Adobe ENCORE 2 User Manual

Chapter 1:

User Guide

Copyright

© 2005 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.

®

Encore® DVD 2.0 User Guide for Windows

Adobe

®

If this guide is distributed with software that includes an end user agreement, this guide, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or
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Any references to company names in sample templates are for demonstration purposes only and are not intended to refer to any actual organization.

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Contents

Chapter 1: Getting started

Installation and registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Adobe Help Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Using Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Tips, training, and other resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

New features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 2: Workflow and workspace

Workflow and workspace basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Customizing the workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Predefined workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Chapter 3: Planning the project

Planning the DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Balancing file size and quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Bit budgeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Transcoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

iii

Chapter 4: Adobe Bridge and Stock Photos

The basics of Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Files and folders in Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Running automated tasks with Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Metadata in Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Adobe Stock Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Comp images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Buying stock photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Stock Photos Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Chapter 5: Creating projects and importing assets

Working with projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Aspect ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Importing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Adobe Dynamic Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

XMP metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Working in the Project panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Chapter 6: Menus

Menu basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Creating menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Adding objects to menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Editing menu objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Transforming menu objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Predefined styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Using guides in menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Adding text to menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Chapter 7: Menus: Beyond the basics

Motion menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Video thumbnail buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Menu display time and looping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Menu templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Replacement layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Chapter indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Using Photoshop to create menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Using After Effects to enhance menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Creating button subpictures in Adobe Encore DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Creating subpictures outside Adobe Encore DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Menu color sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

Setting remote control buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Creating styles for menu elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

iv

Chapter 8: Timelines

Timeline basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Adding assets to timelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Moving around in the timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Chapter points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Editing assets in timelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Chapter 9: Slide shows

Slide show basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Formatting slide shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Chapter 10: Working with multiple audio and subtitle tracks

Audio and subtitle basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Audio clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Subtitle basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Importing subtitles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Creating and editing script files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Subtitle colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Setting navigation to select audio and subtitle tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Closed captions basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Chapter 11: Creating and managing links

Understanding navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Setting navigation and properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Working with playlists and chapter playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Managing links and modifying elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Working in the Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

User operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

Chapter 12: Testing and building DVDs

Testing DVD projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186

Security and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Building the finished project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Chapter 13: Keyboard shortcuts

Using keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

v

Chapter 1: Getting started

Installation and registration

To install

1 Close any Adobe

2 Insert the product disc into your computer’s DVD drive.

3 Double-click the disc icon, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

After installing the product for the first time on a computer, you will be prompted to activate your copy of the
product. (See “To activate” on page 1.)

For more detailed instructions for installing or uninstalling the product, see the ReadMe file on the product disc.

To activate

Activation is a simple, anonymous process that you must complete within 30 days of installing the product.
Activation allows you to continue using the product, and it helps prevent casual copying of the product onto more
computersthanthelicenseagreementallows.Afteryouhaveinstalledtheproductforthefirsttimeonacomputer,
the Activation dialog box opens, prompting you to activate your copy of the product.

®

applications that are open.

1

1 If the Activation dialog box is not already open, start the product and choose Help > Activate.

2 Follow the on-screen instructions.

Important: If you want to install the product on a different computer, you must first transfer the activation to that
computer. To transfer an activation, choose Help > Transfer Activation.

To learn more about activation, visit the Adobe website at

www.adobe.com/activation/main.html.

To register

Register your Adobe product to receive complimentary support on installation and product defects and notifications
about product updates.

Registering your product also gives you access to the wealth of tips, tricks, and tutorials in Resource Center and
access to Adobe Studio Exchange, an online community where users download and share thousands of free actions,
plug-ins, and other content for use with Adobe products.

Note: An active Internet connection is required for registration.

The Registration dialog box may open after activation, prompting you to register your copy of the product.

1 If the Registration dialog box is not already open, start the product and choose Help > Registration.

2 Follow the on-screen instructions.

See also

“Resource Center” on page 6

ADOBE ENCORE DVD 2.0

User Guide

Adobe Help Center

About Adobe Help Center

Adobe® Help Center is a free, downloadable application that includes three primary features.

Product Help Provides Help for Adobe desktop products installed on your system. (If no Adobe desktop products

are installed, topics for them aren’t available.) Help topics are updated periodically and can be downloaded through
Adobe Help Center preferences. For the products you’ve installed, Product Help also provides dynamic listings of
the top support issues and the most recent support documents published on Adobe.com.

Expert Support Provides information about Adobe Expert Support plans and lets you store details about plans

you’ve purchased. If you have an active support plan, you can also use the Expert Support section to submit web
cases—questions sent to Adobe support professionals over the web. To access links in the Expert Support section,
you must have an active Internet connection.

More Resources Provides easy access to the extensive resources on Adobe.com, including support pages, user

forums, tips andtutorials, andtraining. You can also use this areato storecontact information for friends,colleagues,
or support professionals, or even websites you turn to for inspiration or troubleshooting information.

