[Ricky Barrow]

Don’t let source footage confuse you – regardless of the quality or resolution, the standard is set so that “roughly – without getting technically detailed” the maximum bitrate for 2 hours of footage on a 4.7gb DVD (single-layer, one-side) would be as follows:
PCM audio with 5% headroom = 3.4mbps
AC3 audio with 5% headroom = 4.7mbps

These are rough estimates and audio bitrate of PCM or AC3 can change this (also surround sound may change this) ….. just realize when computing bitrate – it is the destination; that never changes and is determined by size of DVD and length of video, not the sources.

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

I have received an error when trying to AMA link to “STREAM” folders in the past (this is where the media lives) – right or wrong or user error I do not know, BUT, my solution was to ‘move’ the “STREAM” folder to the root of the drive and all was happy and linked perfectly. In my specifc case(s), it “seemed” as if Avid could not link to the folder buried that deep in the structure – also it does keep you from having to navigate so deeply.

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

My knowledge is limited but I will explain our workflow and perhaps this will give you something to consider. In MC I first link AMA, then, before editing into a sequence, I transcode to Avid DNxHD media. It sounds like your sequence is still looking at AMA links instead of actual transcoded media. When going into Encore, I export a QT ref. file of my sequence (which is all transcoded media) I drop the QT ref into Encore and let Encore do the transcoding for DVD. I haven’t experienced the issue you describe. Avid MC and Encore are on the same computer (PC for us). From what you describe, I can only say to double check that you have no AMA linked footage.

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

Are you sure there is black all around? To test, make the menu first play and do a preview – just to make sure your menu view “window” isn’t throwing you off. I do nothing special but import my PSD file as menu. Also, maybe I missed this, but make sure 16×9 is selected in the properties window.

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

In the timeline, after your last video, mark IN, press end on keyboard mar OUT, select all tracks, use yellow extract/cut and the last frame of video in your timeline should now be at the end.
Also, if you have a mark IN and Out of your video for export, simply do as William suggested and in the export box, check use marks, then only the section of the timeline from IN to OUT will be exported.

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

Plus, in our case, our video starts as HD so at any time in the future should I decide to do Bluray, my menu is already there. “KISS” works for me most of the time.

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

People don’t and won’t agree with me, but I do not have problems using PSD menu’s when I simply create them in 1280×720 or 1920×1080 – I do all menu’s this way even though I have yet to do Blu-ray – we have only done SD widescreen and Encore resizes without issues. I’m sure others may say something negative about this but it works for us. It shouldn’t take long to do a quick test to see if it would work for you. 🙂

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

The AUDIO_TS folder is basically useless, was fizzled out, BUT one replicator we use demands it be there – I do not claim it needs to be there and we have had many successful replications and duplications with no complaints about that folder missing, however, a new client for us is using “their” replicator and that is what was required from us to move forward … I just threw out that information in case he uses a replicator that has similar issues – most companies have advanced beyond that.

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

PC – right click on assest, Interpret footage as, conform to SD NTSC Widescreen (1.2121)

That should solve.

Ricky

[Ricky Barrow]

Good points Peter, BUT
“If there is a better and easier way to do something then Avid need to be changing the product. Why just stick with something because ‘thats the way it’s always been done’? If I can add an effect, for example lets say a film flash, using 1 click instead of a series of click where it has to be built, isn’t that a better choice?”
As you say here, they have now made the process of panning audio 3 steps instead of one – I can no longer CTL click to center, I must click on the window, hit “0” then hit “enter” and ganging does not include the ganged channel in this so I must do it all again for the second channel – thus they need to listen to “experienced” editors still as opposed to “older”.

Ricky