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What's new in Premiere Elements 13?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 12:22:29 GMT

Premiere Elements 13 is more of a refinement than a major overhaul of Adobe's consumer video editing program. Though there are a couple of cool new features worth noting:

• New Guided Edits. Version 13 adds more tasks to its library of Guided Edits – step-by-step walkthroughs of its tools and effects.

• The Shake Stabilizer. The Shake Stabilizer is a very nice update of the old Video Stabilizer effect.

• Favorite Moments. A brand-new feature in version 13 is Favorite Moments, a tool for selecting the best moments from a video clip and compiling them into a smooth, new video sequence.

• Video Story. Certainly the most exciting new feature in Premiere Elements 13, though, is Video Story, an advanced tool for assembling clips and building stories using templates and semi-automatic tools.

• Burn your disc to ISOs and Folders. In version 13, your DVDs and BluRays can be burned directly to a disc or they can be archived as ISO image files for later burning to disc.

• Organizer enhancements. The Elements Organizer has also been given a tune-up. The interface has been nicely decluttered, and there’s even tighter integration with Adobe’s Revel “cloud”.

But the most interesting addition is the new theme-based Slide Show Creator, a tool that, for the first time, is available on both the PC and Mac versions of the program.

• Elements Live (eLive). Elements Live is a link directly from the programs to an exclusive web site full of exciting ideas, tutorials and other content especially for Elements users.

For screen shots and more details on these new features, as well as tutorials demonstrating how these new features work, see the links on the left side of this page.

*** Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 13 ***

Correcting Out Of Sync (OOS) Issues

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 16:44:08 GMT

This is a short piece on how to correct OOS (Out Of Sync) issues that are constant, i.e. the Audio is not in sync with the Video (or still images) and it is constant - the degree of OOS does NOT drift over time, but is always the same.

While it is written for use in PrPro, it works in PE, as well.

Imagine that we have one Clip in our Video Track (VT) and one Clip in our Audio Track (AT). We realize that our Audio does not match up to our Video. Words do not match the lips in a Close Up (CU), or a drum beat occurs before, or after the stick/mallet hits the drum.

The first thing that I do, especially if the sound on the AT comes after the visual in the VT is to add about 02 sec. of Black Video (via the New icon at the bottom of the Project Panel>Black Video, and then trim it to 02 sec. in the Source Monitor) to the Head of the Video Clip. More on this later. Now, we find a good audible and visual key. If we shot a clapper/slate at the beginning of the scene, we’re home free. However, we seldom have a clapper/slate, so we need something else. Let’s use a CU of someone speaking for the visual, and the words that they speak for the audible keys. Look closely at the CU of the speaker in the VT. Find a word being formed, that we recognize. Place an Un-numbered Marker at that point. Also, compress the Work Area Bar (WAB) to cover a few dozen frames before and after that Marker. Watch closely and listen carefully to the footage under the WAB. Does the Audio come before the Video, or after it? If it comes before, then we know we’re going to slide the Audio-only to the right. The Black Video, that we added will not come into play. More often, the Audio is after the Video, and this is why we added that Black Video.

We have the Marker over our visual key, and the WAB set to the area around it. Turn OFF Snap (s key toggles it), as we want to be able to freely move the Audio without it interfering with our movements. Zoon in on the Timeline so that we can both see it clearly and to restrict our next movements to much smaller degrees. I also vertically expand the VT and AT to see both the Video and Waveform display well. Look at the Waveform display for the Audio and try to find that point where the word, or sound is displayed. Alt-click on the Audio Clip. This basically "un-links" it from the Video on a temporary basis. That is what we want. While still holding down the mouse key, slide the Audio to the left (or right depending on whether the Audio precedes, or follows the Video). Unfortunately, when we go to slide the Audio, the Waveform display greys out. I’ve made feature requests to have the display NOT change, as is would make this action so much easier. I try to Alt-click on the spot where the Waveform display indicates the sound. Slide to get that point under our Marker. Release the mouse button, and watch carefully and listen closely. Are the two now in sync? If not, are they really close? Have we now shifted the OOS from after, to before our sync point? Alt-click again and nudge the Audio in the appropriate direction. This can take a bit of time, but the Zoom-in on the Timeline gives us pretty fine movements. Continue to adjust, and then play/listen. Each time that we release the mouse button, the Audio re-links to the Video. Finally, we have re-established sync.

