Hi guys,
I have a client who needs both blu ray and dvd of a 90 minute sports game. Can I use encore to make both by simply switching the project settings and the build settings from blu ray to dvd? I think in dvd mode it will transcode the hd down to dvd quality?

Or should I make two separate encore projects and downsize the orginal hd footage (from sony z5) to SD for the DVD?

Thanks!

Yes, start with a bluray project and just change your setting for creating the dvd version.
Works amazingly well.

You can go from bd to dvd in the same project.
But I would go for a seperate project. Less chance of glitches.

I agree.
I normally will make an SD master using a DI such as the Cineform codec, and then transcode to DVD from the master. I will often still transcode with ProCoder 3 to create my best dvd imagery
I have achieved my all-around highest DVD image quality by using this workflow.
Where the difference really shows is when playing the DVD on an "upscaling" DVD player, HDMI out to a 40"-60" HDTV. I've had resulting image quality that looked free of artifact and nearly HD.
IMO, nowdays we can get our DVD image quality close to par with commercial hardware encoded Hollywood type films.
If you need to produce really high quality DVDs, it's worth figuring out the best workflow & taking the extra time to follow it.