[Joe Bandy]

Thanks for the info Lyn.

Have you updated your adobe media encoder? Whenever I go to file export I get a dialogue that says there is a update available. My editing system has not been connected to the internet so I have not tried updating yet.

I have also just tried another test exporting from 720p 59.94pfs 1.0 PAR. to M2V which didn’t work.

The encoder actually opens this time but when I start encoding the encoder just sits there. I can see that it starts to create a file in the specified destination but never really gets going.

I was using these settings: export Audio and Video, no multiplexing,
720×480 Quality 5 (all the way up, Progressive frames,
4:3
Audio 16bit 48khz,
no filters
M frames 3
Gop 15

[Joe Bandy]

We have decided to stick with the letter boxing of our HD content for DVD viewing because the widescreen DVD was more problematic.
Our source footage is 720p 59.94fps m2t files. 1.0 square pixel aspect ratio.

[Joe Bandy]

Lyn,

Yes we are using a Matrox Axio LE system.
In other tests I tried exporting from a 720p 59.94 project using m2ts and a 720×486 29.97fps SD project where the source file was a uncompressed AVI but both were unsuccessful.

I can however open up the adobe media encoder if I chose F4V upon export. When I choose FLV the encoder opens then quits. With F4V the encoder actually opens but when I select start queue the encoder just sits there and does nothing.

Other than upgrading my operating system what else can i try?

[Joe Bandy]

It seems that the problem was the video with the pixel aspect ratio of 1.2 I transcoded it to 1.0 and the image and disc burn worked. This leaves me with a regular 4:3 image no letter boxing though and is not full screen.

The only option available in Encore CS3 and CS4 is DVD 720×480.

Question:
Is the only way to display widescreen in Encore on a SD DVD at 720×480 to Letterbox it? Please respond, once I have this confirmed I can stop trying to make it work!
Is this correct?

[Joe Bandy]

I checked some other successful DVD Encore Projects in CS3 that use video clips that have square 1.0 PARs according to Encore. I checked the actual properties of those m2v files in premiere CS3 and it said the PAR is 0.9 and the export settings from the adobe media encoder in those projects is also set for standard 0.9.
Encore must round up to the PAR up to 1.0 upon import, this doesn’t seem correct.
We used the settings:
mpeg 2-dvd
export video and audio,
720×480
Progressive
standard 4:3 (0.9)
audio 16bit 48khz

The video comes out letterboxed in Encore which is fine but we were trying to make the video full screen so we tried using the settings:

mpeg 2-dvd
export video and audio,
720×480
Progressive
widescreen 16:9 (1.2)
audio 16bit 48khz

Now the clips I exported from CS4 using these settings did not cause any problems in Encore CS4 and were 0.9 PAR but the video clip that I exported from CS3 ended up being 1.2 PAR and I don’t know why.

I think this is the problem because I tried transcoding that clip from 1.2 to 1.0 PAR in encore and was able make an image and a disc.

Do I need to open the CS3 project in CS4 to get the correct widescreen pixel aspect ratio?

Does Encore only support 1.2 PAR for Bluray?

[Joe Bandy]

Yes I’m exporting the clips using premiere. They are on completely different systems so I cannot import the CS3 project into the CS4 project easily.
I have 4 clips total.

1 intro square pixel aspect
2 Main Video with audio aspect 1.2
3 continues on disc 2 screen
4 credits

I tried a couple of tests but am a little confused on what is causing my problems.

I was unable to build an image with the intro alone on the timeline at 00:00:00:00 but was able to build it with the intro alone at 00:00:0012.

I put on the main video right after the intro and was able to build an image.

I put on the audio and synced it with the video and was unable to make an image.

I moved the audio of the main video only to the very front of the project at 00:00:00:00 and was able to make an image.

I think there might be an issue with the audio but was able to make an image where the audio was not synced with the video which does not help me.

Any more ideas?

[Joe Bandy]

Ok so I tried conforming the 2 files in Encore that had aspect ratios of square 1.0 to 1.2 and it didn’t work. 2 of the 4 clips I’m using in Encore came from one project and the second 2 came from another so I cannot export them as a single clip. What’s worse is that one project is in CS3 and the other is CS4.

What should I try next?

[Joe Bandy]

I also noticed that Encore is having trouble exporting 2 clips that I created in CS4. The I exported them the exact same way but the clips that encore is having problems with have a pixel aspect ratio of square 1.0. The other clips have a pixel aspect ratio of 1.2 (widescreen) When I remove the 2 clips with ratios of 1.0 I was able to successfully build a image.
If I put them back on the timeline and conform them to 1.2 I cannot build a image.

I’m guessing that somthing is wrong with my export from CS4. But I used the exact same settings. If I’m using PSDs on my timeline and other titles do I need to check their ratios as well?

I tried authoring the same clips in both Encore CS3 and Encore CS4 and recieved the same error.

[Joe Bandy]

I also noticed that Encore is having trouble exporting 2 clips that I created in CS4. The I exported them the exact same way but the clips that encore is having problems with have a pixel aspect ratio of square 1.0. The other clips have a pixel aspect ratio of 1.2 (widescreen) When I remove the 2 clips with ratios of 1.0 I was able to successfully build a image.
If I put them back on the timeline and conform them to 1.2 I cannot build a image.

I’m guessing that somthing is wrong with my export from CS4. But I used the exact same settings.

I tried authoring the same clips in both Encore CS3 and Encore CS4 and recieved the same error.

[Joe Bandy]

I have confirmed that the recording audio format is at 48khz the same as the project. I have done some additional testing with focus and have determined that the clips are not actually out of sync but that CS3 does something to the M2ts upon import. Apparently this is not a problem in CS4 according to some people at Matrox video tech support.
I have already bought the upgrade but am in the middle of a very important project and will not install it until the project is completed.