MPEG2-DVD Export Problem Pr Version 23.0.0 Build (63)

[adamb81386915]

I am attempting to author a DVD. Begin on Pr by clicking from Edit to Export. The Export screen looks fine, nice and sharp. Then change the output Format to MPEG2-DVD and the Export screen becomes out of focus and the resulting video file is also out of focus. Is this a bug that has been introduced to the export function?

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Adam,

Sorry for the frustrating issue. I have not heard of this issue. Can you give us more details about your system and media so we can try to reproduce the issue? Here are the details: How do I write a bug report?

Thanks,
Kevin

[adamb81386915]

I really don't have time to write a bug report. I would like you to write the bug report. Currently Pr version 23 still produces a an unusable MPEG2-DVD file while version 22 produces a usuable MPEG2-DVD file. I do not want to an older version of Pr because I will never know when the bug is fixed. The pictures below show V23 setup to export an H.264 file (very clear), V22 setup to export a MPEG2-DVD file (clear enough), and V23 setup to export a MPEG2-DVD file (lousy). Please do something about this bug since it has not been fixed in subsequent updates.

[Averdahl]

The pictures below show V23 setup to export an H.264 file (very clear)

By @adamb81386915

NTSC DVD is 720x480, the Pixel Aspec Ratio (PAR) has been changed so you cannot just compare a 4K H.264 file with a DVD-file. In short, going from 4K to DVD will always look really bad.

To use V22 you can install Adobe Media Encoder 22.6.3. Export from Premiere Pro 2023 as a Apple ProRes file and use that file in Adobe Media Encoder 22.6.3 and encode it to MPEG2-DVD. That´s one way how you can work around the issue. 

[Stan Jones]

adam,

Getting a decent DVD from 4K material is always a challenge.

First, I just don't see the difference in my test of creating MPEG-DVD from 4K in PR/AME 2022 vs 2023. Comparing export preview options is tricky. So I recommend that you export a short sample from each PR version, and compare those. Note that your last screenshot of the 2023 export started with a 1080 sequence.

To test, I exported a file from each and compared them. I exported from AME because I like the controls better than from the export mode in PR. 

I set each export to MPEG-DVD, 23.976 (because that is what my sample clip was), NTSC Progressive Wide. I left "quality" at the default 75. I set the bitrate to CBR 8, to max the quality for this purpose.

I placed both of the resulting m2v files on a timeline in PR, and applied a "Difference" blending mode to the top one. All black, which means that they are identical. (There are flaws in that method, but not for this purpose.)

To test further, I dropped the bit rate in the export from AME 2023 to CBR 2. The difference mode does show differences, but they are minimal.

My sample is simple, and not the best to be a robust test. So let us know what you find.

Stan

[adamb81386915]

I found out what the problem is from your note. It has nothing to do with Pr V23. A 4K sequence cannot export a good MPEG2-DVD file but a 2K sequence can export a good MPEG2-DVD file. Since I built my new PC I decided to use a 4K sequence to edit my multi camera projects. One camcorder is 4K and other 2 camcorders are 2K. In the past I would put all my 3 video files in a 2K sequence, edit and Export a MPEG2-DVD file with no problem. I shoot theater plays mostly and the customers need DVD to sell. The quality is not so good but we found we cannot sell downloads - too easy to cheat. Not realizing that a 4K sequence Exports an even worse MPEG2-DVD file I didn't know what to blame. Do you think it ia abug that a 4K sequence Exports a worst MPEG2-DVD file than a 2K sequence?

[Averdahl]

One camcorder is 4K and other 2 camcorders are 2K. In the past I would put all my 3 video files in a 2K sequence, edit and Export a MPEG2-DVD file with no problem.

By @adamb81386915

If you place a 2K clip on a 4K timeline you must scale up the 2K clip to fit the 4K frame. During export you are scaling down the upscaled footage. So you first scale up 2K to 4K when editing and then scale down to 720x480 when exporting.

Scaling up and then scaling down will give bad results. As you have discovered you get better quality if you edit everything in a 2K timeline and the reason is the lack of scaling up > scaling down. All scaling will give a quality hit. Scaling up and then scaling down will give you a big quality hit.

If you edit in a 4K timeline and only use 4K footage, does it look worse when exporting than the same footage downscaled in a 2K timeline?

[Warren Heaton]

Try separating the down-conversion to 480 from 2160 from encoding to MPEG2.

That is, export a high quality intermediate 480 movie (ProRes LT is a great choice, but anything DV-NTSC or better). Check the picture quality.  Then encode that to MPEG2 at s high picture quality MPEG2 bitrate setting.

[adamb81386915]

[adamb81386915]

I have a really big problem because the only way I can distribute this project is on DVD and customers are expecting DVD immediately. I can create a really good MPG2-DVD file and use Encore to write the DVD. The work around is to make a MPG video file and let Encore create the files and write them to a DVD. Encore procuces a very pixelated DVD.

[adamb81386915]

I hope to have saved the day by re-installing the previous Pr version and that does seem to work with the MPG2-DVD version.