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Participating Frequently
September 8, 2008
Question

Internal Software error PGC for encore CS3 !!! solved !!!

  • September 8, 2008
  • 64 replies
  • 31719 views
Almost everybody here knows the next error:

PGC "timeline name" has an error at xx:xx:xx:xy internal software error : %0, line timeline name - PGCINFO: name= timeline name, ref=BPGC, time=xx:xx:xx:xy

Where the y in time stands for the length of the timeline minus 2 frames. The BPGC error can also be FPGC or DPGC dependant on how many menu's there are in the project.

It kept me awake for weeks and after reading this forum several times and comparing encore CS3 with encore 2.0 filenames I found the solution.

This Error is a bug in encore witch has nothing to do with blank filename spots and sonic coding or codecs or planning your workflow with a pencil but pure with the combination Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 and Encore CS3.

This is what generates the problem:

In Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 you build project with video, sound and chapters. Then you export the project via the Media Encoder not Multplexed.

Premiere CS3 then creates the following files:
filename.M2V (video file mpg)
filename.AC3 (audio file ac3)
filename.M2V.XMPSES (an adobe file with preview info and chapter pointers)
filname.XMP (??)

It is the .M2V.XMPSES file witch creates the PGC error. If you use the MULTIPLEX DVD option then ADOBE will not create the .M2V.XMPSES file so there will not be an error. This trick mentioned by ADOBE and many others is just to go around the bug instead of solving it. Also with multiplex you have just one sound track. I use two sound tracks like 5.1 and a 2.0 track witch you can choose in a menu.

Some people say it is the blank spots. Also not true. They have probably just erased the blank spots of the M2V file and forgot the .M2V.XMPSES file.

When you just delete the .M2V.XMPSES file and then open the M2V and AC3 file in Encore as a new asset, make a timeline and menu's and the project will built and burn. Only if you delete this .M2V.XMPSES file Encore takes a longer time to import the M2V file and will be without the chapter points.

Almost everything else will work like menu with sound and even a movie background (use M2V files). Only the motion buttons in a menu still wont work unless you use a black background !?!. Haven't figured this out yet. Only solution for this is use Encore 2.0. In this older version also the motion buttons will work without error's (everything else also so why buy CS3??)

Here is what you must do create a DVD without errors:

-Create a project in Premiere Pro, even with chapters.
-Write down all chapter points (minutes:seconds:frames)
-Create two new unique maps in explorer for example D:DVD1 and D:DVD2
-Export in Premiere with Media Encoder without the Multiplex:DVD but with NON to the D:DVD1 map
-Copy from D:DVD1 only the M2V and AC3 files to D:DVD2

-Start up Encore DVD CS3 or 2.0
-Create a new unique project in Encore for example "DVD" and save this in the map D:DVD2\
-Then use Save-as (under file) and pinpoint to D:DVD2\dvd to be sure that all Encore's files are placed in this folder.

-Select M2V file and make new timeline.
-Make chapter points (you wrote down the points, did you?)
-Create menu's, even with sound (AC3) and movie background (M2V)
-Then render project if you have used a video for menu background
-Finally Built and burnnnnnn!!
-If you like to use motion buttons in a menu then use Encore 2.0

I have double checked my work flow and it really works. I have built a project and burned with success Then I deleted the timeline and the M2V file. Copied the .M2V.XMPSES file in the used folder. Re loaded the M2V file in encore (this time much faster! and with chapter points). Tried to built and burn and back was the error. Also this happened in in Encore 2.0!!

Hope that this will solve the PGC error once and for all !!!

Marcel W

system:
acer aspire AMD 64 3800+
2 GB
250 GB hard drive for system
750 GB hard drive for movie

software Adobe Encore 3.0.1.008, Premiere PRO 3.2.0, Photoshop CS3 10.0, All upgraded
NERO 7

No Internet
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64 replies

Stan Jones
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 7, 2009
What is your exact error?

On your various tests, you are creating a brand new project for each test?

When you imported the m2v (to test the xmpses effect), how did you separate it from the xmpses file? (Copied/moved the m2v to another directory; deleted the xmpses file?)
March 6, 2009
I have never seen the PgC error (upon build) with CS2 or CS3. Recently built a new PC (3.0 core2) and installed CS3...Premiere/Encore works fine building a dozen or so DVDs.
Installed CS4, all worked fine building a dozen or so DVDs. Then the dreaded PGC error started in Encore on everything exported from Premiere via AME.

I am slowly coming to the conclusion that the problem is faulty .m2v files from AME.

I can export from Cs3; Encore CS3 and CS4 work fine.
I can export from CS4; both CS3 and CS4 Encore builds fail.
To debunk the XMPES theories I imported a CS4 .m2v file into Encore 2.0 on another PC and the build failed with the PGC error.

All test builds used just the .m2v file and no menus.
Stan Jones
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 8, 2009
I'd like more information about "Bug fixed (#1871844)." I cannot find anything about this in a search of the adobe knowledgebase and these encore forums. I believe this probably refers to the "non PGC" internal software error on burning; not the pgc error upon building.

