Question for Jeff

[Jeff Pulera]

Hi Jan,

Not sure if I’m the right Jeff, but I don’t know what this means – “I’ve enabled highest resolution in PPRO export”.

Do you mean that you are using a higher-quality codec perhaps? Can you please post a screen shot of the Export Settings panel? That will be most helpful to anyone trying to assist.

Thanks

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

[Jan Janowski]

Yep, You’re the Jeff I was aiming at!!! I had increased the quality of settings on the expert to the point where it would not play smoothly when into Encore…. If it won’t play smoothly, it’s hard to add Chapter stops accurately…

Got around it like I illuded to by writing down the TC Number of scene chagne in PPRO, then manually went to that frame in Encore and added it blindly….. But in doing that, found a better way…. I’m using a Shuttle Pro V2 for both PPRO and Encore, and I found that even if the video didn’t play smoothly in Encore, I could jog through it using Shuttle Pro V2 knob, and place the chapter stops accurately that way…. (Placing CS one frame after the scene change….

I had forgotten about the Shuttle Pro ….. That gave me a very good work around!!

Do you recall, is there any way to force reduced video resolution playback in Encore (Like PPRO has in the viewer?)

Thanks….

[Jeff Pulera]

Just to clarify, “resolution” refers to the frame size, for instance 1920×1080 is HD resolution while 720×480 is SD resolution. This is not “quality” which I think you are using to refer to bit rate perhaps?

Again, would like to see Export Settings if possible so we’re on the same page with what kind of media you are actually exporting for use in Encore. I have no idea if it is MPEG-2 for Blu-ray, H.264 for Blu-ray, or something else?

There is a Preview Playback Quality setting in Encore, not sure how much it helps with actual playback performance. I keep mine set to HIGH, otherwise preview looks very poor using the default Automatic setting. Have not had playback issues doing so, but I don’t know how fast your computer might be.

About placing chapter marks one frame after scene change – that may not work as expected if using Encore-ready material, which has GOPs in it with keyframes. You might think you are putting the marker on a certain frame, when in reality Encore will actually place it on the NEAREST GOP which could then put the marker before the scene change by a few frames! I use the frame advance button with ALT key which actually jumps from GOP to GOP to show me where exactly I can place a chapter marker without it moving on me. For NTSC DVD, those are at 15-frame intervals normally, not sure about Blu-ray.

Thanks

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

[Jan Janowski]

Thanks for the info on Preview… I don’t believe I have ever looked in that Preference! Tried all three… No difference…. Pix on Monitor window of timeline goes red…. though Using Shuttle Pro to jog is better….

Ok on CS and GOPS.. Played BR, and yes…. it does flash frame on one CS… It’s just a reference playback BR for monitor setup in the field… So I can examine an external system prior to playing what I’m about to show…..

Now on to what you asked me for!
PPRO Export:
H264 35Mb/sec 1920×1080/29.97
High 4.1 and Max Render Quality…..

Encore Project Settings…
BRH.264 1920×1080/29.97 Dolby Digital
Max AV Bitrate 40Mb/sec

No difference if PPRO Export is played back off SSD, or 2 drive SSD Raid0 in Encore.. And since both Drives test with AV Disk Test Pgms at far greater bandwidth than needed…. I’m ruling out disk issues.
Changing Preview Preference as you posted didn’t seem to affect Monitor window (of Timeline) actions.
If I go into the preview (Software Player of BR)…. It plays better…. than it does in the Monitor Window and Next Chapter works…
The Preview Preference does seem to affect the Software Preview Player…. (DUH!)

When I do all this, CPU is not spiking (4 Cores, 4HT) So, seeing that same occurs on playback from SSD Raid0 or SSD, and CPU is not spiking when this occurs, I’m putting my $$ on a GPU that can’t keep up! (Embedded NVidia GeForce 555M in the Dell XPS)

However, Build the BR…. and play BR back anywhere… and it plays back fine…. Issue is only occurring in HIGH Quality setting Epxorts…. on the Encore Monitor Window, but not Software Preview window. Lower quality exports plays back fine on Monitor window in Encore…

Anyway…. It only became an issue when I pushed the Export Settings to maximum…. and a work around is available….

P.S. If you’d like to see the .ISO file, contact me offline…

[Jan Janowski]

Wish I could edit posts…. PPRO Export should say: H264 Blu-Ray (So as to export with 01-254 levels)

[Jan Janowski]

More Tests: Back In PPRO, the higher bandwidth of that export to Encore, (when same export is re-imported back into PPRO), this issue is not seen (it plays beautifully) (Probably due to Cuda Processing in PPRO) that Encore doesn’t use…

[Jeff Pulera]

PPRO Export:
H264 35Mb/sec 1920×1080/29.97
High 4.1 and Max Render Quality…..

Is that using the H.264 BLU-RAY preset, or just regular H.264 export? Should ALWAYS use the Blu-ray preset, as anything else will just need to be transcoded again in Encore = extra time and quality loss. Also, you say “29.97”, is that Progressive? Because Blu-ray will not accept 1080p30, must be 1080i. A screen shot would keep me from asking all these questions ????

If you do a test, I bet you would not be able to detect any visual playback difference between 25mbps and 35mbps encoded material – I think pushing the data rate up high is just asking for trouble.

As for Max Render, my understanding is that only really benefits quality when SCALING the outputs, like 1080p to 720p, or HD to SD – should be no need for that, just takes longer to export.

Thanks

Jeff

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

[Jan Janowski]

Yes,Format was as you posted….. Soas to support 01-254.
Wasn’t typed in correctly and no way to edit posts here to fix mistakes….

[Jan Janowski]

There was no Re-Rendering in Encore…. it was i not p

[Jan Janowski]

One of the test pattern on the disc is Moving Zone Plate…. I increased the Mbps in the export to preserve as much as possible of this pattern to the BR Disc….

I forgot exactly what format and Mbps I used on the capture way back when, but it was High…. Once MZP capture was optimized, then all the test signals were captured the same way…..

Using MZP for setting (or in most cases, De-Selecting) MPEG Processing in BR/DVD/TV’s…. by looking at the amount of artifacts in the BR Playback… through the BR player, to TV Display…

The ‘modified’ SMPTE 219 Bars I use have a 2nd white box (at 254) covering some of the White Box in SMPTE 219… This allows for an instant doublecheck to verify that RGB Colorspace is NOT Selected in the playback path….
If you see 2 different levels of white boxes—-You are set for 01-254 playback!