Burning Blu-Ray discs with Encore CS6

[Chris Sollart]

I had another forum thread going with this topic but it was getting to be quite long and was not giving me the answers I was looking for so I thought I would try starting a new discussion.

Before you reply to this question, please understand that while I have dabbled off and on (mostly off) with simple video editing with Premirere Pro for nearly 10 years, I still consider myself a 'beginner' so if you want to respond, please use language that a beginner can understand.  For instance; " Create an iso image" is WAY over my head!  I have no idea what that means or how to do it.

I'm currently using Premiere Pro CC 2017 . I've already done all of the editing and now just need to burn the 1 1/2 hour sequence onto a Blu-ray disc that my client can play on a home Blu-ray player. I'm using a PC with Windows 7 and I do have a Blu-ray burner.  I have also downloaded Encore CS6.

Here are my questions:

1.  Exactly what Format and Preset settings should I use in the Export section of Premiere 2017 to create the files needed to author a Blu-ray disc (NTSC 1080)?  1080i or 1080p?  Is frame rate critical (the sequence was edited at a frame rate of 29.97 but it's OK if the output is 23.97 fps)?  There will be no menus and the quality should be good but doesn't 'have' to be broadcast quality.  As long as it plays in my client's home Blu-Ray player without any problem.  It's fine if it just starts playing as soon as they insert the disc.  I want to keep this as simple as possible!

2.  I have tried Exporting the sequence several times with different settings and I've noticed that Premiere creates 4 different files; MP4, XMP, XMPSES and WAV.  Are all 4 needed to author the Blu-Ray or just certain ones?  Which ones?

3.  I'm aware that there is no longer a dynamic link between Premiere 2017 and Encore CS6.  Therefore; exactly how do I import the files (and which files?) into Encore CS6 and then what are the steps to authoring a Blu-ray disc?

If you don't have the time or patience to give a complete and thorough responce, or can't stand dealing with 'beginners', then please don't bother.  I've been struggling with this for weeks now and I just want to get 'er done as simply as possible!

Big thanks to everyone who has helped or tried to help me with this dilemma!  I really do appreciate all the good will! 

Chris

[Stan Jones · Accepted solution]

Your new thread in PR was moved here. A mod will probably delete this thread so it is not confusing.

See this:

Premiere Pro CC 2017 to Blu-Ray disc

[Alan_Craven]

The people who have responded to your other thread are among the most knowledgeable people regarding Encore who frequent these forums!  You are blessed in that respect

You presumably have completed the edit of your video in Premiere?  I expect your video is some flavour of 1920x1080 pixels.  I am not from North America, but I will make the assumption that those who are generally make - this means that your frame rate is either circa 24 or circa 30.  This matters, because whilst Premiere by and large does not give a damn (provided the frame rate does not vary within clips), Encore has to be a lot fussier because Blu-ray has a very restrictive diet.  If your video is 1920x1080 interlaced 29.97 fps then you are home and dry, as there is a preset  for that in the list!  Choose that and NOT 23.97! Also with a 29.97 fps frame rate you cannot use progressive as that is not Blu-ray legal!

Blu-Ray is very demanding  and so Adobe Media Encoder, which you should use to export your video from Premiere has a number of Blu-Ray legal preset on offer.  Look in the right hand panel (Preset Browser) and scroll down to the DVD and Blu-Ray Section.  I suggest you use a H.264 Blu-Ray preset.  Which you choose depends on the properties of your video on the Premiere timeline, as discussed above.  Choose the H.264 preset with the frame rate of your video and either interlaced or progressive (p) as appropriate.  The problem comes if your video clips do not fit the requirements of the Blu-Ray format.  It is easy to switch from progressive to interlaced or vice-versa without losing much quality, but if you have to change frame rate you can lose quality very easily.

Now export your entire timeline in the chosen BR preset.

Open Encore and select Blu-ray as the format on the screen that appears when you select New Project.  Import your exported BR legal video as a timeline and the corresponding audio as an asset.  If you have chosen a Blu-Ray legal preset and not modified it in any way, you are almost there, unless you need a menu.  i am not going to go down that road - I have video of my own to edit!

Select the Build Tab at the top left of the Encore window.  Select Format > Blu-Ray and Output > blu-ray image.  Choose a name and location for the image file.  The build button should now be active.  Click and sit back.  When your image file is completed, use IMGBurn to burn a blu-ray disk.  It pays to try this on a re-writable first even though BR disks are much cheaper now.

Provided the format of the video on your Premiere timeline matches a legal Blu-Ray preset, the process should be as simple as that!  If it is not, then make sure that you plan ahead on your next shoot and set you camera to a suitable format.