Now, hit the Home key, to get to the beginning of our Clip. If the Clip that we are working on is not the only Clip on the Timeline, hit the PageUp to go to the Head of our Clip. We will address the Black Video now. If our Audio preceded the Video, we just remove it. If our Audio followed the Video, we now will have some of the Audio beneath the Black Video. That is why we added it, to allow us to freely move the Audio to the left. Depending on what the Audio Clip contains in the space that it is beneath the Black Video, we might just be able to shorten the Audio Clip to the Tail of the Black Video - basically setting a new In Point for the Audio. If it is something important, then we have a little problem in that we have no Video to go with it. There are a couple of thing that we can consider. The first is leaving the Black Video in and adding a Dip-to-Black Transition. between it, and the beginning of our Video. This is in effect, a "J-Cut." We will hear the Audio, before we see any Video. The Audio is heard, and then the Video fades up from black. The use of both the J-Cut and the L-Cut (the opposite, where we see the Video, before we hear the Audio, is a very effective means to add some drama to the edit. If you have never explored either of these techniques, now is the time to do so. They slightly disarm your audience and lead to heightened expectations. Here, we’ll assume that we can just re-set the Audio’s In-Point and then can delete the Black Video.

Look closely at the Head of the Audio Clip. You will see a number with either a "+" (Plus sign), or a "–" (Minus sign). Make note of this number, as you will use it for all of your additional OOS Clips from the same source, i.e. with the exact same OOS issue. If it’s not perfect for any more Clips, it will be very, very close, saving you time, as you’ll use it as your "starting point," to establish sync.

Now, turn Snap back on (s key toggles it), or you’ll miss it with later editing. We’re done.

If your OOS issue does drift over time. You can use the method above to correct it, but we’ll likely have to cut the Clips into smaller pieces with the Razor/Scissors Tool. As you can see, we’ll then be working on short "snippets" of our original Clip. This can become tedious, but with patience and careful viewing and listening, one can correct all but the worst drifting sync problems. If you are working with drifting sync, you really do need to consider those J & L-Cuts, as you’ll likely need to use them.

Hunt

What's new in Premiere Elements 12?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 12:09:58 GMT

Version 12 of Premiere Elements isn't the major overhaul of the interface that version 11 was, but it still includes a number of very nice new features. They include:

A new, intuitive Auto Smart Tone tool for easily adjusting your video's black, white and midtone levels.
Guided Edits, which walk you through the basics of video editing, one step at a time.
Four new FilmLook effects, so you now have 16 ways to change the entire mood of your video with a couple of quick clicks.
A new, improved Motion Tracking tool for adding graphics and text to your movies that follow a person or object around the video frame.
Adjustment Layers, which allow you to apply an effect to any or all of your movie in one swoop.
Scores, Adobe's tool for creating custom, royalty-free music tracks for your videos.
Greater integration of the entire Elements suite with the AdobeRevel.com cloud. Now your videos and photos can be available any time, and from any device loaded with the Revel app.
Improvements to the Elements Organizer, including more advanced tools for managing and searching your media files and new tools for loading photos and video directly to Adobe Revel, Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about the latest versions of Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements as well as screen shots of the new tools, see the articles linked to on the left side of this page:

http://muvipix.com/pe12.php

How do I combine several short movies into one large project?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 12:23:16 GMT

You’ll often find a longer project much easier to work with if you work on it in shorter pieces. Doing this can minimize system lugging and maximize program responsiveness as well as reduce the likelihood that you’ll run into problems when you try to output your finished movie.

Once each segment is finished and output, open a new project and combine the segments into a final mix.

In order to do with this minimal loss of quality and maximum performance, you’ll want to output each segment in its ideal video format – a format that the program is designed to work with natively and won’t have to re-render. Instructions for outputting each of these ideal video formats are found below.

The ideal source video format for a standard definition video project is the DV-AVI, although DV-MOVs will also work.

The ideal source video format for a high definition video project is either the 1920x1080 HDV MPEG or the 1920x1080 MTS AVCHD file.