See also

“Using Help” on page 3

2

“To search Help topics” on page 4

“To navigate Help” on page 4

“To view support documents” on page 3

To check for updates

Adobe periodically provides updates to software and to topics in Adobe Help Center. You can easily obtain these
updates through Adobe Help Center. An active Internet connection is required.

1 Click the Preferences button in the top-right corner.

2 In the Preferences dialog box, click Check For Updates. If updates are available, follow the on-screen directions to

download and save them.

You can also check for updates from within many Adobe applications by choosing Help > Updates.

To set Adobe Help Center preferences

1 Click the Preferences button in the top-right corner.

2 Set any of the following options, and click OK.

Region Specifies your geographical location. Changing this option may affect which services are available to you.

Language Specifies the language in which Expert Support content is displayed.

Display Renewal Reminders For Expert Support Contracts Displays reminder screens when your Expert Support

plan has almost expired. Deselect this option if you’d like to turn off these reminders.

Enable Auto Login For Web Case Submission Allows you to submit support questions over the web. This option is

available only if you have an active Expert Support plan.

ADOBE ENCORE DVD 2.0

User Guide

User Interface Language Specifies the language in which Adobe Help Center interface text is displayed.

Check For Updates Searches for new updates to software and Help topics as they become available from Adobe. This

option also lets you specify notification options and choose which applications to update.

Network Administrators Displays options for network administration.

To view support documents

From within Adobe Help Center, you can get up-to-the-minute listings of the top support issues and the most recent
documents added to the support knowledgebase. Each time you start Adobe Help Center, it uses RSS (Really Simple
Syndication) technology to gather this information from the Adobe website and update the listings dynamically.

1 In Adobe Help Center, click Product Help and select a product from the For menu.

2 Click the Contents tab in the navigation pane, and do either of the following:

• Click Recent Documents to display a summary of the most recent documents for the selected product.

• Click Top Issues to display a summary of the top issues documents for the selected product.

3 To view a document in full on the Adobe website, click its link. (An active Internet connection is required.)

To display More Resources

The More Resources section in Adobe Help Centerprovides easy accessto some of the content andservices available
from the Adobe website, including support, training, tutorials, and forums.

3

❖ To display this section, click More Resources.

To add contact information in More Resources

1 Click More Resources, and then click Personal Contacts.

2 Do any of the following:

• To add a contact, click New, type the contact information you want to save, and click OK.

• To edit a contact, click a contact in the list, click Edit, make changes to the information, and click OK.

• To delete a contact, click a contact in the list, and then click Delete. To confirm the deletion, click Yes.

Using Help

Using Help

The complete documentation for using your Adobe product is available in Help, a browser-based system you can
access through Adobe Help Center. Help topics are updated periodically, so you can always be sure to have the most
recent information available. For details, see “To check for updates” on page 2.

Important: Adobe Help systems include all of the information in the printed user guides, plus additional information
not included in print. A PDF version of the complete Help content, optimized for printing, is also provided on the CD or
DVD in the product box.

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See also

“To navigate Help” on page 4

“To search Help topics” on page 4

To navigate Help

❖ Do any of the following:

• To view Help for a product, choose the product name from the For menu.

• To expand or collapse a section, click the blue triangle to the left of the section name.

• To display a topic, click its title.

See also

“To use bookmarks” on page 5

To search Help topics

Search using words or phrases to quickly find topics. You can search Help for one product or for all Adobe products
you’ve installed. If you find a topic that you may want to view again, bookmark it for quick retrieval.

4

1 In Adobe Help Center, click Product Help, and choose a product from the For menu.

2 Type one or more words in the Search For box, and choose an option from the In menu:

This Product Searches Help for the selected product.

All Products Searches Help for all Adobe products you have installed.

3 Click Search. Topics matching the search words appear in the navigation pane, grouped by product and listed in

order of relevance.

4 To view a topic, click its title.

5 To return to the navigation pane, do one of the following:

• Click the Home button.

• Click the Back button.

• Click Next Topic or Previous Topic.

See also

“To print a topic from Help” on page 5

“To use bookmarks” on page 5

Search tips

The search feature in Adobe Help Center works by searching the entire Help text for topics that contain any of the
words typed in the Search For box. These tips can help you improve your search results in Help:

• If you search using a phrase, such as “shape tool,” put quotation marks around the phrase. The search returns only

those topics containing all words in the phrase.

• Make sure that the search terms are spelled correctly.

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• If a search term doesn’t yield results, try using a synonym, such as “web” instead of “Internet.”

To print a topic from Help

1 Select the topic you want to print, and click the Print button.

2 Choose the printer you’d like to use, and then click Print.

To change the view

By default, Adobe Help Center opens in Full view. Full view gives you access to the Product Help, Expert Support,
and More Resources sections. Switch to Compact view when you want to see only the selected Help topic and you
want to keep the Help window on top of your product workspace.

