Best Encoding format from PPro CS3 to Encore CS3 for DVD/BD

I have some HDV footage that I've edited in PPro CS3. I'd now like to burn DVD
and/or BD from this point using Encore CS3.

I seem to be caught up in transcoding hell in Encore and I don't think I'm doing
things right.

I have a video background for the menu and video buttons in the menu as well.
The menu background is also in HDV and is exported from PPro CS3 as well.

I'm not concerned with trying to "fit" things on a DVD or BD since the
clips are between 10-40 minutes. What I'm lookg for is good quality DVD or BD
and encode/transcode only as many times as required.

Shiv - I can't comment on encoding from PPro CS3 to Encore CS3 for BD, only for
DVD. And a really best sequence involves using Cineform Aspect HD, for which you
may not be willing to spend another $500. By the way, if you are not already
using Cineform, it is absolutely splendid to work with! Not mentioned in the
following is that to get the very best transcode from 1080p to 480p, I set the
Adobe Media Encoder to run 2 VBR passes at best quality. Anyhow, here is an
excerpt from another post I just ran, which appears relavant to your issue:

"Now, as to why 480p! And I may just run an informational post about this
sometime. Several weeks ago I had finally decided that what I had been putting
together as 480i was just totally unacceptable because of the deinterlacing
artifacts shown when run through the standard DVD player and typical LCD screen.
The noise, particularly the misquito noise, the twitter, etc. was just too much.
So I set aside three days, and all I did was run tests of various sequences of
transcoding 1080i to 480 whatever. And of all the permutations and combinations,
the clearly superior result was the following. As our friends at Cineform have
so rightly commented, going from 1080 to 480 gives us all kinds of headroom to
work with. So my current procedure is to first take the Cineform "visually
perfect" 1080i .avi files and using the Cineform transcoder, convert them
to 1080p.avi. Then, as noted above, I use the Adobe Media Encoder to go from
1080p to 480p. Now that picture, I am really happy with! And by the way, what is
produced by using the Adobe Media Encoder to transcode directly from 1080i to
480p is truly grotesque - the horizontal distortion is so horrible it has to be
seen to be believed! Other variations produced from good to marginal results.
The closest acceptable was using Cineform to go from 1080i to 1080p and then to
480i, and then using AME to go from 480i to 480p DVD.

Dear Shiv, I have some additional information and comment about my post response
to you, above. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOPs. Please, Please, see my Thread on the main
Encore posts page, first thread after the catagorized posts (unless someone
moves it in the meantime). The beginning of the thread title is "Produced
DVD Exhibits Missing Music or Buttons...........". In any even, please
scroll down on the thread to see the well informed response of Neil Wilkes, who
questions the advisability of using 480p, given established standards, and the
state of consumer players. He advises the use of only 480i. I would heed his
comments.

Finally, Shiv, I would commend to you the following, very interesting site,
which appears relavant to your query:

      I stand by my high recommendation of Cineform Aspect HD, whether used
      for down rezzing or not.




I am in total agreement with this comment.
We use Aspect HD, and have found it to be a serious boon.