confirmed my suspicions...

Now, while everybody claims "oh you shouldn't be using that codec", or "you messed up on your settings", i don't think those are fair answers. They are workarounds to the weak link in the CS chain of products.
If Encore doesn't get fixed up with CS6.0, i probably won't purchase it.

I use Procoder to encode MPEG2 for bluray. Encore takes them in without transcoding. Its sad adobe won't fix the problem. But I would suggest outputong h.264 make use of the superior codec for the job. Video is very watchable even in low bit rate.

Its to avoid the bug at the same increase the final output quality.

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

I also just tried a 1 minute clip that encode with one of the MPEG-2 BluRay presets in AME CS5. Then import to Encore. It is showing "Don't Transcode"

There seems to be a bug in Encore CS5(.1) with H.264 VBR 2 pass. If you transcode with VBR 1 pass Encore will see the file as Transcoded.
(I have not experienced this bug yet)
To get your timeline from Pro to Procoder you can use a Frameserver instead of a intermediar file
Debugmode FrameServer Homepage (http://www.debugmode.com/frameserver/)
Download Advanced FrameServer 0.3.118 Free - Frame server for your Premiere application - Softpedia (http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/Advanced-FrameServer.shtml)

Hi all,
I am just starting to work with Blu-ray. I created my first disk both BR-RE and a BR-R disks. I have been using Premiere Pro cs5 with latest updates for a while now. I have been taking HD content and exporting a dvd mp2 file with the following settings. 7 mbit max, 4-5mbit target, 1.5-2.5 min setting. This works flawlessly, never a problem. If I go higher let's say to 8 mbit I get glitches stops and starts playing back the video.
First, I exported a 1920x1080 timeline in PP CS5 from my new Canon 60D camera as a Blu-ray mp2 file. I get the same problem in Encore that all of you are having which is that Encore says the m2v file need transcoding (untranscoded). I already transcoded the file in media encoder from PP so this should not need to be transcoded again in Encre. PP say that there is an update to media encoder that I can update. Maybe this will fix the issue?
I also would appreciate some help getting stated with transcode setting for Blu-ray. One thing using the canon 60D do I need to convert the mov file first to Apple Proeres format before editing in PP?
Next, what's the best bitrate setting to use to export/ encode the file. I used the default settings in media encoder which I think was 15MBIt. This does not play correctly in my Blu-ray player. So I have to find a better sweetspot. I have read that 20 or 25mbps is better?
And is it true that i should use the Blu-ray h.264 setting instead of Blu-ray mpeg2? I think the quality of Mpeg2 is really good.
One last setting issue in Encore. There is a setting either to output an ISO image file in either BR-R or BR-RE. What's the difference? I just outputted a BR-R image file and wrote it to a BR-RE disk and it played just fine so I was wundering what the difference in the settings? I would like to be able to output one image file and use it for both -RE and -R disks.
Oh, from my camera I just copied the mov file to a folder on my HDD and then I just imported the mov files into PP as a timeline. The Video does play a little slow but not that slow on my PC.

Thanks for the help,
John Gerard

One other thought. Is there a Buffer in Blu-ray players? My disk played just fine the first 2 times I played it. Then on the 3rd time I got glitches all over the place where the audio would cut cut every couple of seconds and the the video would pause also for a second and then start up again. I could see my external SONY speaker trying to switch back and forth between modes trying to play the audio. As I said above the audio and video played great the first two times I played the BR-R disk. This disk has the Canon 60d footage on it. The other disk I created BR-RE had footage from another digital camera and I don't know if the footage is HD or SD if that would make a difference. I edited all footage in the same timeline in PP.

Thanks,

John Gerard

I've tried every setting in Compressor without success, and AME can't use AVIs made by FCP. It's confusing because it used to work.

Without a second computer it seems the only reproducible way to burn a Blu-Ray (without Encore re-transcoding it) is to skip Compressor/AME and have Encore transcode it. Either way, Encore will transcode it without giving the user the option to not transcode it. I think it's safe to assume that Adobe will not fix this KNOWN ISSUE since many years have gone by. Since Encore is still the only motion menu (though still unstable in CS5) BR authoring software, we're stuck with the poor quality and long durations of Encore transcodes.

There seems to be a bug in Encore CS5(.1) with H.264 VBR 2 pass. If you transcode with VBR 1 pass Encore will see the file as Transcoded.
(I have not experienced this bug yet)

I take back some of what I stated in this thread last year. H.264 VBR 1-pass encoded via AME does not get recompressed - but VBR 2-pass from AME requires recompression.

Without a second computer it seems the only reproducible way to burn a Blu-Ray (without Encore re-transcoding it) is to skip Compressor/AME and have Encore transcode it. Either way, Encore will transcode it without giving the user the option to not transcode it. I think it's safe to assume that Adobe will not fix this KNOWN ISSUE since many years have gone by. Since Encore is still the only motion menu (though still unstable in CS5) BR authoring software, we're stuck with the poor quality and long durations of Encore transcodes.

The "poor quality and long durations" of Encore transcodes is not due to Encore's encoders themselves; it's due to the multiple transcodes required by most encoders with your given material. And each transcoding level degrades image quality.

Thanks Randall. I think I've tried it, but I will see if I can make it work with those settings.