Adobe Encore CS6 Asks For A Serial Number Current Adobe Cloud Subscription

 Today Adobe Encore refused to start, asking for a serial number. I am an Adobe CC subscriber, and I use Encore from time to time to author and burn discs.

I have an old Mac frozen on macOS Mojave, with Premiere Pro CS6, Media Encoder CS6 and Encore CS6 installed.

Adobe has removed Encore CS6 from CC. Adobe CC app does not offer CS6 as a choice in the older apps installs anymore. Encore is EOL and frozen. Some functionality has been removed (Dolby AC3 encoding.) But as a current CC subscriber, you can continue to use PP, AME and Encore CS6.

If like me you have them already installed on your system, you're good to go. If not, you might need to do some research to find stand alone CS6 installers on the web. Alas Adobe have removed their own links, and is making sure everything old is getting erased.

If Encore is asking for a Serial Number at startup, it's probably because you haven't used it in a while. But because you are a CC subscriber, you can still launch and use Encore as explained in this Creative Cow Forum entry here. Obviously it has to be on a compatible system. I haven't tried Encore on anything newer than Mojave.

How to do this is as follow:

• Launch Premiere Pro CC or any Adobe app. Go to Menu/Help and Sign out.
• Launch Premiere Pro CS6. It will ask you to Sign in via a web browser. Do so with your CC credentials. Adobe may request a second identification, and send you a code. Get it and enter your code.
• Premiere Pro CS6 will launch, let it fully open. Create a new project even just to make sure it works.
• Click on PPCS6 Menu/Help and make sure "Deactivate" is active and not greyed out.
• If it is greyed out, close and relaunch PPCS6. Check again.
• If it is still greyed out, quit and launch Premiere Pro CC this time, not PPCS6. Sign in if you are asked to. Quit PP CC.
• Launch PPCS6 one more time and check again Menu/Help, this time "Deactivate" should be active / not greyed out. That's the status you want.
• Now launch Encore CS6 and it should just open without asking for a serial number.

It might take you a while before it launches. It took me a good 30 minutes to get it to work, but it eventually did. Encore on my system is reasonably stable, and works as intended.

Happy BD / DVD authoring! ... Not for very long probably...

Motion Graphics Maps Workflow Simplified with ERSI ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud

 I am just finishing a documentary project that involved mapping several hundred locations in a series of motion graphics.

To do so, I used a combination of Illustrator, GoogleEarth, and Excel spreadsheets. Then I converted Illustrator paths to Apple Motion as explained in this post and animated.

Now with this ArcGIS Map add-on to Illustrator, I can skip GoogleEarth and instead import the spreadsheet inside the map console, and build / modify location markers directly inside Illustrator.

Building Maps inside Illustrator! Whoa!

Importing locations via spreadsheet! So easy!

Next time I need to build maps for a project I will likely use this workflow. Note that at this time though, only a few basemaps are vector graphics. The rasterized basemaps are of limited interest to me.

Check this YouTube video for a demo on how to use ArcGIS inside Illustrator.

Adobe Creative Cloud April 2018 Update

Two days before the launch of NAB, Adobe has an update for CC.

One remarkable feature is the possibility to open a Premiere project in Audition. 

You are reading this correctly: Audition can now open a Premiere project directly / natively, without the need for fancy linkage, OMF or AAF intermediaries.

- Do you read this AVID? - Do you read this APPLE?

And it supports compound media, and it adds a few niceties for good measure.

More info here: https://theblog.adobe.com/audition-updates-spring-2018/

Audition has been hard to love for me coming from Protools, and way too buggy / unstable / quirky.

ProTools is still my favorite DAW, but I will test the Premiere -> Audition workflow as soon as my schedule allows.

This could be a game changer IF and only IF Adobe also irons-out Audition quirks and oddities, and at times downright aggravating behavior.

Or maybe a better way would be to incorporate Audition into a super Premiere, ala Resolve. We shall see.

- I note that Adobe is also opening Audition to scripts... Jumping onto Reaper's toes in no subtle fashion.

Interesting times.

Adobe Creative Cloud 2018 Price Increase Getting Closer

Got a nice (sic.) email reminder from Adobe this morning about CC price increase. 

The tools we need DIFFER. We film editors do not need most of the tools in the All Apps CC plan. I've already talked about this in a previous post.

I strongly feel Adobe should make us a better offering than these four current (non) choices.

I mean the only interesting offers are the Photography or the All Apps, period. No such luck for non photographer types.

But then they probably would sell a "Design" Package with Illustrator and Photoshop and a "Film" Package with Premiere and After Effects for $29.99 each and that would not be worth it anyway.

One single choice, take it or leave it. We'll see in the future how often and how much they raise the price on us.