For standard video

If you’d like to export your video project – or even a portion of your project – so that you can import it into a standard definition Premiere Elements video project on a Windows computer, use Publish & Share/Computer/AVI with the DV preset option. The file you output will have an .avi suffix

The Macintosh equivalent to the DV-AVI file is the DV-MOV. To output a DV-MOV file from your project, use Publish & Share/Computer/MOV with the DV preset. The file you output will have a .mov suffix.

For high-definition video

If you’d like to export your video project – or a portion of your project – from an HDV (tape-based high-definition) project for use in another HDV project, use Publish & Share/Computer/MPEG with the MPEG2 1920x1080i 30 preset (or 1920x1080i 25 for PAL).

If you’re working on an Full AVCHD project, output your video by clicking Publish & Share/Computer/AVCHD and using the M2T 1920x1080i preset (with the appropriate frame rate). For more information on outputting AVCHD video.

Both forms of high-definition video will output with the .m2t suffix.

(From The Muvipix.com Guide to Adobe Premiere Elements)

The timeline on my Mac zooms when I add a clip to it.

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:31:03 GMT

The Expert view timeline sometimes zooms in if you drag a clip from Finder or the Project Assets panel to the Expert view timeline. The Expert view timeline can also zoom in if you drag the clip handles to trim a clip.

This behavior is most obvious when working with Adobe Premiere Elements on MacBook Pro with retina display.

Adobe has posted the following fix.

http://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-elements/kb/expert-view-timeline-zoom-in.html

Why isn't my DVD as clear and detailed as my original footage?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:24:07 GMT

If you're using the proper workflow and a good video source, the quality of the DVD will be virtually identical to the original video.

The exceptions are:

1) High-def video. DVDs are standard definition 720x480 video. That's less than one-sixth the resolution of high-def video. So no DVD is going to look as clear, as high-resolution or as detailed as 1920x1080 video. This will be particularly obvious if you're viewing your DVD full-screen on your computer. Your computer monitor is many times the resolution of a DVD (or a standard definition TV set). So a DVD at full-screen is virtually always going to look fuzzy. And, depending on the software you use to play it on your computer, it may show interlacing or combing. This is because TVs are interlaced and computer monitors are not.

2) Photos are also reduced to 720x480 pixels. So no DVD is going to look as clear, as high-resolution or as detailed as your original photos. In fact, if you shoot your photos on even a 5 megapixel camera, your DVD will be nearly one-fifteenth the resolution.

We've addressed many of these issues at length on this forum. This is the nature of DVDs and has nothing to do with the software.

The real trick is addressing the term "quality" -- which posters use pretty generically. When people say the "quality is not near the original" are they talking about resolution, color, focus, exposure and lighting? On this forum we've done side-by-side comparisons of original footage with the DVD results. When both are at the same resolution, the results are virtually identical. (VLC Player does probably the best job of de-interlacing DVD video for computer playback.)

When compared side by side, a 640x480 screen capture of your original footage or photo should look almost identical to a de-interlaced screen capture of your DVD image at 640x480.

What's new in Premiere Elements 11?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:26:33 GMT

Adobe has given the entire Elements suite a major overhaul in version 11. Premiere Elements, Photoshop Elements and the Elements Organizer all have completely redesigned interfaces – bright, uncluttered workspaces with easy-to-read text and tools tucked away until you need them.

But, in addition, Adobe has added some very nice new features:

In Premiere Elements:

64-bit support for Windows 7 and 8 as well as for Mac OSX.
Automatic project set-up, based on the first clip you add to your timeline.
Expanded support for video from portable devices, like iPads and smartphones, as well as new support for AVCHD 1080p.
The old Sceneline has been replaced by Quick view, a full-featured timeline for quickly pulling together video projects.
The Time Remapping effect, which allows you to suddenly shift your video into fast or slow-motion and then back again!
A new Adjustments panel offers access to a number of tools for improving your video’s color and sweetening your audio.
The old Properties panel has been replaced by a new, easier to use, easier to access Applied Effects panel.
A library of FilmLooks that instantly make your videos look like a haunting horror film, a stylish film noir or a sunbleached summer memory.
There’s no longer the need for a second installation to add additional content. The program now downloads additional content, including Movie Menu and InstantMovie templates, automatically as needed.

