Any thoughts on Adobe Encore DVD

[busterw]

Does anybody here have experience with Adobe Encore DVD? If so, how did you like it, what are it's pros and cons and what features does it havce common to the most popular app?

Thanks!

[lordsmurf]

This board doesn't allow words that filthy to be used.

[troyvcd1]

I think it seems pretty good. There does seem to be a huge learning curve in that you almost have to learn adobe photoshop good before you start using adobe encore. It does seem like it is able to make professional dvds in that it supports dual layer dvds and the ability to put macro protection on your dvds. I have not used it yet but hope to when I have the time to learn it. For now I just use simple dvdlab.

[rallynavvie]

It's buggy as hell, but after using it primarily for the last couple months I'm starting to like it. After a while you figure out what not to do to make it crash and go at things differently. This new method is not necessarily longer or more complex, just different. It doesn't accept too many different formats to be imported as assets but if you've got the proper encoders (TMPGEnc and an audio encoder) you should be fine.

It's sort of true that it helps to know Photoshop pretty well. When you create a simple menu in PS and import it into Encore to make into a menu with buttons and subpictures you can edit it via PS again for more advanced features. The trick is you need to know how to work with layers really well because Encore adds naming conventions to the layers you have to be mindful of. After you get the hang of this you can make motion thumbnail buttons without the need for AfterEffects.

The integration with Premiere and AfterEffects is also nice since I work in those a lot. For instance when you have a project in Premiere with marks for chapters it will allow those to be imported so you don't have to reset chapter points after all that editing you did in Premiere. AfterEffects doesn't have so much integration, it's just pretty much there for motion menu creation and the like.

A lot of people here tried it and stopped after their first few crashes. Makes me think they don't remember the days of old Windows releases

[Curt]

I just bought it about 3 weeks ago, and imported and burned my first DVD about a week later. It's layout is not very intuitive. I did a lot of reading to accomplish things that are simple in other programs, but did a nice job on my DVD. I really wanted it for the copy protection features it offers, and the integration with Premiere. It will also export directly to DLT for mastering. It will probably be a long time before I understand the finer points of the program, but initially, I like it.

Curt

[Skynet107]

Encore is the biggest piece of crap Adobe has ever made. Seriously.

[alenhard]

It's good software and lets you do pretty much whatever you want. Funny that the negative responses offer no reason as to why they were unable to have success with the program. It does have a learning curve but its the exact same stuff you do in photoshop or premiere. The integration between these products is amazing. I believe there is a trial on the adobe website.

[mec_modifier]

Encore...I see we have said it is both a good program and a smelly turd. I have been using it at work for a few weeks now, and my first impression is that it is overly complicated, even by Adobe standards. I am a quick learner, and mostly self taught, from messing around with the programs...this is the first Adobe program I have had to buy additional literature on. I will say this--I like that Encore has the Macrovision and other Copy Protection features, and I like the fact that you can make the DVD the way you want it, without the preset templates you see in programs like MyDVD. The best part, in my opinion, is the integration with the Adobe Video Suite: Premiere, Photoshop, After Effects. I especially like making my own menus in PS...

Adobe has a long way to go, however. I think current USD Retail Value is $699...at this point, it might be prudent to save your hard earned green and wait for the next version to come out...at the rate Adobe is cranking out upgrades, this should be about a year or even less. Encore has the makings of an excellent program, but at the moment only real die-hard Adobe freaks are going to have the patience to trod through the layout.

For the record...I haven't experienced any crashes personally with Encore.

[rallynavvie]

I believe it's $499 USD. The best way to get it is to purchase it as part of the video collection. Encore, AfterEffects, Premiere, and Audition all for $800 (or throw in Photoshop and an upgrade to AE Pro for $1200). This is what I did and it was one of the best $1000+ I've spent on myself.

Since I posted in this thread last I've created roughly 3 more DVDs with Encore. I haven't had any more crashes and customized it a bit more. I'm starting to get better at making menus in Photoshop and that's really been able to make my creations look great. All I need in a DVD authiring app is to be able to import videos and menus to assemble and burn to disc and so far Encore has done that wonderfully.

[Force_Master]

well.
Can anyone tell me why
1. Encore is to da** slow.
2. it wont support more than 250 lines of subtitles.
3. ?

Rgds
Force_Master

[troyvcd1]

I am beginning to change my somewhat positive comments to somewhat negative. I think that the only reason to use this program is so that you will know how to use it when 2.0 comes out. This program always freezes up my computer and I got winxp sp1. Also it does not support half d1 resolution files NTSC 352x480. Dvd lab accepts these files with no problems and they play perfectly on my dvd player. I can not use encore because my vcr transfer files are 352x480.

[berserker1967]

I love the potential of this program but the g** d***, fu***** dvd -1 error is such a pain in the a**. I made my first dvd in about a week. It took me that long to learn to do everything. It came out awesome. Then I made another dvd in about 3 to 4 hours after learning how to do everything. It looked awesome in the preview then I went to make it and I get the error -1 error. I have tried many different things to fix it to no luck. I am very frustrated with the program right now. I spent a lot of time to learn it and I now will have to find another program to do what I want and learn it. If adobe gets all the bugs out of it, it will be great but right now, it is a big turd with corn kernals in it.