❖ Click the view icon to switch between Full and Compact views.

To use bookmarks

You can bookmark especially helpful topics for easy access, just as you bookmark pages in a web browser, and reread
them at another time.

• To view bookmarks, click the Bookmarks tab in the navigation pane.

• To create a bookmark, select the topic you want to mark, and click the Bookmark button . When the New

Bookmark dialog box appears, type a new name in the text box if desired, and then click OK.

• To delete a bookmark, select it in the Bookmarks pane, and click the Delete button. Click Yes to confirm the

deletion.

• To rename a bookmark, select it in the Bookmarks pane, and then click the Rename Bookmark button . In the

dialog box, type a new name for the bookmark and then click OK.

• To move a bookmark, select it in the Bookmarks pane, and then click the Move Up button or the Move Down

button .

5

Tips, training, and other resources

Learning resources

Adobe provides a wide range of resources to help you learn and use Adobe products.

• “Total Training Video Workshop DVD” on page 6: Professional training videos from experts.

• “Resource Center” on page 6: Videos, tips and tricks, and other learning material on Adobe products.

• “Other resources” on page 7: Training, books, user forums, product certification, and more.

• Support: Complimentary and paid technical support options from Adobe.

• “Extras and other downloads” on page 7: Other software and content.

See also

“About Adobe Help Center” on page 2

“Using Help” on page 3

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Total Training Video Workshop DVD

Presented by experts in their fields, Total Training videos provide overviews, demonstrations of key new features,
and many useful tips and techniques for beginning and advanced users. Look for accompanying step-by-step
instructions to selected Total Training videos in monthly updates to Resource Center.

In addition to the Total Training Video Workshop DVD included with your software, short Total Training web
videos on a variety of products and topics are also available in Resource Center, and complete Total Training
courseware can be purchased online from the Adobe Store.

See also

“Resource Center” on page 6

Resource Center

Resource Center provides a wealth of tips, tricks, tutorials, and instructional content in video, PDF, and HTML
formats, authored by experts from Adobe and its publishing partners. You can search the entire collection or sort by
product, topic, date, and type of content; new content is added monthly. Resource Center is available in English,
French, German, and Japanese. Find it from the home page of the Adobe website.

6

Tips and tutorials in Resource Center

Forfreecontentandadd-ons,visitAdobeStudioExchange,anonlinecommunitywhereusersdownloadandshare
thousands of free actions, plug-ins, and other content for use with Adobe products. To visit Adobe Studio Exchange,
go to Resource Center from the home page of the Adobe website.

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See also

“Total Training Video Workshop DVD” on page 6

“Other resources” on page 7

Other resources

Additional sources of information and help are available for Adobe products.

• Visit the Training area of the Adobe website for access to Adobe Press books; online, video, and instructor-led

training resources; Adobe software certification programs; and more.

• Visit the Adobe user forums, where users share tips, ask questions, and find out how others are getting the most

out of their software. User forums are available in English, French, German, and Japanese from the main Support
page of your local Adobe website.

• Visit the Support area of the Adobe website for additional information about free and paid technical support

options. Top issues are listed by product on the Adobe U.S. and Adobe Japan websites.

• ClickMoreResourcesinAdobeHelpCentertoaccessmanyoftheresourcesontheAdobewebsiteandtocreate

your own list of frequently visited user groups and websites and valuable contacts.

• For complete developer documentation and resources, visit the Developers area of the Adobe website at

http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/main.html. For additional backgroundersand instructional content,
visit Resource Center.

7

Extras and other downloads

Your product includes Adobe Stock Photos, an integrated service available within Adobe Bridge that lets you search,
view, try, and buy royalty-free stock photography from leading stock libraries. Because of the tight integration
between Stock Photos and Adobe products, you can download images directly into your projects.

TheDownloadsareaoftheAdobewebsiteincludesfreeupdates,tryouts,andotherusefulsoftware.Inaddition,the
Plug-ins section of the Adobe Store provides access to thousands of plug-ins from third-party developers, helping
you automate tasks, customize workflows, create specialized professional effects, and more.

Adobe periodically provides downloadable updates to topics in Adobe Help Center and to Adobe Help Center
software itself.

See also

“About Adobe Bridge” on page 34

“About Adobe Stock Photos” on page 50

“Resource Center” on page 6

“Other resources” on page 7

“About Adobe Help Center” on page 2

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New features

What’s new

Slideshow Editor Build and rearrange slide shows using the new Slideshow Editor. Define shows as browsable or

autoplay, with optional narration or background music for autoplay shows. Define global and override settings for
slide durations, slide end actions, pan-and-zoom effects, transitions, and subtitles. (See “About slide shows” on
page 146.)

Flowchart Define and view your DVD’s navigation using a visual flowchart representation of all points and links.

(See “About the Flowchart” on page 179.)

Automated chapter menus Create multipage submenus automatically from chapters or slide shows in your project.

(See “About chapter indexes” on page 112.)

