Very poor video quality after transcoding in Adobe Encore CS5.1

[Guest]

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I have very poor video quality after transcoding the video file (MPEG) in  Adobe Encore CS5.1. Below you see my used settings in my filmproject.

The problem exists after transcoding in Adobe Encore CS5.1. I checked all steps and found out that there is no problem until transcoding. My exported file  in MPEG has very good video and audio quality.

Facts:

1. Camcorder: Panasonic AG-AC160AEJ

Operating System : Windows 7, 64 Bit, Ultimate edition

Source files: MTS files

Recording settings (clip settings):

Type: MPEG Movie

Image Size: 1920 x 1080

Frame Rate: 25,00

Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - compressed - Stereo

Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - Stereo

Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1,0

2. Sequence settings in Premiere Pro

Sequence was created from Clip directly with settings above.

3. Exporting settings in Adobe Premiere Pro:

Match sequence settings was activated. Now other changes were set.

4. Exported File:

Video

Image Size: 1920 x 1080

Data Transfer Rate: 25920 kBit / s

Frame rate: 25

Audio:

Bit rate: 384 kBit / s

Channels: 2 (stereo)

Frequence: 48 kHz

5. Transcoding settings in Adobe Encore:

I used different transcoding settings such as automatic DVD Transcoding, CBR and VBR.I also set “use maximum render quality”. But all results were always the same: very poor quality.

Why does the encore transcoding cause such bad video quality?

How can I solve this problem?

Please help me soon.

Best regards.

[Ann Bens]

OK, what is the solution?

DVD is 720x576 you cannot change that. It has nothing to do with Encore. That is just how dvd's are made.

If you want the quality you got with you match sequence setting you will have to make a BluRay disk and forget all about DVD.

[Stan Jones]

Ann, if I look at this in VLC player and turn deinterlace on, the combing appearance is gone; looks much better. I can't burn a test disk at the moment. I can see the combing even in the original; is this an artifact of viewing via VLC or ?

[Ann Bens]

I am unable to open the two links in post 10.

[Stan Jones]

I did a save target as.

[Ann Bens]

The first link does not let me download.

I managed to get the second one.

But this is a mpeg in hd resolution. Cannot comment on the Quality as i never make these and besides thery are not suited for intermediare file.

I like to see the original straight from the camera.

[Guest]

Hi Ann,

the exported MPEG file (Match Sequence Settings) are available now in the link

http://www.klavierlehrer-bayern.de/download/test_MatchSequenceSettings.mpeg

Regards

[Ann Bens]

I managed to download this file already.

I was referring to the mpeg2-dvd.

Is it possible to upload the original.

[Guest]

Hi Ann,

I uploaded a part of the original recording file (.MTS, about 93 MB). You can download it from

http://www.klavierlehrer-bayern.de/download/2012_Weihnachtsmusikcal_Schule_13-12_1.MTS

Regards

Claudia

[Guest]

Hi Ann,

the links are no more available. I deleted all on the server.

regards

[Guest]

Hi Ann,

I think the industry has forgotten the billions DVD user in the world.

Regards

[Stan Jones]

>> Encore must reduce it to 720 x 576.

OK, what is the solution?

Ann has pointed to the solution a couple different ways. Export from Premiere as a file that does not require Encore to retranscode it. Maximize your bitrate. Or dynamic link to Encore as automatic.

Judge the quality on an HD TV only from a butrned disk using an upscaling DVD player.

You are complicating this by exporting HD quality files and focusing on the different between HD and SD. We are having difficulty addressing the quality of specific files.

[Guest]

Hi Stan.

I tried many options, also Ann's suggestion.

Bad quality...

Regards

[Stan Jones]

I tried many options, also Ann's suggestion.

Bad quality...

What are you describing as "bad quality"? Other than the combing I am describing, your DVD sized piece (and the one I exported using your full pixel size download) are not "bad" for DVD quality.

You seemed to not understand the effect of keeping the full pixel resolution n the PR export, so I am not sure you are correctly assessing what you have.

Have you burned a disk and watched?

[Guest]

Hi STan,

>> Other than the combing I am describing, your DVD sized piece (and the one I exported using your full pixel size download)

>> are not "bad" for DVD quality.

How did you exported from Premiere Pro? Can you give me your settings please?

The problem is not only the poor quality of exported files, also (if needed) the transcoding in Encore.

>>... so I am not sure you are correctly assessing what you have. 

I think I described very transparently and very understandable the problem. Where have you got troubles in understanding about the problem? As I described and asked about a commercial software for HD to SD, only the tool "Imtoo Video Converter Ultimate" has  a little bit better result than other export methods which I tried (and I have tried lots of options!).

Regards

[Stan Jones]

How did you exported from Premiere Pro? Can you give me your settings please?