[DJ_Izumi]

I've found DVD-Lab to be both powerfull and simple to use for the end users. However, while they claim it's not over simple or 'designed for children' it seems to be pretty anal retentive about DVD standards, it won't give you a chance to say 'Mwa ha! Screw the standards and do it agian! Okay Mr. DVD player, lets see if this'll make you catch fire. Ah ha ha ha ha!' or... something to that end. It also has some base limitations, including support for only one audio channel... currently.

I'm using their Beta of 1.4, I think this program will go somewhere... eventually.

[solidhound]

has anyone made a menu with motion buttons in adobe dvd? if so, y is it that when i load the dvd into my ps2 and DVD player..the motion buttons do not react at all to them. they do not highlight whatsoever but i can tell where i am since i know how i designed where it would go since i designed the pattern. if anyone can help me with this problem please respond back with tips.

[DVO]

I'm a bit dissapointed on the interface. I expected it to be more simple, user friedly. It doesn't feel fun to work with, I hoped to have a graphic overview like in ReelDVD and DVD-Lab. But it does everything I expected. I get annoyed on linking everything. Maybe there are some settings I haven't found yet to get it done more easily like in VCD Easy the linking is done in order of import. For me I would choose ReelDVD over Encore today. Encore can do more but I don't need all the features (yet ).

[leebo]

troyvcd1,

Try running DVD Patcher on your half D1 files b4 importing then into Encore.

[Paul_W]

I keep hearing about crashing and other instability problems. I haven't had any of those problems over the past few weeks that I've been using the program. It is not intuitive. It does allow a lot of flexibility in terms of doing a DVD exactly like you want it. It is expensive. (Hint...Buy the educational version at a fraction of the price if you are a student or a parent of one.)

Of the half dozen authoring programs that I have tried, none have met all of my expectations. Encore comes closest than most though.

[rallynavvie]

I've only had problems when I started using it. I haven't had those problems in the last couple months now. Like any program you have t learn what it likes and doesn't like. I used Maestro once upon a time and even that had occasional crashes from file formats it didn't like to use (and yes, the dongle was attached ).

[lordsmurf]

troyvcd1,

Try running DVD Patcher on your half D1 files b4 importing then into Encore.

Does this actually work? If so, that may breathe new life into my use of the program.

[berserker1967]

troyvcd1,

Try running DVD Patcher on your half D1 files b4 importing then into Encore.

This man is a genuis. I was getting the -1 error and I ran my mpegs through dvd patcher and this fixed it! Two projects fixed so far. I know you suggested it for another problem but it solved mine as well! I love encore now! Thank you so much!

[leebo]

This man is a genuis. I was getting the -1 error and I ran my mpegs through dvd patcher and this fixed it! Two projects fixed so far. I know you suggested it for another problem but it solved mine as well! I love encore now! Thank you so much!

I don't mean this as a put down (except of myself), but I can see that you've only posted 5 times here. You will soon learn that I am many things... but a genius isn't one of them.

Unless you were refering to whomever wrote DVD Patcher!

[rallynavvie]

As someone else posted in this forum the patch to Encore 1.0.1 is up at Adobe's website. The update handled these issues:

? Improvements have been made to eliminate the occurrence of "DVD Error -224" errors during the writing and/or erasing of DVD media.
• Several "DVD Error -19013" sources have been identified and fixed.
• An "Unknown Error (DVD Error -1)" that occurred when writing to DVD after adding video and audio to a motion menu no longer happens.
• A "DVD Error -1" that could occur if you repositioned chapter points on a timeline containing still images no longer happens.
• Several "Abnormal Condition" errors have been identified and fixed.
• A runtime error that sometimes occurred when saving on a hyperthreading system no longer happens.
• Projects containing pasted subtitle clips no longer cause the error "EditOnDisc — disc in inconsistent state. (DVD Error -31000)" when written to DVD.
• Timecode values greater than one hour are now calculated correctly.
• Duplicated timelines now also include subtitle tracks.
• Subtitle text attributes are now maintained when pasted into a new subtitle clip.
• If a DVD is stopped, you no longer have to eject it to start playback again: Hitting the Play button after a complete stop will now correctly begin playback at the first title on the DVD.
• Duplicating a rendered menu with animated buttons no longer causes the error "Stream requested does not exist. (DVD Error -19803)" when you build a DVD.
• The error "End of file (DVD Error -16072)" no longer occurs when you build a DVD after unchecking Animate Buttons on a menu that has audio.
• Motion menus have had several improvements.
• Working with MPEG files in timelines has been improved.
• CSS and Macrovision settings are now cleared when you set CGMS to "Unlimited copies are allowed" in the Project Settings dialog box.

