Chapter Problem with Multiple Timeline Assets

Question

Using Premiere Pro 2.0 and DV assets exported from Premiere.
Normally I just create a single export out of Premiere and all works well. This time I decided to try a different workflow, taking advantage of Encore's ability to add multiple assets to the same timeline. This way, I figured, if any changes are needed, only one part will have to be reexported and retranscoded, instead of the whole thing.
So the first asset places in the timeline OK. The second asset generates a warning message, asking me if I want to "replace existing chapters with source marker in the asset".
Now first of all, there are no existing chapters in the section of timeline where the new asset is being added, so I don't know why it's asking if I want to replace them. But that's a minor annoyance. The real problem is that all the chapter markers in the second asset, whether I click Yes or Cancel in response to the warning, end up squished towards the beginning of the second asset. The first chapter marker is correct, and all chapter markers thereafter are redistributed 12 frames apart from there. I only noticed this when I expanded the timeline view.
I thought maybe I had exported from Premiere incorrectly, but if I remove the first asset and place the second asset in the timeline first, the chapters appear where they should. It seems that any asset after the first exhibits this squished marker syndrome, and I don't have a clue why, or how to fix it.
Anyone have any ideas here?

Answer 1

OK, I just tried replacing the middle timeline clip here. Logistically, it works.
Here's what I did.
1. New project. Add 3 pre-transcoded elementary mpeg and ac3 streams to the timeline.
2. Check project.
3. Fix the reported error about gaps between clips. Unfortunately, I had to move the 3rd clip 12 frames away from the 2nd clip. This will introduce a 12-frame gap between clips. I did not try to build with the error uncorrected. NB: There was no gap error concerning the boundary between clips 1 and 2, so I expect the problem is clip specific.
4. Build a disc image. All of the audio was ac3, and with the different audio clip lengths (all less than 1/2 second difference), Encore re-transcoded the audio, and only the audio. My suggestion here is to use .wav files only.
5. Use File>Replace Asset to replace the middle clip audio and video streams with new, shorter ones.
6. Trim out the danger stripes in the timeline and butt the video and audio of the 3rd clip perfectly up against the end of the middle clip.
7. Check project. No gap error this time.
8. Build disc image.
I mounted each image in turn and played them in WinDVD. They played as expected. I cannot speak to how truly seamless the playback is because all of the clips I have for testing fade to black at the end. But WinDVD did not hesitate when going from clip to clip and there were no freeze frames that I could see.
So upgrading to CS3 will let you do what you want. It may be a perfect solution, and it may not, but it is certain to be better than what you get from En 1.5 going from timeline to timeline.