Multiple clips on single timeline track Save time with easy assembly of multiple video and audio clips on a timeline.

There’s no need for a separate video editing application to achieve seamless playback of multiple clips.

Royalty-free templates and menu art Jump-start DVD menu creation using any of the royalty-free templates,

®

motion menus, and other artwork files included inAdobe Encore
panel” on page 81.)

DTS audio support Increase your options for the creation of surround-sound DVDs with newly added support for

DTS audio.

DVD 2.0. (See “To create a menu using theLibrary

8

Closed caption support Import line21 files to add closed captions to DVDs. Applies toNTSC titles only. (See “About

closed captions” on page 169.)

Add chapter points at intervals Use a single command to add chapter points at fixed intervals, enabling viewers to

skip quickly through content. (See “To add chapter points at intervals” on page 140.)

Workspace panels that dock and group Organize your desktop quickly with workspace panels that dock and group.

Movedivider lines between panels to adjust your layout quickly with no needto resizemultiple windows. (See “About
the Adobe workspace” on page 15.)

Adobe Bridge Browse, organize, and preview content files, and then drag what you need right from Adobe Bridge.

Search by or edit file information (XMP metadata) such as keywords, language, and format. (See “About Adobe
Bridge” on page 34.)

XMP metadata support Use XMP metadata to identify assets quickly or to automate tasks. View and edit XMP

metadatafrom withinthe Project panel inAdobeEncore DVD, or use metadata keywords to search for files inAdobe
Bridge. (See “About XMP metadata” on page 71.)

Chapter playlists Useplaylists to create differentplay orderswithout duplicating content.The disc spaceyou save by

using playlists may let you use lower compression and produce higher-quality video. (See “About playlists” on
page 175.)

Menu replacement layers Specify locations for graphic objects in a menu template by using replacement layers.

Objects dropped on a replacement layer scale to fit the size designated in the layer. (See “About replacement layers”
on page 111.)

Rotate tool Rotate objects in the Menu panel with fine control by using the new Rotate tool. (See “To rotate menu

objects” on page 88.)

Chapter 2: Workflow and workspace

Workflow and workspace basics

Workflow overview

Adobe Encore DVD lets you create many different kinds of DVDs. Whether the content is a feature film, a wedding,
a training course, or an art collection, the basic steps of creating a DVD are the same.

Althoughthe orderof thetasks can vary somewhatfrom projectto project,DVD authoring with Adobe EncoreDVD
involves the following basic tasks:

Visit Resource Center on the Adobe website to view a tutorial detailing how to quickly create a DVD.

3a

9

12

3b

Encore DVD workflow

1. Plan project 2. Impor t 3a. Create DVD elements 3b. Create menus 4. Specify navigation 5. Tra ns co de 6. Preview 7. Burn

Plan the project

4

5

6

7

Regardless of the project's complexity, it is helpful to plan the content and flow of your DVD. Whether you sketch
each of the elements, create a flowchart, or use a spreadsheet to map the path through the content, drafting a
navigation scenario can help you clarify your ideas and anticipate problems before you start. For more information,
see “About planning” on page 22.

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10

1

2

3

1a

2a

2b

2c

3a

3b

Simple sketch of intended navigation scheme

Import assets

Prepare your source material (assets) for the DVD, and import them into Adobe Encore DVD. The assets include
any video, still images, audio, and subtitles for your project. Before you import your content into Adobe Encore
DVD, combine video clips, add transitions, or create special effects in a video-editing or compositing application,

®

such as Adobe Premiere
as Adobe Audition

Pro or Adobe After Effects®. You can compile the audio in an audio-editing application, such

®

. For more information, see “To import an asset” on page 65.

Imported assets displayed in Project panel

Create DVD elements and add assets

A DVDincludes several elements types such as timelines andslide shows. Youadd assets to these elements to include
the assets in the project. Depending upon an asset’s type, you can add it to timelines, slide shows, playlists, and
chapter playlists. For more information, see “About timelines” on page 133, “About slide shows” on page 146, “About
playlists” on page 175, and “About chapter playlists” on page 177.

A

B

AB

Project panel containing audio asset (A) and video asset (B) being added to timeline element

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11

Create menus

The menus give the viewer access to the DVD content. You can create menus directly in Adobe Encore DVD,
customize predesigned menus included with the application, or create and edit menus in Adobe Photoshop
more information, see “About menus” on page 75.

AB

®

. For

Library (A) with predesigned menus and Menu Viewer (B) for customizing menus

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Specify navigation

Menus provide the main way for viewers to navigate through the DVD’s content. In addition to menus, you also use
other types of navigation settings, such as end actions and overrides, to guide the viewer. Encore gives you several
methods for setting the navigation—you can drag between the elements and buttons in the Menu Viewer, use the
Properties panel, or work with navigation in the Flowchart. For a typical project, you’ll set navigation with all of these
methods, choosing whichever is most convenient at the time. For more information, see “Project navigation and
links” on page 170.