[vfx_man]

I've been using Adobe Encore for a few weeks now, and I have to say that overall I am very pleased. It has allowed me to put together a very custom dvd with cool menus and whatnot. I have not experienced a lot of the troubles that other users have been going through. Although, I think most people are too quick to whine and cry that it sucks, cuz it doesn't. If you run into a problem, don't just say it's a bug, triple check what you are doing! In the process of editing in Premiere Pro and authoring in Encore, I have learned that there are so many things to be aware of in creating a successful dvd. One little error can screw other things up and cuz you to encounter weird error messages you hadn't seen before. You just gotta retrace your steps or talk to some of the geniuses in this forum. Usually you'll find that you've done something wrong, not the program.

Plus, Encore is only version 01, so again, quit your whining... I've used other programs like Pinnacle and various consumer cheap crap programs for authoring, and Encore is the best because of it's versitility and integration with Photoshop. The only thing I would change is to make it even more intergrated into Premiere Pro - maybe act like a plugin or something.

And I get a real laugh from people who complain about having to spend too much time learning a program. Isn't that what you do when you are getting into something for the first time? Ofcourse if you don't know Photoshop, you're gonna have troubles with Encore. But then why are you picking up Encore in the first place? Maybe you should stick with that cheap $30 dollar authoring thing you got at Best Buy or whenever.

Anyway, that's my rant... always good to talk to you guys...

vfx

[berserker1967]

I've been using Adobe Encore for a few weeks now, and I have to say that overall I am very pleased. It has allowed me to put together a very custom dvd with cool menus and whatnot. I have not experienced a lot of the troubles that other users have been going through. Although, I think most people are too quick to whine and cry that it sucks, cuz it doesn't. If you run into a problem, don't just say it's a bug, triple check what you are doing! In the process of editing in Premiere Pro and authoring in Encore, I have learned that there are so many things to be aware of in creating a successful dvd. One little error can screw other things up and cuz you to encounter weird error messages you hadn't seen before. You just gotta retrace your steps or talk to some of the geniuses in this forum. Usually you'll find that you've done something wrong, not the program.

Plus, Encore is only version 01, so again, quit your whining... I've used other programs like Pinnacle and various consumer cheap crap programs for authoring, and Encore is the best because of it's versitility and integration with Photoshop. The only thing I would change is to make it even more intergrated into Premiere Pro - maybe act like a plugin or something.

And I get a real laugh from people who complain about having to spend too much time learning a program. Isn't that what you do when you are getting into something for the first time? Ofcourse if you don't know Photoshop, you're gonna have troubles with Encore. But then why are you picking up Encore in the first place? Maybe you should stick with that cheap $30 dollar authoring thing you got at Best Buy or whenever.

Anyway, that's my rant... always good to talk to you guys...

vfx

wait just a minute. don't sit here and call people whiners for paying $600 for a bug ridden piece of software. adobe needs to do better beta testing before sending out crap. as far as you telling people to quit whining, stfu!
who made you a damn expert. people come here to get answers to problems and to learn not to have some putz such as yourself call them names.

[PolarBearWY]

I have had no problems with bugs in Encore yet. I have created several Music Albums on DVD (40-60 CDs each) with full menus, track listings, cover art, etc. I have also burned a few DVDs of Simpsons episodes I captured, again with plenty of menus. I never found it difficult to use, but maybe that's because I have used Photoshop in the past... not extensively, but some.

I recently coupled it with Adobe Premier Pro 7, and think the combo is AWESOME! My only complaint is Smurf's complaint. No support for 352x480, but I'm getting ready to check into DVD-Patcher or whatever that was that has been mentioned several times. We'll see.

[rallynavvie]

There was some whining going on. I still think Encore is a deal at $500 when comparing it to other "pro" authoring apps like Maestro and Scenarist. As a prosumer I can't afford those big titles (as well as the stupid proprietary hardware required to run them) so Encore was a great deal. I had no reservations about buying it as part of their video bundle. I think that would have been the safer bet if you were buying it anyway as the other software bundled with it is well worth the money (Premiere, Photoshop, After Effects, and Audition).

[lordsmurf]

Encore is not a deal at all. An authoring program that ignores more than half the DVD spec is a piece of garbage in my book, and it lets simple programs like TMPGEnc DVD Author outperform it as far as the DVD spec goes. With alternatives like ReelDVD and quite a few others (just look in the tools section), Encore falls flat on it's butt. It is bugware, at least as compared to other packages. It has too many limitations, and deserves all of its negative feedback.

[rallynavvie]

Please enlighten us as to the limitations it places on the DVD specs. I'm sure many will want to know details rather than a general statement such as that. The only limitation I know of (so far) is that it won't accept half-D1 res. Beyond that there hasn't been anything I can't do in Encore that I could do with Maestro

[leebo]

The only limitation I know of (so far) is that it won't accept half-D1 res.

I'll bet after running your half D1 files through DVD Patcher it will. It'll be a while b4 I can test it myself though.

[FT Shark]

It only accepts 720x480 and 702x480 and that’s it. There are many DVD compliant resolutions that it will not accept. For example 352X240 even though it is the VCD standard resolution it still is considered a standard DVD resolution. Not to mention 1/2D-1, which is 352x480, is not accepted either. There are a number of others as well.