Exporting from Premiere Pro for DVDAS

[Peru]

Ok, so I raided the piggy bank and got the Premiere Pro CS4 upgrade from Pre El 3. (More discussion to follow in the Water Cooler about how happy I am with it! )

I don't have time now to learn Encore, so I will be using DVDAS.

What is the best option to export files from Premiere Pro for use in DVDAS for a SD widescreen project?

[Steve Grisetti]

Export your video from Premiere as a DVD quality widescreen MPEG2. That's the best way to do it, since it won't require DVD Architect to do any additional rendering.

As an alternative, you can just export your video from Premiere as a widescreen DV-AVI. DVD Architect can also transcode and compress it for you as a DVD file, although it will take a bit longer.

[Peru]

Thanks Steve.

I noticed that Pro exports with single pass for mpeg, while Elements has an option for two pass.
Would there be any difference in quality?

I didn't expect any answers tonight, considering it's Super Bowl day.
Well, halftime is almost over...

[Chuck Engels]

I think you will find multiple options for exporting MPEG with the Adobe Media Encoder Peru.
There are many presets and you can use the advanced options to create your own preset too.

[Steve Grisetti]

Which would you recommend for a DVD quality MPEG, Chuck?

[Chuck Engels]

I don't have Premiere Pro on my work laptop, will have to check when I get home.
There is an option for DVD Mpeg or some similar name, I'm sure of it. There are tons of options to choose from in the Adobe Media Encoder.

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

I think you may be looking for the MPEG2-DVD format; there are a number of either NTSC or PAL presets that use that format in Adobe's Media Encoder.

[Chuck Engels]

I would pick MPEG2-DVD
http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/Premier ... 35606.html

[Peru]

Thanks, guys.
I'll go with MPEG2-DVD.

[Bobby]

Sorry to be a late-comer to this thread, but I think AVI is the way to go.

The issue for me was placement of menu markers. DVDAS can only place a menu marker on an i-frame, so if you use MPEG and don't specifically pick an i-frame for your menu markers it will just to the nearest one and may not pick the place you wish.

Since there are no i-frames in AVI (or are all i-frames, take your pick), you can place the marker anywhere.

I know there was a prior discussion about this in another thread, but can't find it.

[Chuck Engels]

That's a good point Bobby. And actually AVI is less compressed than MPEG so the quality should be better anyway. Then let DVDAS do the conversion to MPEG when it burns the DVD, sounds like a great plan to me.

[Peru]

Sorry to be a late-comer to this thread, but I think AVI is the way to go.

AVI or DV AVI?

[Bob]

And actually AVI is less compressed than MPEG so the quality should be better anyway.

Huh!?

Think about it a moment. You can output to avi and let DVDAS transcode it to MPEG2-DVD or you can output to MPEG2-DVD and DVDAS will use it as is. Your starting point is the same and your ending point is the same. Output to MPEG2-DVD and you have one recompression, output to avi and you have two recompressions. Both codecs are lossy and you will lose a little with each recompression. So, the avi output route is technically less quality.

Just playing devil's advocate. In practice, the difference is going to be slight and probably not noticible to most people.

The compelling benefit of avi is that it is all I frames and, as Bobby points out, you can precisely place the menu markers where you want them. If that is important to you, then use avi. Of course, if you output each scene as a separate MPEG2-DVD, the first frame of each will be an I frame...

AVI or DV AVI?

DV AVI.

[Steve Grisetti]

I still prefer DVD quality MPEGs as my format for sending files to DVD Architect.

Yes, as Bobby says, if you add scene markers, you do need to place them on iFrames. However, the program will clearly indicate if you're not on an iFrame and, after a slight nudge, it will give you a thumbs-up when you're where you need to be.

Though, ultimately, it doesn't make all that much difference. The results will be terrific either way! MPEGs are just more compact, easier to work with and greatly reduce the amount of time it takes DVD Architect to spit out your DVD.

[Bobby]

...However, the program will clearly indicate if you're not on an iFrame and, after a slight nudge, it will give you a thumbs-up when you're where you need to be...

True. But I guess it depends on how far apart the i-frames are (can be set?). In my case, I looked at the placement of the menu marker position literally frame-by-frame, and the i-frame just was never in the right place. Perhaps I am being fussy.

I noticed it particularly if I had a fade-in / fade-out where I wanted the marker. I wanted it right where the minimum intensity was between the two (original) clips.