A CB

12

Setting links by selecting button (B) in Menu Viewer (A) and specifying links in Properties panel (C)

Make video and audio DVD-compatible (transcoding)

If you imported video and audio files that aren’t DVD-compatible, Adobe Encore DVD transcodes the files before
you burn the DVD. You can let Adobe Encore DVD determine the best settings for transcoding or select the options
you feel are best for your project. For more information, see “About transcoding” on page 28.

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A

13

B

Right-clicking asset (B) in Project panel (A) and choosing preset from Transcode Settings submenu (C)

C

Preview the project

You should preview and check a project throughout the authoring process, especially before you burn the DVD.
Previewing lets you experience the project as a viewer would, using the remote control to move through it. The
Check Project feature verifies technical details and informs you of any problems, such as broken links or invalid end
actions. For more information, see “To preview a project” on page 187, and “To check a project” on page 189.

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14

Controls in Preview panel simulating remote control

Burn the DVD

You can build or burn, the DVD directly from Adobe Encore DVD. Or, if you plan to use a replication facility, you
can write to a DLT drive, prepare a folder, or create a DVD image to give to the replicator. For more information, see
“To build a DVD” on page 192.

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Build DVD panel with output settings

About the Adobe workspace

Adobe video and audio applications provide a consistent, customizable workspace. Although each application has its
own set of panels (such as Tools, Properties, Timeline, and so on), you move and group panels on your computer
screen in the same way across products.

The main window of a program is the application window. The various panels are organized in this window in an
arrangement called a workspace. The default workspace contains groups of panels as well as panels that stand alone.

You customize a workspace by arranging the panels, usually by dragging them, in the layout that best suits your style
of working. You can create and save several custom workspaces for different tasks—for example, one for editing and
one for previewing.

You can drag panels to new locations, move panels into or out of a group, place panels alongside each other, and
undock a panel so that it floats in a new window above the application window. As you rearrange panels, the other
panels resize automatically to fit the window.

YoucanusefloatingwindowstocreateaworkspacemorelikethoseinpreviousversionsofAdobeapplications,orto
place panels on multiple monitors.

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BC

A

16

Example of workspace
A. Application window B. Grouped panels C. Panels

About menus

In addition to the menus at the top of your screen, Adobe Encore DVD also provides context, panel, and viewer
menus. Context menus contain commands relative to the active tool or selection. Panel menus contain commands
relevant to the active panel. You use the viewer menus tochoose which item to display in the viewer, or to close items.

To use a context or panel menu

❖ Do one of the following:

• To use a context menu, position the pointer over the active window or selection and right-click. Choose a menu

item, or click outside the menu to close it.

• To use a panel menu, click the triangle in the upper right corner of a panel, and then choose a menu item or click

outside the menu to close it.

To use a viewer menu

Adobe Encore DVD provides viewers for its timelines, slide shows, menus, and chapter playlists. Viewers are panels
in which you edit a type of DVD element. The Slideshow Viewer, for example, lets you edit slide shows. You can set
the General preferences to specify whether items of the same type open in a single viewer or in multiple viewers. For
viewers with multiple items open, use the viewer menu to select the item you want to work with.

❖ Click the triangle in the Viewer tab and choose the element you want to work with. You can also close the current

item or all the items.

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Selecting items from viewer menu

About the toolbox

YouusethetoolboxwhenworkingintheMenuViewerandtheFlowchart.Itcontainstoolstoselectlayersorobjects
in a menu, enter text, zoom in and out, and move objects in the Flowchart. It also contains shortcuts for editing a
menu in Adobe Photoshop and previewing a project. (See “About text in menus” on page 95, “About subtitles” on
page 154, and “Using Photoshop to create Adobe Encore DVD menus” on page 114.)

17

A B C D E F G H I

To ol b ox

A. Selection tool B. Direct Select tool C. Move tool D. Rotate tool E. Text tool F. Vertical Text tool G. Zoom tool H. Edit Menu in Photoshop
I. Preview

Customizing the workspace

Drop zones

Drop zones are areas onto which you can drop or move panels. As you drag a panel, the drop zones become
highlighted. The drop zone determines where and how the panel is inserted into the workspace. Dragging a panel to
a drop zone results in one of two behaviors: docking or grouping.

Docking

Drop zones along the edges of a panel, group, or window are docking zones. Docking a panel places it adjacent to the
existing group, resizing all groups to accommodate the new panel.

C

A

B

Dragging panel (A) onto docking zone (B) to dock it (C)

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Grouping

Thedropzoneinthemiddleofapanelorgroup,aswellasthezonealongthetabareaofapanel,aregroupingzones.
Grouping a panel adds it to an existing group, placing it at the top of the stacking order. Grouping a panel does not
resize other groups.

18

A

B

Dragging panel (A) onto grouping zone (B) to group it with existing panels (C)

C

To dock or group panels

You dock and group panels by dragging them onto drop zones. As you drag a panel over a drop zone, the zone
becomes highlighted to provide a visual reference for the drop.