Good luck!

[Chris Sollart]

Hi Allen;

Thanks for your responce!

I am in USA. I believe you when you say "The people who have responded to

your other thread are among the most knowledgeable people regarding Encore

who frequent these forums!" However; I have also recieved some very

conflicting advice. For instance, you told me that it will not work to use

"progressive" scan for Blu-ray. Others have said it doesn't matter. I

don't know who to believe.

Yes; I edited the sequence in Premiere Pro CC 2017 and it plays just fine

there. Now I just have to burn that sequence to a disc. There are no

menus. I just want it to play when my client puts it in his home player.

He's not very fussy, we just want it to play!

It was shot by 3 different models of camers in 1080 and I originally wanted

to burn it to a Blu-ray disc but at this point, if it's going to be easier

to burn to a standard DVD,* then that's what I want to do.* I just want to

get this project done! I admit I've made mistakes and I will be sure to

learn a lot more before my next shoot! My client doesn't mind if it's a

standard DVD.

I would love to download IMGBurn but when I go to their website (

http://www.imgburn.com/) and click on "Download" free trial version, I get

sent to another website that has nothing to do with burning discs! Is

there some better way of downloading IMGBurn? Maybe it makes a difference

if I pay for it (which I don't mind doing since everyone recommends it).

If I decide to just burn a standard DVD, can I do that with Encore alone?

If so, What Presets should I use when Exporting from Premiere? Is it

possible to briefly tell me how to import the correct files into Encore and

then burn a standard DVD? I have done this before but it was many years

ago! It seemed very simple at the time. I don't understand (and am very

frustrated) that it seems to be SO much more difficult now!

One more question; how would I use Adobe Media Encoder to Export from

Premiere?

Thanks!

Chris

On Tue, Feb 21, 2017 at 10:12 AM, Alan Craven <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[Alan_Craven]

You cannot use progressive fiiles for blu-Ray with a frame rate of 29.97!  It is not legal for blu-Ray.  Progressive is allowed only with 23.97 fps.  This is a pain for me in PAL land as I shoot progressive and have to convert to interlaced for BR disks as 1080p25 is not legal either.  The only presets you can use are those in the list in AME.

I use CS6 so I am not sure what goes on these days, but if you open AMe and select the File Menu, there should be an entry "Add Premiere Pro sequence", or something equivalent.  Navigate to your Premiere project file and select it.  After some delay the premiere sequence will appear in the box.  Select it and click OK.

Your sequence will now appear in the main AME window.  Now click on the HD1080i H.264 preset in the Blu-Ray section of the right hand window and drag it to the preset column of your sequence entry in the left hand panel.  Sort out where you want your output file and name it.  Now click the green arrow at the top.  Your file will be complete afgter a while.

If you are having problems downloading IMGBurn, you can use Encore to burn your blu-Ray.  I and other have switched to an external burning program due to occasional problems with encore burning.  Simply follow my previous instructions, but select blu-Ray disk instead of Image file, and build and burn.

There are other ways of skinning this particular cat.  The method I describe is not what I do myself, but I found it easier to describe this way succinctly than my own method.

Good burning!

[Chris Sollart]

PS; one person in the forum also said that Encore CS6 is incompatable

with Premiere Pro CC 2017! What's the truth???

Thanks!

Chris

[Alan_Craven]

As I use Premiere CS6, I cannot be certain, but I suspect it is not true.  You will find people telling you that CS6 will not work with Windows 10.  That too is rubbish, as I use it personally with Windows 10.  Adobe will tell you that, they want to snare subscribers, and they bury CS6 layers deep on their web site.  There are people who are lauded by Adobe (ACP anyone) who peddle the same fallacious message on this forum!

Feed Encore a Blu-Ray legal file and it will deal with it.  The program is not psychic - it cannot know where the file originated!

[Chris Sollart]

Since burning a Blu-ray seems to be ridiculously complicated (and not even

necessary in this case), I decided it would be easier to just burn a

standard DVD.

I Exported the sequence from Premiere, with settings for DVD, then imported

the video and audio files onto a timeline in Encore CS6 and it seemed to be

working fine; I could play the sequence in Encore and all was working

fine. Then I tried to Build the DVD. Everything seemed to be working fine

except that when I put the DVD in my home player, there was no audio.

What might I be doing wrong?

Thanks!

Chris

On Tue, Feb 21, 2017 at 12:28 PM, Alan Craven <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[Ann Bens]

You need to stop making new threads.

[John T Smith]

Somewhat dated now, but still a lot of good information for learning Encore

CS5-thru-CC PPro/Encore tutorial list http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1448923 has lots of tutorial links to help learn