The Organizer

A redesigned interface that helps you sort your media files by date, place, event and even the people in them.
A more powerful interface for locating your files and filtering your searches.
An improved Media Analyzer that gathers more information more efficiently, and less intrusively, than ever.
Tools for uploading your photos and videos directly to YouTube, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Photoshop Showcase and Adobe Revel.

For more information on these new features, see Adobe's official product page.

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere-elements.html

For a review and walkthrough of the new interfaces for Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements 11, see the PDF links on the left side of this page:

http://Muvipix.com/pe11.php

FAQ: My files are missing from Elements Organizer, or How to reconnect your images?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:01:31 GMT

What is Elements Organizer?

The Elements Organizer can be used to arrange, codify, systemize, group, and classify your media. When you import your images and video into the Orgnizer, you are adding information about your files to a catalog. Your files remain on your hard drive where they were, unless you are importing them from a camera, in which case the files are copied to your hard drive to a location of your choosing.

What is an Elements Organizer catalog?

The catalog is a database that stores information about the files you've imported into Elements Organizer. When importing a file, the first thing Organizer does is collect the file's name and location on the hard drive. If the file has any attached compatible metadata, such as keyword tags, these are imported as well. You can use multiple catalogs and yourr catalogs can be carried forward from version to version.

Why does Elements Organizer say my files are missing?

Since the catalog database only stores information about your file, and not the file itself, if any of that information is changed outside of Elements Organizer, the connection to the file is lost. There are three ways this can happen: the file name is changed, the file location is changed, or the file has been deleted. If you need to rename, move, or delete a file, you can do so within the Elements Organizer, and then the connection is not lost.

What is Reconnecting?

When a file has been renamed, moved, or deleted, the catalog database needs to be updated with that new information. The Reconnection process allows you to point out a file's new name, it's new location, or to delete the database entry on your file if the file no longer exists on your hard drive.

Where can I learn more?

Managing Files in Elements Organizer

Managing Catalogs in Elements Organizer

Reconnecting Media in Elements Organizer

FAQ: Premiere Elements Hanging, or Crashing - Some Tips

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:40:56 GMT

There are many things that can be going on with one's system, and even a brand new system (possibly more likely with a new system?). Neale has assembled a checklist that one should explore first:

Work through these basics to see if it cures your problems.

Install all Windows Updates.
Install latest version of Apple QuickTime (v7.6.9 at time of writing). Even if you don't use QuickTime, PRE relies heavily on it.
Install most recent graphics and sound drivers from the manufacturer's web sites.
Install PRE9 v9.0.1 update, same for PrE 10, or later, or any patches for your version of PrE - check Adobe's site.
Delete BadDrivers.txt (in Windows 7 this is likely at C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Premiere Elements\9.0\BadDrivers.txt) Note: location will be slightly different for each version of PrE
Run Disk Cleanup.*
Run Defragmenter.
Reboot your PC.
Temporarily disable any anti-virus realtime scanning.
Check your HDD's free-space. PrE needs about 20 - 30GB, just to run, and when editing, needs about double that, for the working files. *

And give us some information about your clips and hardware:

Use the GSpot Codec Information Utility, or MediaInfo, to analyse the file and post screen image.
What project preset did you use?
Where did the clip come from?
How did you get it into PRE?
Post back here with the necessary information described here: Got a Problem? How to Get Started

There are several FAQ Entries, found in Premiere Elements FAQ's, on the right of the main forum page, and these address some of the issues covered above, plus also offer some tips on tuning up your system for NLE (Non Linear Editing) work. Be sure to read all of the FAQ Articles.

In the Tips & Tricks sub-forum, there are many articles related to program/computer hangs, crashes and even the dreaded BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). They are accessed via the link to Tips & Tricks, also to the right of the main forum page. Here are a few, that might offer some great tips, and things to explore:

Clean, Lean and Mean Editing Machine (with some Win7 Tune Up Tips via the contained links)

BSOD - A Serious Issue (with links to other articles, and also to the MS Web site, for The Case of the Unexplained)

Memory & Resouce Issues - Windows Virtual Memory

For issues with source files, see these articles:

Problem With An AVI File? - The Lowdown (Discusses other formats, which are also just "wrappers")

MP3 Files - Having Problems?

MJPEG - How to Handle it

CODEC's A Primer

Hope that these are helpful, and special thanks to Neale for his assembly of the checklist.