No more Dolby AC3 in Adobe Media Encoder 2018

I can confirm that AME 2018 lacks Dolby AC3 settings.

AME 2018 - No more Dolby AC3. Only Mpeg and PCM

I installed the new version and forgot to uncheck "Remove Old Versions", so I re-installed AME 2017 from CC App Manager.

If you need AC3, go get AME 2017 now while it's still available, and remember DO NOT REMOVE OLD VERSIONS next time you update.

AME 2017 - With Dolby AC3

Interestingly, after two installs of AME 2018 and 2017, I cannot install another older version. Only option now is to Uninstall.

Are we limited to installing two versions of the same App?

Adobe Creative Cloud Price increase in March 2018

Here we go... Adobe raising the monthly fee for CC from $49.99 to $52.99 in March of 2018.

https://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/redefining-modern-creativity-with-the-next-generation-of-creative-cloud/

Adobe is invested in accelerating the creative process for everyone with the world’s best creative apps. After more than five years of continuous innovation, we’re making a modest adjustment in Creative Cloud commercial pricing for North America customers, which will take effect on March 1 or at the next contract renewal. Until then, renewing subscribers can experience the value of the new features and products announced and available today and new subscribers can lock in a year subscription at the current price with no additional charge:

• Our current STE Student/Education, Creative Cloud Photography and XD plans will see no pricing adjustment.
• Creative Cloud for Individuals All and Single App plans will increase by 6%. For example, the new price for Creative Cloud All Apps annual plan will be $52.99 per month from $49.99.
• Creative Cloud for Teams plans will increase by 14%. For example, the new price for Creative Cloud for Teams All Apps annual plan will be $79.99 per month from $69.99.

For more on what we’re sharing with the creative community at Adobe MAX this year, watch the Adobe MAX keynotes or learn more on Adobe.com.

Modest adjustment? I say this sucks. I already think $49.99 is TOO MUCH since I am not using all apps or services offered for this price.

Adobe, you must widen your offering. I would like a "pick your apps" plan let you select 1, 2, 3, 4 or more apps for a more affordable price.

There are a bunch of apps in this bouquet that I never use (Dreamweaver, XD, Character Animator) and probably never will. Look at this list! Red crosses everywhere...

Currently I'm only using 8 out of 58 apps or services (14%.) !!!

But I pay for all of it = 100%. Is this fair?

Even with a sort of a weighting system, I use 6 out of 29 Desktop Apps (20%), 1 out of 18 iOs Apps (6%), 1 out of 11 Services (9%)

Even considering the non-Desktop apps as fluff - which they aren't when you need them and use them for work. Even considering that some apps weigh more than others: Photoshop say, I'm not hitting HALF of the value.

What's your stance with this? 

How to Find and Install Previous Versions of Apps in Adobe Creative Cloud 2018

From the Creative Cloud App Manager, select the Apps Tab and select either All Apps, or My Apps.

Next to each app, you will see a button marked Open with a small arrow/triangle to its right.

Click on the triangle, it will reveal a short pull down menu. In the case of Photoshop CC, you will see:

- View Tutorials
- Other Versions
- Uninstall

Click on Other Versions and you will see a list of available previous versions for installation.

Click on Install to Install the version of your choice.

Note that the list depends on the App. Audition CC (2018) for example only offers CC 6.0 and CS6 5.0

Adobe Creative Cloud 2018 Individual Apps Installers - No more - Now Dolby AC3, MTS is missing

Adobe CC 2018 is here!  Wait... It's still 2017. Oh well, Adobe Apps still look like it's 1983.

Update from the Adobe CC App Manager, or download individual installers from this Adobe page: https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/creative-cloud-apps-download.html

UPDATE:

1) As of 10-31-17 Adobe has removed these individual installers links from their webpage. Only update option now is through the App Manager.

2) There seem to be some sneaky business going on as Adobe removed Dolby AC3  from Media Encoder 2018 without telling users - all the while raising their subscription price, thank you. Shameful non-communication on Adobe's part.

Possible workaround to bring back Dolby codecs to AME 2018 here. (Update: this page has been deleted by Adobe - Thanks!)

If you are upgrading, be safe and deselect the Remove Old Versions option. Although there is no guarantee it will keep the Dolby Codec in place.  Any user can confirm this?

On my other machine, I have Encore CS6 (the last available version) with Media Encoder CS6, so the Dolby options are still there in the old version of AME, but I wonder if I install 2018, will it be gone from CS6 as well?  I don't want to risk it.

UPDATE:

Dolby is still there in AME CS6 after the 2018 upgrade. I paid attention to not Remove Old Versions of AME. I also re-installed AME 2017 on my other machine, and AC3 is back on it as well. Crisis avoided. For now.