Drag the gripper area in the upper left corner of a panel’s tab to move an individual panel. Drag the group gripper at
the upper right corner to move an entire group.

A

Dragging panel gripper (A) to move one panel; dragging group gripper (B) to move entire group

B

1 Selectthepanelyouwanttodockorgroupbyclickingitstab.Ifthepanelisnotvisible,chooseitfromtheWindow

menu to open it.

2 Drag the panel by its tab onto the desired drop zone. The application docks or groups the panel, according to the

type of drop zone.

See also

“Drop zones” on page 17

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To open a panel in a floating window

You can open a panel in a floating window. You can add panels to the floating window or otherwise modify it, as you
do the application window. You can use floating windows to create a workspace like those in earlier versions of
Adobe applications, or to make use of a secondary monitor.

❖ Select the panel you want to open (if it’s not visible, choose it from the Window menu), and then do one of the

following:

• Choose Undock Panel or Undock Frame from the panel menu. Undock Frame undocks the panel group.

• Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS, After Effects only) and drag the panel or group from its

current location. When you release the mouse, the panel or group appears in a new floating window.

• Drag the panel or group outside the application window. (If the application window is maximized, drag the panel

to the Windows task bar.)

To close a panel or window

When you close a panel group in the application window, the other groups are resized to make use of the newly
available space. When you close a floating window, the panels within it close, too.

❖ Click the Close button on the panel or window that you want to close.

19

To resize panel groups

The dividers between panel groups have resizehandles. You resize a group in onedirection at a time, either vertically
or horizontally. When you drag a divider between panel groups, all groups that share the divider are resized. For
example, suppose your workspace contains three panel groups stacked vertically. If you drag the divider between the
bottom two, they are resized, but the topmost group doesn’t change.

You can quickly maximize a panel beneath the pointer by pressing the tilde(~) key.(Do not press the Shift key.) Press
the tilde key again to return the panel to its original size.

1 Position the pointer over the divider between the panel groups that you want to resize. The pointer changes

shape .

2 Hold down the mouse button, and drag to resize the panel groups.

A

Dragging divider between panel groups to resize them
A. Original group with divider selected B. Resized groups

B

Working with multiple monitors

You can use multiple monitors to increase the available screen space. When you work with multiple monitors, the
application window appears on the main monitor, and you place a floating window on the second monitor. Monitor
configurations are stored in the workspace.

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To show or hide a panel

YoucanusetheWindowmenutoshowandhidepanels.Evenifapanelisopen,itmaybeoutofsight,beneathother
open panels. Choosing a panel from the Window menu opens it and brings it to the front.

❖ From the Window menu, choose the panel you want to show or hide.

To set General preferences

General preferences include application-wide settings, several of which influence the workspace.

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > General.

2 Set the preferences as desired from the following options:

Brightness Use the slider to set the brightness of the interface. Click Default to return the brightness to the factory

default.

Separate Viewers For Specifies how new timelines, menus, slide shows, and chapter playlists are opened. In Encore,

you edit each element type in its own viewer. Timelines, for example, are edited in the Timeline Viewer. Select an
option to open that element type in a new viewer; deselect an option to open all elements of that type in a single
viewer.For example, to open all menus ina single Menu Viewer, deselectMenus. When a single viewercontains more
thanoneitem,useitsviewermenutoaccessthedesiredelement.Formoreinformation,see“Touseaviewermenu”
on page 16.

20

Show Tool Tips Specifies whether tool tips (brief labels or explanations) appear as the pointer moves over tools and

other interface elements. This setting is enabled by default.

Beep When Done Specifies whether Adobe Encore DVD beeps when it’s completed building a DVD or transcoding

a file. Select the option to enable the beep.

Library Content Specifies the location for functional content (such as predesigned menus and buttons).

Television Standard For New Projects Specifies the default TV standard (either NTSC or PAL) for new projects.

Adobe Encore DVD determines the default setting based on the operating system’s language.

Playback Quality Specifies the playback quality for the Preview and Monitor panels, as well as thumbnails. Select the

desired setting from the menu: High to display video at full resolution; Draft to display video at one-half resolution;
and Automatic to use draft quality for playback, which changes to high quality when the playback is paused or
stopped.

Reset Warning Dialogs Enables all dialog boxes that you previously disabled by selecting Don’t Show Again.

Predefined workspaces

To use an Adobe workspace

Each Adobe video and audio application includes several workspaces for various tasks. For example, Adobe Encore
DVD has workspaces for editing in the Timeline and for designing slideshows, menus, and navigation. You can
choose a workspace at any time. When you choose one of these workspaces, the current workspace is redrawn
accordingly.

®

❖ With the project you want to work on open, choose Window > Workspace, and select the desired workspace.

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To create or modify a workspace

As you modify a workspace, the application trackschanges, savingany modifications with the project. The next time
you open the project, the most recent version of the workspace is used. You can also choose to restore the original
layout of the workspace.

