Encore CS6 produces Pixelated and Grainy DVDs...????

[KateMorgan]

I edited my video clips in Premiere Pro CS6 (as I usually do), then sent it to CS6 Encore.  The video looks grainy and pixelated on the monitor window in Encore and records it this way as well.

The image in PPro's monitor is crisp and in great focus.  I shoot in HD.  I've never experienced this before.  Is this a bug???

Help.

Kate

[John T Smith]

You need to provide step by step details of what you are doing... from your original video files and project settings, to exactly how you are using Encore

Screen shots work well to SHOW people what you are doing http://forums.adobe.com/thread/592070?tstart=30

Read http://forums.adobe.com/message/4200840 and http://forums.adobe.com/thread/416679

[KateMorgan]

I'll do my best.. I shoot achd full hd   MTS files are used.

I don't change any settings in Encore.  It doesn't give me any real choices.

My settings in PPro CS6 (upgraded from CS5.5) I use the Master Collection.

Win 7

Sequence Settings:

AVCHD 1080i  Square Pixel

29.97 frame/sec

1920x1080  16:9

Square Pixels  1.0

Fields: Upper field first

Preview File Format: I-frame only mpeg

codec: MPEG I-Frame

In PPro the video looks great. 

I used Adobe Dynamic Link to send my file to Encore.

It transcodes once I have set up the location where the Encore file will be saved.

Max Audio bitrate: 8.0

Codec: MPEG 2

720 x 400

I don't seem to have any options to change these except for the bitrate that can go up to 9...

Below is a screen shot of my PPro project.. its a bit small... but I think you can make out how clear the image is.

Image of screen I receive when I send to Encore:

Image of settings:

Screen shot of project in Encore...to be built onto a DVD.

A close up of the pixelation.

Screen shot of image in PPro.. you can see the difference.

All updates are current as well.

If I have missed anything you feel would be helpful please ask. 

Cheers Kate.... and thanks in advance.

[John T Smith]

As a test, do not use dynamic link

Export from PPro as either MPEG2-DVD or Widescreen DV AVI and then author in Encore

My personal choice (CS5) is to export as DV AVI so I may let Encore use the automatic transcoding setting to make a "best fit" of time to DVD

[KateMorgan]

I'm on it! As it takes hours to export a file this size (its just over an hour) I will let it run overnight.  When I am done I will come back and let you know how it went. Thanks for the suggestions and for your time.

Fingers crossed.

Cheers Kate

[John T Smith]

My suggestion was because I have read of Dynamic Link Problems... may not fix your problem, but only takes a bit of time to test

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/936216

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/938108

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/938549

[KateMorgan]

Hi John,

I did a tiny section of the video so it would not take too long.

I exported to AVI - NTSC DV Widescreen and also tried MPEG2-DVD.  Saved files to my computer.  Opened Encore. File - imported as Timeline - Choose the file - did the usual, set title and end action. I also did an uncompressed AVI.  All came out very pixelated.

I imported the AVI back into P.Pro to see if it was grainy at this stage, and it looked perfect.  So I rule out PPro as the issue.

I am perplexed.

[Stan Jones]

Downrezizng text can produce problems. What does the non-text part of your picture look like? It does not look too bad in the image I am seeing.

If your problem is really the text, that involves some other issues.

[KateMorgan]

Hi Stan,

The images also look pixelated, as badly as the text. 

When I import any files to Encore I cannot change the import settings.  They are at 720 x 480..... I would like to change them to the file size that is the full HD 1920 x 1080.  It states I can change the authoring mode anytime in the Project Settings, but it does not give me any options.  It is set on just the one.  Is there another way to change it?

Update..  I am trying something new... hopefully it will work.  I used the Dynamic Link from PrPro.  Changed the setting to BlueRay, once it was in Encore I  noticed the settings were the same as before, DVD , burn to disc..etc.  But.... the image was crystal clear on the monitor!  So I am doing small section of the file and sending it to a DVD.  Fingers crossed that it works.

Thanks Kate

[Stan Jones]

When I import any files to Encore I cannot change the import settings.

There is no issue regarding "import"; I think you are referring to the project settings and the default transcode settings. What is imported into Encore can be full HD into a DVD project. It is what it is transcoded into, that for NTSC DVD must be 720x480, that matters.

What are your transcode settings?

[KateMorgan]

The transcode settings are on auto.  Nothing else is checked off.

[Stan Jones]

What was the result of your dynamic link experiment? You used the automatic transcode for that?

[KateMorgan]

Badly pixelated.  But, I took another small clip and found out how to make a new preset using on render at Max and also choose NTSC DV widscreen...something like this but don't have the exact wording handy right now as I am on another computer, at 29.97 fram rate, 8.0 max bitrate,... it worked.  I am transcoding in Encore for my large 1.5 hour video using my new preset... I will let  you know how it goes.  I am also using another software for burning the dvds as Encore is too unstable to do it.  It will take nearly 10 hours to transcode.  Thanks again and I will be back with the results soon.

[Stan Jones]

Let us know. Also, make careful notes, if you can get to the settings, as to what settings you used. There are many options, and I worry that you are 90% there and will want to tweak, if not on this project, another in the future.

