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APK-1

I cannot confirm your findings with my Premiere Elements 8 (Windows XP Professional, SP3).

I brought your video into Premiere Elements 8 from the saved hard drive location, using Premiere Elements 8's Get Media/Files and Folders. At that time, an Activation Component message appeared at the lower right hand corner of the screen, followed by a rapid component activation.

When the video was dragged to the Timeline from the media and played back in the Edit Mode Monitor, the video quality and hue were normal and the audio quality was also good. Toward the end of the video, the wall area looked a little light pink, and I was not sure if that was a cast or the effect of the video lighting. But, colors for the background, skeleton, pumpkin, and everything else were as would be expected for those objects and looked like true colors. The Premiere Elements 8 Effects/Video Effects/Adjust/Channel Mixer effect took care of any light pink wall casts by lowering the Red-Red slider a little under the Channel Mixer Edit Effects.

Since Adobe documents say that the latest version of QuickTime is required for mp4, I should include that I have QuickTime version 7.64.17.73 installed on my computer with Premiere Elements 8. Other computer players are: Windows Media Player (version 10) and GOM Player (version 2.1.21.44.46).

We have lots to explore, which include the mp4 activation process and the QuickTime version. I think that we have already ruled out the setting of "Enable GPU Playback" in Edit Menu/Preferences/General. In the activation message there is a note about "some information" being exchanged. Is it possible that your computer system is interfering with this "some information" exchange and thus leaving you with an incomplete mp4 activation???? For that matter, did you ever see this activation message when you brought your first mp4 into Premiere Elements 8? I will look into this angle as well as others to gauge the situation.

ATR

APK

SANY0002.MP4

According the gspot utility

Video Codec = MPEG-4 Video

Frame Size: 1280 x 720

Frame Rate: 29.97 frames per second

Sar = .1778 (16:9)

Par = 1:1

Dar = 1.778 (16:9)

Audio Codec = MPEG-4 AAC LC

48000 Hz 128 kb/s tot, stereo (2/0)

Premiere Elements 8 Import/Playback

SANY002.MP4 original. Video and Audio imported, but video presented as a bright red matte, but audio was fine.

SANY002.MP4 with file extension changed to .AVI. Video and Audio imported, but video presented as black video, but audio was fine.

Conversion Workaround Solution

Convert file to DV AVI widescreen (720 x 480 with 16:9 flag)

MPEG Streamclip (free MPEG Streamclip + QuickTime Alternative 1.81 (with free MPEG2 Playback Component) and uninstall regular QuickTime OR free MPEG Streamclip, leave your regular QuickTime installed, and buy the required Apple MPEG2 Playback Component)

http://www.squared5.com/

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/

MPEG Streamclip suggested settings:
File Menu/Open, to bring in your video
File Menu/Export to AVI
Then in AVI/DivX Explorer dialog:
Compressor: Apple DV/DVCPRO-NTSC
Sound: Uncompressed
Put a dot next to 720 x 480 (DV NTSC)
Field Dominance: Lower Field First
Up at top right, click on Options, set there for Aspect Ratio = 16:9.
Only if necessary, put a check mark next to Deinterlace Video.
Anything that I did not mention, leave as is.
Finally, click on Make AVI and the job is done quickly and effectively.

This gave great results with your video, and this DV AVI version worked well video and audio wise in Premiere Elements 8.

Your could use the free Prism Video Converter, but the free version is limited to 4:3, and some export types are only available in the purchased version.

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/415317?tstart=0

Prism suggested settings:

Output format = .avi

Encoder Options = DV Encoder NTSC (Direct Show)

Edit Option = check mark next to Resize Video; uncheck Constrain Proportions; set for 720 x 480.

You could also get a .wmv version from this software. Look into that if you decide to use this converter instead of MPEG Streamclip which is my favorite.

There are lots to explore with your original HD MPEG-4 and its problems with Premiere Elements 8. At one point I had this video on a jump drive. When I went to import the video into Premiere Elements 8 from this jump drive, the Media Downloader was triggered. In the intermediate part of this process, a thumbnail of the video being exported is shown in the Media Downloader Advanced dialog. Interestingly, the thumbnail in the Media Downloader showed the video clearly, but once it got into the Premiere Elements 8 media area—bright red matte looking image in Organizer thumbnail and in the Edit Mode Monitor once the video was dragged to the Timeline.

ATR

An interesting turn of events, indeed!

I'll be curious as to what you discover. This is like a good Sherlock Holmes novel, with plot twists all around.

Good luck,

Hunt

As I wrote in a different thread with a similar problem ( http://forums.adobe.com/message/2335268 ), I tried renaming the extension of the MP4 files that didn't work into .qt instead.

That worked fine for me and at least one other person.

Maybe that will make it work for you as well? I tested with the files you attached here and I got it to work here at least.

I did install Apple Quicktime 7.6.5 prior to testing though, so if it doesn't work it could be that you don't have quicktime installed.

<br />

Sjokomelk

Sjokomelk

I just saw your other thread on this matter and tried the .mp4 to .qt for APK's high definition video that I had test previously. IT WORKED so that the video in Premiere Elements 8 displayed without red video.

I am currently working on another issue of red video for 1280 x 720 with file extension .mpg and video codec MPEG2 and tried the same file extension renaming, .mpg to .qt. IT DID NOT WORK. I got a Premiere Elements 8 message "Add Media Failure - The importer reported a generic error."

This current study that I am doing suggests a fundamental problem with the importer and 1280 x 720 with wrapper format, but I need to do a lot more work before I can firm up any conclusions.

Thanks for the .qt in this APK's situation.

ATR

Just wanted to say thank you for this post on the "red screen" prob

lems!  I have recently bought Premiere Elements 8 and also use the San

yo Xacti camcorder!  I was goin

g mad as i could not understand why i couldn't see my video but could hear the audio OK.  I have tried your solution with the change of extension and bingo!  You have just made my day!

Merry xmas to you and your family.

Coco

If you can attach a sample here, maybe more people can give it a go.

I do not know if this will work, but have you tried renaming it to maybe .vob (although it is a container for dvd files it is using mpeg2) or simply just .mpeg (instead of .mpg)? If you know that the media player can play the video, there is a problem with Premiere Elements 8 choosing the right codec.

At least that was my approach to this problem. I knew the media player could play the files I had a problem with, since the right decoder was in the system it was just a matter of having the right decoder decode the video, by renaming the extension you are having the program use a different codec.

Renaming the extension for files might not work for other codec problems than mp4 though. Only reason that I believe the .mp4 to .qt solution works is that  Premiere elements would try using the quicktime library of codecs. To be able to get your mpeg2 files to work I believe you need to find an extension which is using a different decoder.

If you upload a small sample here though maybe more people can test it to see if it works and can test different things.

Merry Christmas and happy hollidays!

<br />

Sjokomelk

I am very grateful for that solution.  I also solved a different problem via the forum when premier elements wouldn't recognise my DVD writer and found out that I could burn to folder instead and use Ashampoo 2010 burning suite to do the physical burning part.  I am still trying to get my head round the capabilities of the program but I suppose practice makes perfect!

Coco