PE 2018 trial cannot load PE 12 project?

[Ken_Stir]

I am shocked!  I thought I would give PE 2018 a try by loading a project I just saved with PE 12.  All my .MTS videos are marked "offline".  When I tried to locate just one of them, I got the error "the selected file cannot be linked because its type (video) does not match the original file's type (audio and video)".

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

All of the MTS files are of the same type.  I appended output of "mediainfo" on the first file below.

General
ID                                       : 0 (0x0)
Complete name                            : C:\footage\0711 59.MTS
Format                                   : BDAV
Format/Info                              : Blu-ray Video
File size                                : 52.9 MiB
Duration                                 : 27 s 1 ms
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 16.4 Mb/s
Maximum Overall bit rate                 : 18.0 Mb/s
Video
ID                                       : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : High@L4
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames                : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP                     : M=2, N=15
Codec ID                                 : 27
Duration                                 : 26 s 960 ms
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 15.5 Mb/s
Maximum bit rate                         : 16.0 Mb/s
Width                                    : 1 920 pixels
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate                               : 29.970 (30000/1001) FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Interlaced
Scan type, store method                  : Separated fields
Scan order                               : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.249
Stream size                              : 49.8 MiB (94%)
Audio
ID                                       : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : AC-3
Format/Info                              : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension                           : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness              : Big
Codec ID                                 : 129
Duration                                 : 27 s 40 ms
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 256 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel positions                        : Front: L R
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                               : 31.250 FPS (1536 spf)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Delay relative to video                  : -67 ms
Stream size                              : 845 KiB (2%)
Text
ID                                       : 4608 (0x1200)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : PGS
Codec ID                                 : 144
Duration                                 : 26 s 461 ms
Delay relative to video                  : -67 ms

[Ann Bens]

Best policy is to finish project in PE12 start fresh in 2018.

but if you delete all media cache, rename top folder footage is in and relink it might work.

[Ken_Stir]

Thanks, Ann, I agree with you that the best policy is to finish the project in the old version.  I was just doing some experiments to see if PE 2018 was worth upgrading to.

I created a new project in PE 2018 trial and loaded some MTS files into it.  No audio track appears.  Adding MP4 files results in both audio + video as expected.

My conclusion is that PE 2018 trial does not load audio from MTS files. 

[Steve Grisetti]

Premiere Elements 2018 definitely does work with MTS files. In fact, they're one of the principle formats it bases its workflow around!

What operating system are you using?

What model of camcorder is your video coming from? How did you get the video from the camcorder to your computer? Did you use the Premiere Elements Video Importer over a USB connection?

One note: I'm not so sure about that codec ID High@L4. Is that a consumer video camcorder?

[Ken_Stir]

Hi Steve, and thanks.

I think it's important to note two things:

• this is the Trial version of PE 2018.  It has watermarks, so I thought it might have other restrictions.
• I have edited the same footage using PE 12, so I know the footage is good.

The footage all came from a consumer camcorder, a Sony HDR-CX455, and were copied to the computer outside PE.  I have edited these videos fine using PE12 and also Cyberlink PowerDirector 16.  My OS is Windows 7 Ultimate.

Taking Ann's advice, I cleared the media cache, renamed and moved the footage to a new directory, then added it to a brand new project; still no audio.  Here is one short piece of footage exhibiting the problem: Dropbox - test.MTS​

[Steve Grisetti]

This clip definitely has audio and it plays fine in my Premiere Elements 14 and Premiere Elements 2018.

But it's very quiet audio. Peaking at about -20 db on the Audio Mixer.

Could it be that your video has audio but it's too quiet to hear?

[Ken_Stir]

> Could it be that your video has audio but it's too quiet to hear?

No.  Here is a screenshot of PE 2018 Trial after inserting it to the timeline, it has no audio track:

and the same clip in PE 12:

> it plays fine in my Premiere Elements 14 and Premiere Elements 2018

Thank you for checking, Steve, I do appreciate your efforts.  It's good to know it plays fine in PE 2018, just sad for me I can't fully evaluate it using the trial.  I did learn a few things though.

[Ann Bens]

Plays fine in 2018.

There might be a restriction on the ac3 codec in the trial as its a payed codec. Not sure though.

One cannot play ac3 in PrPro trial either nor dolby.

[Ken_Stir]

Ann, you hit the nail on the head.  The trial version of PE 2018 can't load AC-3 audio.  Thanks for setting the record straight!

[Steve Grisetti]

I don't know what you mean when you say that the clip comes in with no audio in version 2018 but it also plays fine in version 2018.

[Ann Bens]

Look at the screendump.

[ThoMacy]

Just PURCHASED Premiere Elements 18 (so not Trial) assuming it would be a straight forward upgrade from the 10 I was using. But I have the same problem as in this thread. MTS files (which all of mine are) are loaded with video fine, but no audio; the audio tracks are blank. Ann Bens above says it's related to the AC3 Codec. I don't know if that's what I am using OR how to change it to something else. AND this is the only thread that appears to address the issue. Any help on getting my PE18 to work would be appreciated.

[Peru Bob]

Have you signed in and entered the serial number to convert the trial to the full version?  If so, try restarting the computer.

[ThoMacy]

Thanks. I didn't have the trial version. I bought PE18, downloaded and installed (included signing in and entering serial number). However I did not restart my computer. I just did and the problem still exists. I did try a WMV file and it worked.

[Ann Bens · Accepted solution]

Which Windows are you operating under?

Adobe Creative Cloud apps use native OS support for Dolby

[Ken_Stir]

WOW.  So it's not that PE18 *trial* can't load AC-3, PE18 can't decode AC-3 on Windows 7 and it can't encode AC-3 at all.  Holy downgrades.  I wish I heard that first.  Thank you for saving me money.  The "solution" is to upgrade to Windows 10?

[ThoMacy]

I am running Windows 7 Ultimate.

[ThoMacy]

Still no response from anyone. I have SEARCHED the forums for PE18 and mts file issues and found a real paucity in the results. I have begun trying replies on earlier version problems but nothing seems to solve the problem. And, other than forums, which themselves are difficult to navigate, Adobe provides NO interface (that I can easily find) for resolving these issues. I am getting ready to contact PAYPAL and log a problem with the product asking for reimbursement on my purchase.

[Peru Bob]

ThoMacy  wrote

I am getting ready to contact PAYPAL and log a problem with the product asking for reimbursement on my purchase.

If you purchased from Adobe, there is no need to do that:

See here:

Return, cancel, or exchange an Adobe order

[ThoMacy]

Thank you. I looked at your link and it's pretty straight forward. If I hear no response in the next few days about how to fix the problem, I will deactivate,  uninstall, and "return" both Premiere and Photoshop Elements 18 (purchased together).

[Ken_Stir]

ThoMacy  wrote

Still no response from anyone.

I don't understand, there have been multiple responses in this forum, and we answered your question:  PE18 simply does not support AC-3 audio on Windows 7.  Ann provided a link to Adobe's explanation.  I think it's a poor explanation and you should definitely get your money back.

[ThoMacy]

Thank you. As a VERY spare time user of Premiere, I did not realize AC-3 was equivalent to MTS in the above discussions. When I read Ann's post the first time, I did not see MTS mentioned and wondered why she pointed me to it. I do now.

[Ann Bens]

MTS is not the equivalent for ac3.

AC3 is dolby audio. Most avchd cameras use Dolby (ac3) for audio.

Dolby is no longer supported by Adobe.

If you update your OS to Windows 10 you can import files that contain ac3(dolby)

Setting your camera to PCM audio (if it is possible) is another way of dealing with this Dolby issue.