I simply used the MPEG2-DVD format and match attributes highest quality, and changed the bitrate to 8 CBR (knowing it was short). This produces m2v and wav files. I do not think it was significantly different from your similar export.

The problem is not only the poor quality of exported files, also (if needed) the transcoding in Encore.

The file should not require transcoding in Encore. I understand you were getting similar results to the exported files.

I think I described very transparently and very understandable the problem. Where have you got troubles in understanding about the problem?

You are only describing the quality in a general way: "poor" etc. For example, problems in quality may be pixelation (all versus with motion), blurry/lack of definition, etc.

[Ann Bens]

I agree with Stan.

Now that i have seen the original the mpeg2-dvd is not bad at all.

There is a lot of motion blur making the faces fuzzy, difficult to downscale.

Did you have the camera gain set to auto?

[Guest]

Hello Ann,

That was the first record mit Panasonic in HD. At the first time I wanted to set to auto. I'll make some changes in future for records.

Thank you very much for the suggestions of yours and others in the forum.

I wish you a happy new year!

Best Regards

Claudia

[Ann Bens]

You are most welcome.

Happy New Year to you to.

Ann

[Guest]

Hi Stan,

thank you for your settings information. I exported the same video with following settings:

Format: MPEG2-DVD

Preset: Custom

Frame Width: 720 pixels

Frame Height: 576 pixels

Frame Rate: 25 fps

Field Order: Upper

Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (1,458)

Render at Maximum Depth: [selected]

Bitrate Encoding: CBR

Bitrate: 8 Mbps

GOP Settings: M Frame:3, N Frame: 12

Use Maximum Render Quality: [selected]

Multiplexer: None

Audio: PCM

I could get a little bit better quality, but poorer than the quality of the tool "Imtoo HD Video Converter". Both results are not satisfied: pixelation in some fast or slow motion of objects, blury in weak lighting scenes.

If there is no other solution in PremierePro / Encore in this issue, or no other software solutions, I must accept it.

I will inform myself more about this problem.It is really a big problem for all HD to SD projects!

Regards

Claudia

[NinjaKillerproductions]

I Think I my have the answer.  In premiere pro cs6 I first export my project using these settings:

     Format: H.264

     Preset: NTSC_DV Widescreen

     Export Video and Export Audio both Selected

Then Under the Video tab I select

     Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 1 Pass

     Target Bitrate 11 or higher

     Max Bitrate     14

I then Queue it to media encoder.

Once the video is complete I then import it into Encore as an asset.

Then I highlight the asset and choose new timeline.  Once that is complete I set up my menu's and build the dvd.

Here are the setting I use prior to writing the Dvd

     Format:      DVD   

     Output:     DVD Disc

Write Speed is very important.  make sure your write speed is at the lowest setting you can set it.  Verbatim disc's are usually 6x

Then I click build

The video quality is good not great but no ruff edges to text or pixelated images.  very few artifacts.  but what do you expect from an encoder that works this quickly.  To get Hollywood quality you would need an encoder that takes days to encode

[Gangqinshou]

I follow the conversation till this point and I do share Aida-filmmaker's frustration because I have the same problem and have tried SO MANY solution suggested here as well as other platform. Meanwhile, I'm also trying to understand Ann and your feedback.

"You are complicating this by exporting HD quality files and focusing on the different between HD and SD. "

This statement starts to make sense to me after re-reading all the things Ann and you have said. So if I understand this correctly, you are saying that to get a good quality DVD from a HD quality source is almost impossible? I'm not quite sure if that's what you meant. So my question is.....why is DVD flick able to give a good quality DVD? I imported the same video (HD) and used DVD flick to downsize it into a DVD. I was able to get a pretty decent quality. By decent quality, I don't mean that it's exactly the same as what I got from Premiere output, but at least my eyes can't really tell much difference. I could have sticked to DVD flick and not mess around with Encore, but DVD flick does not give me the option to add menu and make chapters as the way I want. That's why I desperately want to make Encore work.

Thank you.

[Ann Bens]

You can get reasonable good DVD with Encore, but I cannot deny there are better encoders out there.

[Jim_Simon]

OK, what is the solution?

You have two options.

1. Live with the loss of quality on DVD

2. Create a Blu-ray instead, which keeps the original HD quality.

[Guest]

Hi Jim,

you mean that the people MUST have BluRay to get a good video quality?

How about with industry standard in business and consumer area?

Regards

[Jim_Simon]

you mean that the people MUST have BluRay to get a good video quality?

No, I mean you must have Blu-ray if you want all the quality of an HD original.  You just can't keep all that quality on DVD.  That's not to say DVD can't be excellent quality for DVD.  You just have to understand that even at it's absolute best, DVD will not be as good as HD.  That's why Blu-ray was invented.