What are you using instead of Encore?

[JRibb]

Just noticed that Encore/CS6 is no longer available for download. This really sucks because I have used it for many years and have some custom templates for quick turn-arounds.

The old help page: How to download and install Adobe Encore CS6

What are you using to create your menus and ISO's?

[moved to Encore forum, mod]

[Averdahl]

I bought a copy of TMPGEnc Authoring Works 6 and find it in some cases better than Encore. For quick simple projects it works great. For complex projects it can be a limitation due to the template driven menu creation.

I still use Photoshop to create menu backgrounds and use them in Authoring Works. I can create ISO´s as well.

If someone mention Magix DVD Architect be ware of that you cannot use H.264 as your source footage unless it comes from Magix Vegas. Apart from that it seems good, but the development is as close to EOL as EOL is...

[John T Smith]

alternatives https://www.videohelp.com/software/sections/authoring-bd-hd-dvd

[Warren Heaton]

DVD Studio Pro, but that’s what I’ve always used instead of Encore.

[Guest]

Encore is still there but in Adobe CS 6 Premiere (Which id still better than the latest versions due to stability)

[Richard M Knight]

Only if you have CS6 on discs, it is not available for download anymore.

[Stan Jones]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Richard+M+Knight  wrote

Only if you have CS6 on discs, it is not available for download anymore.

No guarantees, but I believe that support will eventually provide a link to download if you have a purchased serial number registered with them.

[Richard M Knight]

That's good the know.

[Peru Bob]

I use DVD Architect Studio.

[RjL190365]

As someone else stated, DVD Architect (any edition) will not accept H.264 files unless it's from Sony/Magix Vegas. It also does not produce H.264 Blu-ray discs or images that are fully Blu-ray compliant. So, if one has to export a Blu-ray, the only format that's deemed acceptable from DVD Architect is MPEG-2, which we all know produces lower-quality videos at larger file sizes (bit rates) than H.264.

[Ann Bens]

As RjL says DVD architect does not support H.264 BD compatible files from Premiere. Tried it.

And I dont like mpeg2 for BD.

Glad I have it on disk. Still make a few BD per year.

[Peru Bob]

I don't make BD, only DVD. My version of DVDAS is an old one and doesn't even do BD (version 4.5).

[RjL190365]

Perhaps you don't do much if any exporting in HD to disk? DVD only supports SD. That antiquated version of DVD Architect, IMHO, does not even support HD content whatsoever for imports, let alone exports. Thus, one must convert HD material to SD in another program before importing that into DVD Architect.

For the record, when Encore became no longer supported for the now-defunct CC-downloaded version, I will no longer export to disk until I can save up enough money to purchase an alternative authoring program ($100 USD is not that expensive, but it is more than I can justify spending at this time for it). As of now, I now only export my HD recordings to H.264 AVC and copy the resulting file(s) onto a USB flash drive or an SD or microSD card for viewing on a TV set that has such a port or slot. Most recent TV sets should have one and/or the other.

[Peru Bob]

RjL190365  wrote

Perhaps you don't do much if any exporting in HD to disk?

I edit in HD and export to mpeg2-DVD for DVDAS authoring.

If I need HD, I export to other settings, depending upon the intended player.

If I could find a program that would author to a flash drive, I would try that.

[Stan Jones]

Encore will author to flash, web structure. You can put on a USB drive. I have not tried playing through a TV web browser, only computer. Security settings require attention.

[Peru Bob]

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

I have not tried playing through a TV web browser, only computer.

I don't think TV recognizes menus from Encore on flash drives.

[RjL190365]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Peru+Bob  wrote

I don't think TV recognizes menus from Encore on flash drives.

In general, you cannot put a menu on a video that's meant for flash drives. That means that the ONLY way that one can play a video directly from a flash drive on a flash-drive-compatible TV would be to simply drag and drop a given video file directly onto a folder on the given flash drive. Menu-authored videos copied to flash drives still REQUIRE a Blu-ray player that's capable of reading authored flash drives.

[Stan Jones]

I agree that TVs will not play an Encore authored flash/web on usb or anything else. It is "possible" that a web browser running on a TV (android or whatever) "could" play such a program. I have not done it. And I suspect that flash is never enabled on such browser, so that it will not work.

I was just pointing out that you can play DVD style programs via USB on a computer.

It might take another app (I can't do it right now on a Surface), but I suspect you can screencast.

[TheBopper]

I've been searching for a week.  Which is how I ended up on this forum.  Being that it's now the end of 2021, are there any new contenders?

So far I've downloaded trial versions of:

Cyberlink Power Producer 6

Corel VideoStudio

DVDFab

Leawo Blu-Ray Creator

All of them restrict you from building entirely custom menu systems.  So the menus I worked in photosohop can't really be used with em.  The templates they provide give everything this really "cute", "made-at-home" look that I don't like.

[Stan Jones]

They don't post pricing, but Scenarist now has a subscription:

https://www.scenarist.com/scenarist-live/

Stan

[Averdahl]

They don't post pricing, but Scenarist now has a subscription:

https://www.scenarist.com/scenarist-live/

By @Stan Jones

No pricing on homepage+Web form with only requirements=Very expensive and individual users will not be accepted.

It´s free to see if they answer though. 🙂

[TheBopper]

I also came across scenarist.  And the fact that I couldn't find pricing also made me thinknthat the price would be ridiculous.

Currently in thr process of getting my 2008 Mac Pro from thr basement and hoping that Encore still works (assuming I didn't update the OS to a version that would make Encore stop working).

[Stan Jones]

Just keeping the list complete. lol.

@neil wilkes You still out there somewhere?

bopper, I hope your Encore still works!

Stan

[Michael Grenadier]

did get encore 6 to work on 2017 and 2012 macbook pros running HiSierra (if I'm remembering correctly) without any issues.  You will need a valid serial number for Premiere 6 to get it to work.  CC subscription does not cut the mustard...

Apple doesn't make it easy installing earlier "outdated" versions of the OS, but I'm a persistent cuss and figured it out.   It's all out there on the internet if you're a persistent googler.  but if anyone needs help with this issue, post back and I'll try to help.

Did a lot of research and testing alternative on mac and windows and they all sucked...  Did some research on Scenarist and sent them a query on pricing and got this answer back in April

"Scenarist BD and Scenarist SD for $249/month."  which is ridiculous... but thought if necessary,  I'd have to bite the bullet for a month or 2.   They didn't say anything about not accepting a "private" user, whatever that means.    Luckily, my client is in the process of negotiating a deal with a distributor who will be doing the authoring...

[Averdahl]

...They didn't say anything about not accepting a "private" user, whatever that means.

By @Michael Grenadier

For the lack of a better word when i wrote it, the word private was meant to mean individuals. Such as, they offer subscriptions for companies but not for individuals, a.k.a John Doe's.

I have been in contact with companies that refuse to sell to individuals, only to companies.