[KateMorgan]

Hi Stan,  Well, I did the same settings as the one I used for the short piece that worked but Encore would not transcode the longer video.  It would take around 17 hours then crash.  It looked like it was transcoding and the bars would show it was complete..and then the computer would shut down and restart. I have  a Dell i7 with 12g memory, with 9 dedicated to Adobe and I  have done lots of one hour videos before without it crashing.  

I then did another video...a short 5 minute one from a completely different project using the same settings and it worked fine.   I am concluding that there is somethng about my large video that is wrong and Encore is unable to deal with it. I also cleared the cache but it didn't seem to make any difference.  I will still work on it though just to see if I eventually figure out what is going on with it. 

One thing that has been happening with CS6 on the files that do transcode, when I transcode and build an ISO image, it makes it into a zip file on my computer.  How odd.. I will have to see if there is a setting that is doing this.

[Stan Jones]

It would take around 17 hours then crash.

In the interest of my own sanity, I'm going to pretend that you omitted a decimel between the one and the seven. Otherwise, I'D feel  your pain!

One thing that has been happening with CS6 on the files that do transcode, when I transcode and build an ISO image, it makes it into a zip file on my computer.

That makes no sense. How would that happen without the intervention of some other program operating in the background.

[KateMorgan]

Even with a fast computer with lots of memory, CS6 Encore takes huge amounts of time to transcode anything.  It was 17 hours for an hour long video.  In CS5.5 it was much faster.  CS6 Encore and PP have a lot of issues that were not present in CS5.5.

I have to check my winzip program.  I never set it to do anything except unzip large files sent via email.  I have no idea why this happens.  Oh well. I am hope to get this figured out eventually.

[KateMorgan]

I have to give up on this one but I have one more question that might be the reason for this problem. 

The original PPro video file was around 2.5 hours long, too long for a good quality DVD.  The video is a two set live performance so I made two "copies" of the main video and saved to another folder.  This was done as I didn't want to use a dual layer DVD.

The first copy I named "set 1" and deleted the clips in the timeline that I did not need (this video is now 1hour 8 minutes long)....and did a similar edit on the second copy that I named "set 2".  I did not remove the assets in the project window that were not being used in each copy. 

When I send "set 1" to Encore through the Dynamic Link it comes through as the 1 hour 8 minute video.  When transcoded using the automatic setting (I always used this with previous projects without any issues) the video quality is very poor.... as if it was trying to transcode a video too large for a DVD.  I was wondering if Encore was somehow seeing the entire video in the background somehow?

Or should I remove the assets  not used in each PP project (they are just my AVCHD files) .  I was nervouse about deleting anythng there just in case they are linked to the other copy which uses them.

I might be way out in left field here but I am running out of hair to  pull out over this.

[Stan Jones]

I just nest the original sequence in a new sequence, and shorten the sequence there.

In any event, you don't need new/different PR projects, just sequences.

You can pull the dynamic linked sequence from EN.

I don't think unused media is an issue, unless you left a stray clip way out at the end of the new sequence. This would show in the length of the timeline in EN.

[KateMorgan]

Stan... this will certainly make my work easier.  Thanks!

[KateMorgan]

Well.. I have tried everything.  What is happening is I cannot make a DVD or ISO at all.  It goes through the transcoding process, it takes up to 17 hours, it seems to get to the end, although I am not there to see it, and then my computer crashes.  I have tons of space on my hardrive as I set up this computer to do this sort of work and handle the load.  So its not the hardware.  Should I uninstall Encore and reinstall it?  I don't want to do this if you feel its uncessary.

I have seen a previouse issue here with the program crashing at the end of a transcode but the fellow never got back to  you with any more information.

Could a clip become corrupted somehow and cause the project to crash at a certain point?

[Stan Jones]

I have not reviewed the thread: are you transcoding as part of the build, or using "transcode now." Are you sure it is the transcode that crashes and not the build. If you are still trying dynamic link, don't.

Yes, clips/projects can get corrupt and can cause various problems.

Create a new small test project. One menu, one timeline, with an asset that takes only a few minutes to transcode. If that all works, I'd troubleshoot further before reinstalling. But I would not rule out a need to reinstall.

[KateMorgan]

I can only assume it is during the build as its near the very end.  I have not done the "transcode only".  That would rule it out if it does not crash.  I might try this after I try your suggestion.

I am leaning on the idea of a corrupted file that is causing the crashing.  I wonder if the corrupted files (if this was the case) would effect the quality of the DVD (very pixelated)?

Back soon with results.... hopefully better ones. 🙂

[KateMorgan]

Okay, I contacted Adobe help and we uninstalled all of my Adobe software with a clean from Adobe and reinstalled Adobe CS6 Master Suite.  It also installed all of my past Adobe software.  I am now attempting to transcode, once again, in Encore CS6 the same files to see if it was a conflict between the software in the past or my file.

It is still transcoding but my i7 Quad Core is very hot, temp wise.  It is roaring along using all 8 CPU cores at 100%.  Its not using all of the memory as I have lots.  Is it reasonable that Adobe should be using up all of my cores.  I thought Adobe 64 bit software was supposed to be efficient.  Can you tell me what is going on????

[Stan Jones]

Take a look at the Premiere hardware forum.

I like using the PPBM benchmark to see if there are issues in my hardware.

Some transcodes can certainly be processor intensive.