Youcansaveanyworkspace,atanytime,asacustomworkspace.Oncesaved,newandeditedworkspacesappearin
the Workspace menu on the local computer. If a project with a custom workspace is opened on a system other than
the one on which it was created, the application looks for a workspace with a matching name. If the application finds
a match (and the monitor configuration matches), it uses that workspace; if it can’t find a match (or the monitor
configuration doesn’t match), it opens the project using the current local workspace.

❖ Arrange the framesand panels as desired, then choose Window > Workspace > New Workspace, and enter a name

for the workspace. Click OK.

To restore a workspace

You can remove changes made to a workspace, restoring its original layout.

❖ With the workspace you want to restore active, choose Window > Workspace > Revert Workspace, and thenclick

Discard Changes.

21

To delete a workspace

1 Choose Window > Workspace > Delete Workspace.

2 Choose the workspace you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Chapter 3: Planning the project

Planning the DVD

About planning

The first task of authoring a DVD is planning. This planning can be as minimal as deciding to use a template to
organize your family’s vacation photos and video, or as robust as using project management software to coordinate
a production team creating an interactive kiosk.

Whatever the scope of planning, you should understand what the project will contain and how you want to present
it. By the end of the planning stage, you should have a good understanding of the following parameters:

The navigation scheme

A well-produced DVD employs a hierarchy of navigation that gives the viewer clear and easy access to the content.
Think through your DVD project. After you decide which clips you want to include, you need to figure out how the
viewer will access those clips. Whether you use a spreadsheet or a pencil sketch, it is worth the time to draft your
navigation scheme before you start.

22

The intended playback environment

Is the DVD intended for television viewing? Will it play unattended in a kiosk? Is it for use in an educational setting
on computers? The playback environment affects your approach to navigation and the design of the menus as well
as thecontent. If theDVD will beused only on acomputer (via the desktop),you caninclude content that atelevision
DVD player cannot access. For instance,you can include PDFs of exercises in an educational DVD to be used on the
computer.

Note: Some DVD players, notably set-top DVD players, may not read DVD content on CDs. Most DVD players will play
audio CDs.

Types and amount of content to be included

To make certain decisions—for instance, about disc size and video data rate—you need to know how much content
you have to fit on the disc. Small projects that include mostly audio may fit on a CD, whereas projects containing
feature-length movies and many supplemental materials may require a dual-layer or double-sided DVD.

See also

“About bit budgeting” on page 26

Planning with the Flowchart

TheFlowchartfeatureprovidesavisualinterfacethathelpsyoutoplanandmanagethecreationofDVDs.Although
youcanusetheFlowchartatanytimeduringtheauthoringprocess,it’sespeciallyusefulduringtheinitialstagesof
the project, when you determine navigation and begin organizing assets.

Note: If you’re new to authoring DVDs, it may be best to plan your first navigation scheme on paper and postpone using
the Flowchart until you are familiar with the different element types and their properties.

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The Flowchart displays the content of the project graphically, in a tree structure, detailing the navigation between
DVD elements. This visual representation can help you to see areas where the navigation is cluttered and needs to
be refined. Beyond providing a visual representation of the project, the Flowchart also lets you perform many
authoring tasks, including editing.

23

The Flowchart displays project navigation and, when used with the Properties panel, lets you complete a majority of authoring tasks.

See also

“About the Flowchart” on page 179

Balancing file size and quality

File size and quality

Authoring a DVD involves striking a balance between two competing properties: file size and video quality. As
quality increases, so does file size. You want to achieve the highest possible quality for your content while keeping
thefilesizessmallenoughsothatallofthecontentwillfitonthedisc.Thisbalanceisachievedbymanipulatingthe
video content’s data rate—either automatically(by lettingAdobe Encore DVD set the data rate) or directly (by setting
the transcoding settings or using a third-party application).

You determine the optimal data rate through the process of bit budgeting. To understand bit budgeting, you first
need to understand the variables involved: disc size, types and amounts of assets (audio, video, and motion menus),
and data rates and transcoding. Once familiar with the variables involved, you’ll be able to produce a bit budget to
guide you in producing high-quality projects that fit within the allotted disc space.

See also

“About transcoding” on page 28

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Determining disc size

Before you can prepare a bit budget,you mustdetermine the sizeof DVD on which to distribute your project. Adobe
Encore DVD can create projects for a variety of DVD sizes. The size you choose is based on the amount of video and
the replication method. Typically, desktop DVD burners use a recordable DVD-5 disc (DVD-R), which has 4.7 GB
capacity. A DVD-5 can hold approximately two hours of high-quality video. Adobe Encore DVD also supports
CD-Rs (recordable CDs) and DLT (digital linear tape), as well as dual-layer and double-sided discs.

