Disecting a Star Trek Blu-ray

[Guy Burns]

I want to work out some of the limitations of Encore compared to more advanced Blu-ray authoring packages. I've chosen to examine a Blu-ray from the original series of Star Trek. This is what's on the disk:

• Four 50-minute episodes, plus some extras.
• Each episode is offered in two versions: original and enhanced. The enhanced version replaces the original exterior scenes (planets, spaceships) with modern computer-generated scenes.  Any scenes featuring characters (Kirk, Spock and so on) are left unchanged in both versions.
• The Stream folder on the Blu-ray disk has 115 encrypted m2ts files in it, files which cannot be opened.
• Ripping software reveals that each episode has six m2ts files associated with it: the introduction, 4 sections that fade to black for commercials, and the credits.
• Those six m2ts files are from the enhanced version. The ripping software cannot see the original exterior shots, of which there would be about 80 on the disk (~20 per episode)

To emphasise the last point: each enhanced version is encoded in six m2ts files that total about 50 minutes. Those six files contain enhanced exterior scenes, and original character scenes, encoded together. In combination, they form the enhanced version.

Below, I have made two observations about how this disk might have been authored. If any of my observations are likely incorrect, please let me know.

Observation 1

Given that the ripping software sees only the enhanced version, I assume the six files of the entire enhanced version went onto one timeline, with chapters markers at appropriate points. This timeline is accessed by a button called Enhanced in the main menu. Press Enhanced, and away you go, straight through the episode with fades to black for commercials.

Observation 2

To play the episode in its original form, you click on the Original button. This is where it gets complicated and I'm not sure how they did it. What happens is this: about 20 times per episode, the enhanced version branches away to an exterior scene of the original version. You see a grainy, wooden model of the Enterprise, for example. When that original scene finishes, play branches back to the enhanced version (but it's actually going back to an original character scene, which was encoded into an m2ts file as part of the enhanced version).

I said it was complicated!

Those branch points are not accessible via the remote control. They are not chapter points.

I'm guessing that they accomplished the above by having a second timeline identical to the first, but this second timeline has Branch points (I just made them up) as well as chapter points. At an Branch Out point, the flow branches to the original exterior shot (a grainy, model Enterprise, for example, instead of a computer-generated Enterprise). When that original clip is finished, it branches back to the enhanced version at a Branch In point.

Summary

So we have enhanced episodes that are broken into six m2ts files, files which contain all the enhanced sections, all the original character sections, but none of the original exterior shots.

And we have original episodes that appear to use the same six m2ts files as above, but which branch away to the original exterior shots about 20 times per episode.

Ques

It seems to me that the type of flow described above would not be possible in Encore. Or is it possible?

[Stan Jones]

No answer here, but I'll add some info.

BDs can be enhanced by BD-J, basically Java for Blu-rays. Encore does not provide this, just as it does not provide scripting for DVDs. What these accomplish, as I understand it, is flexibility and enhancement.

A work around for some of these issues are tools like BDEdit.

BD uses a different stream format than DVD, and multiple video etc streams can be placed in one file.

[neil wilkes · Accepted solution]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Stan+Jones  wrote

No answer here, but I'll add some info.

BDs can be enhanced by BD-J, basically Java for Blu-rays. Encore does not provide this, just as it does not provide scripting for DVDs. What these accomplish, as I understand it, is flexibility and enhancement.

A work around for some of these issues are tools like BDEdit.

BD uses a different stream format than DVD, and multiple video etc streams can be placed in one file.

Close - very close - but not quite there. It is not so much an enhancement as it is a completely different way to author. I do not believe it is possible to mix modes on a disc, and even if it is theoretically possible you would not want to in the first place.

Firstly - we are talking the Original Series Full Journey set, yes?

These are BD-J titles and I think this needs some explanation as there are several things at play here from the OP.

BDedit is not a tool I am familiar with, and a quick look at the page for it makes no mention of being able to view & edit the JAR file, which is where the magic happens - the BDJO is simply the link between the JAR and the assets/playlists.

Blu-ray has 2 modes of authoring - IG (or Interactive Graphics) and BD-J and I do not know if both modes can be used on one disc, and doubt it is possible - I will ask my programmer who will doubtless respond by asking me why we would want to bother.

It is a totally different way to work, and will require a knowledge of Java programming and a copy of Scenarist BD which handles both types of authoring. For a good overview of the main features please see the Oracle website and read this series of articles.

Authoring in this manner is along the lines of creating a DVD using entirely your own VM commands instead of an abstraction layer and this is the method we use for all of our titles simply because it is far, far superior to IG.

Why?

Better menu control, more flexibility, "Hot Keys" allowed (coloured buttons switch audio streams on the fly etc), Live Updates, access to local persistent storage - all manner of good stuff. We have just finished a disc with the main menu having 5 different variations on a theme for an audio bed which play at random each time the clip gets loaded or loops around to the start).

You could not even begin to mimic these ST titles with Encore - not a hope in hell. I shall have a look at these and will post back later with what is going on but you will need Scenarist BD-J to do this

[Guy Burns]

Thanks, Neil, for the detailed response. The Star Trek series I was referring to was the original series, broadcast from 1966-1968.

[neil wilkes]

I have the very same set (as well as TNG The Full Journey - bring on Voyager and that will be me happy)