Adobe Creative Cloud App 4.3.0.256

For the first time the Adobe CC Manager App (v. 4.3.0.256) updated itself without crashing or getting stuck in the process, (read my tribulations here.) On both my Macs under macOs Sierra. No need for the cumbersome workaround.
Cheers to that Adobe!

Why is Adobe CC giving me an (ongoing) Error 86? - Update April 2017

Here we go again...

Trying to update Adobe CC Application Manager and it CRASHES.

Update after update I have the same problem on the same machine:
http://humanuser.blogspot.com/2016/09/adobe-creative-cloud-desktop-app-does.html

So, again I'm downloading the stand alone installer:

https://creative.adobe.com/products/download/creative-cloud

I have no Adobe app running, no Creative Cloud processes running. And again I will try to install and it will not go through.

There you go.

OK, so I'm running the Un-Installer, and then the Installer again, see if it works, else I will have to spend an hour with Adobe on the Chat to fix this crap.

--- And by the way why is the Installer must be downloaded each time I try to install? Can't this be downloaded once in the background, and then simply run on the machine? I don't get it.

Downloading again...

Finally! Success!

Well I'm glad I saved this workaround how-to, else I would have forgotten what to do.

Let's do some work now.

How do you like your current Adobe Creative Cloud subscription?

I'm currently a CC subscriber. I started a few years ago with a $39.99 /mo discount, that automatically turned into $49.99 /mo after the first year.

I wasn't too happy about that, talked to Adobe and I got a second year at $39.99 as a "Black Friday Special". After these two years, the subscription turned into the current regular price of $49.99 /mo and I was out of option for a special discount.

Well, the thing is I'm not too happy about this situation... At $39.99 /mo it's $479.88 /year which I feel is a fair price for what I'm getting.

At $49.99 /mo that's now $599.88 /year which is a bit steep. I would be OK to pay $499.99 for the year, but not more. Currently I pay $99.88 more /year than I am confortable paying.

What to do though? I can't use any Special anymore, seems like Adobe are out of discounts for us current users. If you are a new user, you can occasionally get the $39.99 entry price, but after that, nada.

My primary NLE is FCPX, I probably use it 50% of the time. Then I use Premiere maybe 40% of the time, and MC 10% of the time (at best.)

In addition to Premiere, I use Media Encoder heavily. Then I often find myself firing-up After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator and Audition for specific tasks that I know how to do quickly and efficiently in these apps.

I have no use for any other Adobe CC app as it is. So I pay $49.99 for ALL APPS (25 of them) but I use only 6. That's only 1/4th of the apps count and I'm not counting the iOS apps. Actually, I'm also using Portfolio (out of laziness to just set up a proper website.)

Anyway, I certainly wonder why I need to pay for all the other stuff I'm not using. Now If I only pay for single apps, it's obviously more at 6 X $19.99 = $119.94 /mo. This does not fly at all. I wish Adobe would offer more plans in addition to the $9.99 Photoshop, $19.99 Single App, and $49.99 all apps.

How about $9.99 Single App, $19.99 four apps, $29.99 eight apps, $39.99 sixteen apps, $49.99 all apps? Even better, add the option to scale up or down at will during the 12 month period. Too confusing? Too complicated to implement?

Would you like that? I would!

Adobe Encore CS6 (basic BD screener) works fine on macOs Sierra 10.12.2

I just created a short BD screener with Encore CS6 on Sierra 10.12.2, everything worked, Preview worked fine.

I encoded m4v and AC3 with Media Encoder, imported the files into an Encore project.

Created a new Timeline, dragged files in, set First Play to Timeline/Chapter1 ("autoplay".)

The project checked OK, I built a Blu-ray image, it went through without hiccups.

Will burn with Toast and check the disc at a later time and report.

Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop App does not update (Error code: 86)

I'm trying to update Adobe CC Desktop App to v. 3.8.0.310 from the App itself, but NO GO!

That's the third time I try, and the third time it quits in the middle and nothing gets installed.

The App disappears from the Menu bar, when I restart, I'm where I was before: CC App calls for an update...

I when online to Adobe.com and downloaded the stand alone Adobe CC installer:
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/desktop-app.html

Ran the installer, which initiates a download of CC Desktop as well, in the middle of the download I get an error message:

"We've encountered the following issues:
Another version of Creative Cloud desktop is currently running. To Continue, please quit that instance and click retry. (Error code: 86)"

What the hell? Clicking "Retry" brings the same error message over and over.

- SOLUTION -
https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html

This is what worked for me:
Download and run the Adobe uninstaller:
https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html

After this goes through, run the Adobe installer:
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/desktop-app.html

There! This time it worked. Ahh!  The bliss.