Blu-Ray project and Encore CS3

[Chuck Engels]

I am having trouble with Chapter Markers in a Encore Blu-Ray project.

There are 4 markers on one timeline, marker 1 at the beginning and then 3 others.
When I preview the menu and select this part of the movie it starts at chapter 1, when I press the next chapter button in jumps to number 2 for a split second then continues where it left off on chapter 1. If I press the next chapter button again it jumps to chapter 3 for a split second then continues where it left off on chapter 1. This happens again for chapter 4 and then if I press next chapter again it actually jumps to the next clip which is a totally different timeline.

This does not happen with a standard definition project of the exact same movie, so could this be some kind of bug?

Any help is appreciated

[Paul LS]

Cant help with Encore I'm afraid Chuck.

[jackfalbey]

I haven't done any Encore work with Blu-Ray yet, Chuck, but I always get messed up with the chapter markers in my SD projects. I think I've watched the Lynda.com tutorial on chapter markers at least a dozen times! Anyway, remember that the chapter "button" is the one that has to have the Override set properly; I always forget that and set the override on the chapter timeline, which of course makes my menus behave erratically. Hope this helps!

[Chuck Engels]

Thanks Jack, I never have made any changes to the default Override but maybe I need to with this one.
I will check it out tonight and see if that makes a difference

Plus, I will probably go watch the tutorials myself, it sounds like there is plenty to learn.

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

I have had this problem and it took a while for the penny to drop with me (is that an 'international' saying? ) and that was when I realised that there are two levels of settings in Encore - the 'Play all' function, which operates on those clips that have been linked in a daisy chain fashion and the 'override' function which operates at the level of each clip (does that make sense?).

My DVD production process, which is a 'belt and braces' approach, is that whatever the DVD type I am trying to create, I always use the 'Check Project' and 'Preview/End Action' functions before burning to re-writable media and carrying out a final check on my DVD/TV. Once I am happy with everything then I write the final disc. A production process that is a bit long winded but it does ensure that my customers are happy (and the extra time costs are included in my pricing).

[Chuck Engels]

Thanks for the info John

I am using re-writeable Blu-Ray discs so that will help. It is a good thing that Encore is really good about not burning a disc if there are any errors at all or if there is not enough space, no coasters

It seems that even though the chapters do not work correctly in the Encore Preview they do work correctly when the disc is played in Power DVD Ultra 8, that is a relief.

The next Hi Def project will be a whole lot easier now that I have some of the problems out of the way.

[jackfalbey]

Slightly o/t, I came across this interesting article http://digitalcontentproducer.com/workf ... ray_blues/ about the issues concerning Blu-Ray duplication and licensing.

[Bill Hunt]

Chuck,

This sounds like an End Action problem. Let me restate the layout of your Menu and Project, to make sure that I have it all correct:

Project: 1 Timeline with your Video and Audio. Four (4) Chapter Markers on that Timeline. Scene Selection Menu with four (4) Buttons, each going to a different Chapter on your Timeline.
OK, so far?

You’ve got Button 1 linked to Chapter 1, and so on. What is the End Action, for the Chapter Marker? Should be either Return to Last Menu, or directly linked to the Menu of choice (in your case, with one Menu, it would be the same as “Last Menu.”) Overrides should be Not Set. For the Buttons (Properties Panel) End Action should be Not Set, and Overrides should be Not Set. Your Timeline also does not need an End Action (Not Set), as your Chapter 4 Marker will have the same End Action - Return to Last Menu. I would guess that you have End Actions for both the Chapter Markers and the Buttons. Remember, all Overrides (Buttons, Chapter Markers, Timeline) must be Not Set.

You did not mention a Play All, but this is best handled with a Playlist, linking to your Timeline and it’s End Action should be Return to Last Menu.

When you do a Check Project, you’ll get notification that the Timeline’s End Action is Not Set. This is for information only, and is not necessary, because of your Chapter 4 Marker.

Now, this is for Encore2 (know that you have CS3 and are going to Blu-ray) and SD DVD Project, but other than very subtle differences, should be the same for you.

Normally, I’m doing my editing in my NLE with one Sequence per Chapter, so I have a separate Timeline for each Chapter, but that should make no difference. You are just linking your Buttons to the Chapter Markers on a single Timeline.

Hope that I have not missed anything particular to either CS3, or Blu-ray.

Also, did not know that Blu-ray RW’s were out. When I go to HD and Blu-ray, that will be a boon.

Hunt

[Chuck Engels]

I don't think that I have properly welcomed you Bill, so Welcome to Muvipix
Thank you for all of the great info you have posted lately about Encore and Premiere Pro, it is much appreciated.

I have finished the project, the menu on Blu-Ray never did act quite right but it was much better in the end than when I first started.
My Scene menu buttons (9 of them) all point to Playlists so no end action on the button because the end action is on the Playlist.
I have a Play All playlist and then a playlist for each chapter with the timelines and/or chapter markers added to each playlist.

Normally I have one chapter per sequence except for the Ceremony, there are 3 or 4 chapter markers in that one Timeline/sequence.
Processional, Ceremony, Vows, Rings and Kiss, not always are these each a separate marker but usually at least 3 of them are. It is easier to edit this all as one sequence and just use markers than to create a bunch of sequences and line up the video and sync the audio in each, doing that once is enough

The timelines and the playlists all had End Actions applied and I got no errors when checking the project at the end.
I did the SD menu the exact same way (with one additional scene menu button and playlist, the menu worked flawlessly.

I will be doing another one of these next week and will report what happens with that one.

Thanks again for the help and suggestions

[Bill Hunt]

Chuck,

Thank you for the welcome - much appreciated.

You listed workflow makes perfect sense. We do things the same, except I'm not doing weddings, so I seldom have any Chapter Points. In your case, I completely understand why you would have one, more involved Sequence.

Since I'm not yet doing HD, and Blu-Ray, I'm following as many of those threads, as I can, in an attempt to learn the ins and outs. There seem to be a lot of additional considerations, that do not present themselves in SD. Same with the CS3 suite. It really didn't offer me anything that justified the upgrade, especially with the full Production Studio suite. Still, I'm spending a great deal of time on the CS3 forums, as I can learn a lot, in prep for CS4, which I'll likely go to, shortly after its release, and after all of the early adopters have reported in. At my age, I no longer feel the need to be on the bleeding edge, any longer. I'll let the other fold be the "delta testers... "

I'll follow your Project reports closely, to learn about Blu-Ray, and how authoring with it differs.

Thanks for the update and the clarifications,

Hunt