Why does Encore create (and play) two different menu streams?

[Asterra]

This is frustrating. All I want to do is have Encore generate a disc which plays my motion menu and turns the buttons on after about six seconds.

What Encore is doing is creating two separate menu streams: One with the menu in full, and another which begins six seconds into the menu, where the buttons are supposed to turn on.

I wouldn't have much of a problem with this waste, were it not for the fact that when the menu actually plays from disc, it switches to the shorter menu stream once it reaches six seconds and the buttons turn on. The consequences of this are what you'd expect: The video pauses for a second while the player (PS3 in this case) gets its bearings. The PS3 also brings up the little "play" triangle in the lower-left corner, indicating that it has begun a new video.

Now.. I have made quite a number of DVDs in the past (using other disc authoring apps), all of which used motion menus. DVDs can play a single menu stream, turn on buttons after a few seconds, and loop, all without having to create a second stream just to achieve the effect.

What is going on with Encore, here? HOW can I keep this from happening? This ruins the menu.

*I should mention that I am building a Blu-ray disc. However, as Encore uses the same exact process for both DVD and Blu-ray builds (and can switch between the two with theoretical ease), I believe this issue is still applicable. The point is that I have no choice but to use Encore.

[poisondeathray]

I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say by "two separate menu streams"?...are you saying there is a 2nd submenu generated?

Are you using CS4?

Did you set a loop point @ 6 seconds? It's under the motion menu settings

[Asterra]

Encore takes my assets for the menu (an audio and video file), and when building the disc, it creates two separate menu streams, as can be verified by taking a look inside the STREAMS directory if the disc is built as folders. It does not create two separate menus.

The two separate streams differ in size and length. They can be played directly from the STREAMS directory with Windows Media Player, to investigate their content. One stream (let's call it stream #1) is the complete menu animation. The other, shorter stream (#2) begins where the menu's buttons are meant to turn on (the loop point). Stream #2 is missing all of the video/audio which came before the loop point.

In my case, I have the loop point at six seconds. When the built disc is played, here is what happens. The first six seconds of stream #1 plays. Then this gets interrupted by stream #2, which takes over and plays in full. And as I mentioned previously, this means the menu does not play seamlessly, but is instead visibly interrupted when the buttons make their appearance.

This is CS4. Yes, the loop point is at 6 seconds. If there are any points which need clarification / repeating, please ask.