Premiere Elements 15 preview is heavily lagging

[graemeh45580246]

Hello-

I have a capable computer which exceeds the system requirements, but my preview when I try to edit lags to the point the software is useless to me.

I am wondering two things:

1)  Is this something to do with the project settings?

2)  If I change my software settings, will this help and furthermore, am I still able to export into 4k if I lower the resolution in the project settings say to 720

[Bill Sprague]

Your project settings need to match your primary footage.  Even with that, after doing some editing adjustments, you may need to "render" fresh previews.  The key to this is that a colored line will show up above the timeline in the Expert view during editing showing that a render is needed.

Listed system requirements are about the minimums to get Premiere Elements to run.  They do not provide what is needed to edit 4K.

What is the source of your footage, what are you trying to accomplish, what are the details of your computer and how are you setting up the project?

FWIW, I have a i7 laptop with 16GB of memory and routinely edit and output 4K from Panasonic cameras.  It exceeds the minimum requirements.  In other words, Premiere Elements is fully capable of working with 4K if the computer is strong enough.

[graemeh45580246]

Thank you so much for replying

I am trying to edit 4k from a Phantom 4.

I am thinking it could be the problem with the Codec?   H264 vs H265?  

I am wondering if this could be the problem.  

I will try my edits on a more powerful machine to see if that solves the issue.

The project (since I am new to elements) I saw was listed at 1080 60FPS...however, I know my shots were in 30 FPS.  Could that be it?  If I set up the project in lower resolution, could I still export to higher 4k?    Another question.   Doesn't Adobe elements auto recognize the input and then set up the project based on the media?  If I mix and match footage for example, Go Pro/DJI Phantom, Canon 7D...will this cause laggy or preview issues as well?    I may have to upgrade to I7 with 16 to get something going here.  I am on an i5 with 8 RAM but I should still be able to edit.  Right now I can hardly preview, and nothing seems to be playing back.  I am getting 0 - 1 FPS after rendering. 

[Steve Grisetti]

Bill is right. What operating system do you have? What processor are you using with how much RAM?

If your system doesn't have enough power, no minor tweaking is going to help you edit 4K video.

[Bill Sprague]

graemeh45580246  wrote

Thank you so much for replying

I am trying to edit 4k from a Phantom 4.

I am thinking it could be the problem with the Codec?   H264 vs H265?  

I am wondering if this could be the problem.  

I will try my edits on a more powerful machine to see if that solves the issue.

The project (since I am new to elements) I saw was listed at 1080 60FPS...however, I know my shots were in 30 FPS.  Could that be it?  If I set up the project in lower resolution, could I still export to higher 4k?    Another question.   Doesn't Adobe elements auto recognize the input and then set up the project based on the media?  If I mix and match footage for example, Go Pro/DJI Phantom, Canon 7D...will this cause laggy or preview issues as well?    I may have to upgrade to I7 with 16 to get something going here.  I am on an i5 with 8 RAM but I should still be able to edit.  Right now I can hardly preview, and nothing seems to be playing back.  I am getting 0 - 1 FPS after rendering. 

I had an i5 laptop with 8GB RAM and it was "laggy" with 4K from my Panasonic cameras.  I am now happy with a i7 laptop with 16GB.  4K video editing and game playing are two things that need a lot of computer.

I'm pretty sure your cameras are incapable of using H.265.  Try to set them all to the best 4K in MP4 (that uses H.264).

Are you using footage from a GoPro that is attached to the Phantom?  Or is it footage from a DJI camera?

Even though there are options to set up the project manually, Premiere Elements sets the project automatically.  Start a new project and put a clip from the "most important" source on the timeline.  When you then check the project settings, you should have 4K settings at 30fps if that is coming from you drone.    You should still be able to add footage from your other cameras.  However, there will probably be a colored (red/orange) line that shows up above the timeline over footage that does not match the project, especially the Canon.  The orange line is a strong suggestion that you need to tell Premiere Elements to "render" previews to speed up the editing.  There is a button on the screen or you can just press "Enter". 

I'm unsure if you will succeed at mixing footage from the Canon with the drone.  If you put some sample clips on DropBox (or similar), I can try it on my computer.  My understanding is that the Canon does not shoot 4K.  1080HD at 60fps may not mix with 4K at 30fps in any editor.  You may have to lower the quality of the drone footage or convert it match the Canon.