I do not believe that any CS4 user has reported the pgc error upon building, so I hope will see success Marcel. If you are using CS4 with the exact same hardware setup, I will be especially interested to see if you can get the error using one of your previous assets that produced the problem.
jbowden
Community Manager
Community Manager
February 8, 2009
>As I´ve mentioned earlier, not having this problem at all does not mean that you are working in a different (better way) than most of us.

marcel, I never said that. I said I never got this error in Encore CS3. If it's a bug in CS3, then wouldn't we all see it?

If I were to speculate as to why you and some others got it, but I and others did not, I would likely guess the cause of this problem is in system configuration.
Participating Frequently
February 8, 2009
Dear Bowden,

As I´ve mentioned earlier, not having this problem at all does not mean that you are working in a different (better way) than most of us.

As Adobe has mentioned on his site, errors often do appear due to hardware conflicts, driver issues, codecs and more. You probably have a setup of hardware-software in witch no error will appear. Adobe has worked around some issues and solved a conflict of their software (with others?)and this is usually called a bug.

As you can read in my topic I have found one issue witch creates the error and a solution to solve it (the non usable XMPSES files). I'm not telling you this is the solution but it will work for some of us getting the error and working in the way it is supposed to be by Adobe.

As I will get SC4 soon I will report you if this bug is finally solved. In the mean time I hope you will stay bug free because it is/was a pain in the ...
jbowden
Community Manager
Community Manager
February 8, 2009
Marcel, I'd like to share your optimism that it was just a bug, but I never got this error in Encore CS3.

More likely, Adobe has fixed a bug in the CS4 update that sounds very much like your problem with CS3. But it may not have been the same problem.
Participating Frequently
February 8, 2009
People,

I think I now have found THE internal software error. Just Buy CS4 and upgrade to 4.0.1

Just read below last bug fix:

Notable fixes
Bug fixed (#1753190): High Definition video preview in Encore is not real time
o High definition video preview has been fixed to be played back in real time.
Bug fixed (#1832192): Application failure while importing some .mpeg files on Windows
Vista
o Importing certain mpeg files when into Encore caused the application to fail. This
issue has been fixed.
Bug fixed (#1619803): Application failure during startup when certain DVD hardware are
attached to the system
o Certain DVD hardware caused the application failure while launching.
Bug fixed (#1602741): Widescreen project exported to a widescreen Flash Export preset
generates incorrect output frame size
o The frame is now exported correctly to Flash by the application and no
letterboxing or pillar boxing is now seen
Bug fixed (#1871844): Encore shows internal software error while burning the project.
o The application error which occurred while burning the project is fixed in the
update

So to all who didn't believe it was a bug but just a way of working around and managing your workflow: this is the real answer. It was just a bug!

greetings
Participant
January 5, 2009
I to am having the issue and spent all weekend testing different variations in order to try and find a fix. After, wasting my entire weekend and loosing all my work on my project, I believe (unfortunately) I can disprove this theory in most cases.

Simply because after trying a lot of other encoding methods, I simply exported from Premiere using the Media Encoder (giving me just an m2v and wav). Then I converted the .wav file to ac3, imported with only those two files to Encore, created my chapters and boom, FUBAR again.

Sorry...but I feel your pain. I never expected this level of unreliability from an Adobe product.
Stan Jones
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 27, 2008
> I too got frustrated and when I thought I had THE solution it somehow didn't work the next time with a next movie

Hi, Marcel.

Ah, yes, that was a thrilling time when it looked like you may have solved this. And yes, failure is a terrible thing. lol

Your solution does work frequently - its main limitation is having to redo chapters. I have used it several times since, but other workarounds have usually worked. I do not have CS2, and have not gone back to DVDIt (my backup - that fails for other reasons about as often!) since moving to Encore.

Before your original post, I had not understood at all how important the xmpses files are. I still don't understand them, but I do believe that part of the chain of events that lead to some of the pgc errors involve this file. But since it works for me most of the time and for others all the time, I do not believe it a "bug."

I'm not looking for "the solution," I believe it will go away when I go to a new computer. I just bring my new and improved, always precise workflow, and get error free results over half the time. For the other times, I beat the monster down with my bag of workarounds.

Happy New Year!
Participating Frequently
December 27, 2008
Dear Slobodan,

I'm happy to have helped you. I too got frustrated and when I thought I had THE solution it somehow didn't work the next time with a next movie. The main problem somewhere lies with the xmpses and other non important files.

Somehow the timecodes at the end of these files or the last framecodes are corrupt. They are differently made in CS2 than in CS3. CS2 always works (with me) and CS3 gives errors when using motion menus.

So if you don't use motion menus you can still use CS3 and throw away the junk before importing in encore. If you want to use motion menu's you'll find that buying CS2 encore will make you happy. By the way CS2 will also work with Photoshop 10.

I whish you all the best in making nice movies of your son.

Greetings Marcel Wolfert