Note: Although disc capacity is the prime consideration, there are other variables you need to consider when choosing a
DVD. If you’re burning the DVD yourself, you must choose a DVD that your DVD recorder supports. If you’re creating
a dual-layer or a double-sided DVD, be aware that you may need to duplicate it at a DVD replication facility. For more
information, see “To build a DVD” on page 192.

Dual-layer and dual-sided discs

Adobe Encore DVD supports creating projects for dual-layer discs and dual-sided discs. These discs, however,
cannot be burned by all conventional DVD burners; check your burner’s documentation to see if it can create dual­sided or dual-layer discs. If your DVD burner cannot produce these discs, Adobe Encore DVD can still create the
project files for them, but you’ll need to replicate the DVD at a replication facility.

When preparing a project for dual-layer or dual-sided discs, keep the following in mind:

Dual-layer disc Dual-layer discs from Adobe Encore DVD require using +R DVDs; check your burner’s documen-

tation to see what type of DVDs (+R or -R) it requires. To replicate dual-layer DVDs at a replication facility, you first
must write your project to two separate DLTs (Digital Linear Tapes), one tape for each layer of the disc. (See “Build
options” on page 192.)

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Note: Be aware that +R discs may have compatibility problems with some DVD players. Before replicating a large
quantity of discs, it’s worthwhile to create a sample disc and test it on several different DVD players. Replication facilities,
whose paramount purpose is duplicating discs, create discs with the widest possible compatibility.

Dual-sided disc For dual-sided discs, you must create two separate projects. If you’ll be replicating the DVDs at an

outside facility, write each project to its own DLT. (See “Replicating DVDs” on page 194.)

Dual-sided, dual-layer disc In this case, you needto build two projects, each producing two tapes. Thefirst two tapes

represent the twolayers of the first project (Side 1).The other twotapes representthe two layersof the second project
(Side 2).

See also

“To specify a layer break” on page 193

To set the disc size

1

Click the Disc tab, and then click the Project Settings button to open the Project Settings dialog box.

2 Choose a size from the Disc Size menu. To enter a custom disc size, choose Custom and then type a size in the

text box.

3 If you want to create a dual-sided DVD, specify which side this project is for.

ADOBE ENCORE DVD 2.0

User Guide

About free/used space information

The Disc panel displays the available space and the used space for the specified disc size during the authoring
process. The display conveys size information only and has no bearing on quality. Adobe Encore DVD calculates the
free space using the transcoding data rate (whether it was set automatically or manually). It then combines this
estimated bit rate with the actual bit rate of any transcoded clips and, based on the disc size, calculates the space
remaining on your disc.

When transcoding assets, Adobe Encore DVD attempts to maintain the highest quality (highest data rate) for the
amount of video in the project. If you continue to add video to a project, the program lowers the video data rate to
squeeze in the additional content. Adobe Encore DVD will warn you if quality dips below a certain level once you
build the project or run Check Project. For more information, see “About transcoding” on page 28.

To check the space remaining on your disc

❖ Click the Disc tab to display the Disc panel. The disc graphic shows the space used and space remaining.

Asset types and amounts

Of all the content types, the video portion of a DVD occupies the most disc space. Depending on the data rate, one
minute of video can occupy anywhere from 180 to 588 MB. One minute of compressed audio, on the other hand,
occupies only 11.5 MB. Still menus are negligible in terms of size. (See “Average asset size” on page 27.)

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The amount of video in a project directly affects the optimal data rate. You need an accurate tally of the amount of
video in a project to develop a bit budget and to choose a disc size. If the project contains one hour of video, for
example,itcanbetranscodedattwicethedatarateasaprojectwithtwohoursofvideocontent.Althoughthevideo
content in each project occupies the same amount of disc space, the quality of the hour-long video will be superior
(though not necessarily by a factor of 2).

See also

“About transcoding” on page 28

Data rates

Data rates, usually expressed in Mbps (megabits per second, or 1,000,000 bits/sec), specify the amount of data
contained in an asset stream and directly affect the quality of video. The data rate is used during transcoding to
compress the asset. For video assets, the Adobe Encore DVD transcode presets use data rates ranging from 4 to 9
Mbps. You can edit the presets’ data rates, but you cannot exceed 9.0 Mbps, nor can you go below the Adobe Encore
DVD minimum data rate of 2.0 Mbps. Typical data rates for video range between 4 and 6 Mbps. If bit budgeting
targets a data rate less than 6 Mbps, you should consider using variable bit rate (VBR) encoding. For more infor­mation about VBR, see “To calculate a bit budget” on page 26. For more information about transcoding, see “About
transcoding” on page 28.

While data rates are a general indicator ofquality, there are no hard-and-fast rules toequate data rate to quality. That
is, a data rate of 4 Mbps may or may not produce a high-quality asset—quality depends on the image data and type
ofcompressionusedaswellasdatarate.Forexample,videoofaseatedpersonshotagainstasolidbackgroundcan
probably be compressed to a lower data rate than a fast-paced car chase with constantly changing visuals, with no
noticeable differences in quality.