OK -- I am using CS4 4.2.1, on computer w/ MS Windows XP 2002,  (My computer won't handle CS5 version.)  The videos have extension .avi, from various digital cameras.  The jerky/freezing issue is displaying during edit mode on PremierePro, as well as after I burned it onto a Blueray disc.  I had hoped it was just because of my computer deficencies, and that after export to media and thru the encoding process, it wd turn out OK, but it did not.

Thx for your help Jeff, I will get better at this, and will watch the tutorial that you recommended.

Thank you John, this is extremely helpful.  I read Bill Hunt's post, and that described the problem exactly.  I used the Gspot program, and here are the Codec details on one of my problem video files:

SIZE:  24.9 MB (25,590 KB / 26,204,684 bytes)

File Length Correct

AVI v1.0

Video: 24.8 MB (99.29%)

Audio: 165 KB (0.65%)

AVI Overhead 16.5 KB (0.6%)

User Data/Metadata

[ISFT] CAnonMV102

Audio:

Codec:  PCM Audio

Info:  11024Hz 88 kb/s (1 chnl)

Stat:  No Codec Required

Codec: MJPG

Name: Motin JPEG

Status:  Codec(s) are installed

Len 0:15:400    Frms  462   kbps 13515  Qf 1.466

Pics/s  30.000    Frames/s  30.000

pic (wxh) 640-480

sar  1.333 (4.3)  par 1.000 (1.1)  dar 1.333 (4.3)

*************

So, according to Mr Hunt, it wd appear that I need to convert this video file into Spearmint gum?  What is the program to do that??

I neglected to include the info in the last bottom box on the GSpot window -- it is headed by: Proposed Codec Solutions and Tests:

I clicked all the buttons, and it ends up with "Render OK.  The Following combination of filters was used:  and then a bunch of code.

I clicked the LAST blue button, and voila -- there was my video playing perfectly.  I'm just not clear on how I apply that "combination of filters"

to my video to make the conversion.

Message was edited by: queenfa1

I am happy to report back that finally, after many hours of reading the various posts and reveiewing various software that all of you suggested, I found one quite simple solution, in the body of this post by Steve Grisetti:    http://forums.adobe.com/thread/415317.   Even as a novice, I was able to quite simply convert my problem video files (from older model digital cameras, canon and samsung) by using Windows Moviemaker, of all things.  It worked like a charm, converted the files to DV-AVI in a matter of seconds, and they now play beautiffully in Premiere Pro.  I also got quite an education on codecs in the process.   Thank you everyone.

Thank you Hunt.  I will definitely try that route first, if I encounter the issue again, and it is one of my own cameras.  This time, unfortunately, I was putting together a retrospective on someone's life, and utilizing footage from various (unknown) sources where the stills/video clips had been taken sometimes many years ago by people I don't know.

Thx again!