Hunt

* PrE, like most NLE (Non Linear Editing) programs, creates very large working files. These are necessary for it to do the work. Having 30 - 40 GB of defragmented, free space is necessary for the program to work properly. Note: with HDD's, once one gets to about 70% of capacity, the performance will go down. The closer to 100% capacity one gets, the lower the performance. Also, as 70+ % is reached, the mechanical wear on the HDD will increase. As one approaches 100% capacity, the likelihood of catastrophic failure of the HDD will increase greatly, as performance declines. Keeping the use of a HDD below about 70% is important for performance and for the health of the HDD.

Message title was edited by: Brett N

FAQ: Problem with AVI File - The Lowdown

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:18:28 GMT

Why doesn’t my .AVI file Import, or play properly in Premiere? Hey, it’s an .AVI file. Why can’t Premiere work with it? It played fine in Windows Media Player (WMP), and VLC Player. Even QuickTime Player does a good job. What’s up with Premiere?

Sound familiar? You may even have asked some of the same questions. What’s the answer?

Well, it comes down to CODEC’s. Those are the mysterious little modules that allow one to either encode, or decode Audio and Video files. With but a very few, and some rather esoteric exceptions, these little guys are lurking around every Audio or Video file that you will ever see. Their handiwork is in there someplace, but we can’t really see it.

If you’ve ever used an Adobe program to Burn a DVD, you’ve used the MainConcept MPEG-2 CODEC, whether you realized it, or not. That is but one of many hundreds of CODEC’s. They are everywhere.

Now, I mentioned .AVI files, but various CODEC’s play a role in almost every AV file. They do a job, but can also wreck havoc, when one goes to play, or edit a file. To use one, it must be properly installed on the computer. Some come with your OS, but others have to be purchased, or downloaded, and then installed to function.

The file extensions that we see all of the time, things like .AVI, .MOV, .MPEG, .TOD, .MOD, etc. are but "wrappers." There can be so many different things inside those wrappers - read CODEC’s. Imagine that someone has taken many packages of sticks of chewing gum and removed the outside paper from each stick. All we have are the foil "wrappers." That is what those file extensions are. Now, we feel fairly certain that each one contains gum, but what flavor is in each? Is it Double-Mint? Is it Spearmint? Is it Juicy Fruit? That is what we’re faced with, when dealing with most AV files. We think that the file is an AV file and will probably contain either Audio, Video or, in many cases, both. Still, we do not know what flavor is inside the wrapper. We can "sniff" the wrapper, but still do not know for sure. That "sniffing" is what we do, when we look at the file extension. We see .AVI (or other), but that does not tell us much. Here is where a little freeware program, G-Spot comes in. First thing that it does is to survey your entire computer to determine which CODEC’s you have properly installed. Next, when you drag one of your AV files to it, it will give you almost every bit of information on that file. It works most thoroughly with .AVI’s but also will give info on .MPEG’s, .WMV’s and .MOV’s. The amount of info will differ by the file’s format. With .AVI’s it will not only tell you the "flavor" of the gum, but exactly how that gum was made. The most important bits of info will be the CODEC’s used in the creation of that file. If it’s an Audio only file, it’ll yield that info. If it’s a Video only file - same thing. If the file is muxed (multiplexed with both Audio and Video) it’ll tell you both CODEC’s used. Next it’ll tell you if you have the necessary CODEC’s installed properly on your system. If you do not, it will warn you, and also give you the official name of the necessary CODEC. Here, you’ll need to use that name to go out and find it. Google will be very helpful here. Remember, some CODEC’s will be free, and some will need to be purchased. Whichever you end up with, you’ll need to install them properly on your computer.

Next, G-Spot will allow you to Render your file, using the CODEC’s, if installed. This can be a multi-step process, especially with muxed files, as you will need to Render both the Audio and Video. If all completes successfully, G-Spot will offer to play the file in a small viewing window. This is one of the most invaluable tools that you can have. Another is MediaInfo, which is very similar to G-Spot. For a Mac, try MediaImspector (http://mediainspector.massanti.com/).Then, the use of the Properties function in WMP, or QT Player will also come in handy for gathering as much info on the file, as you can. All are useful, but I use G-Spot first and most often.

OK, we now know that the .AVI file is Beechnut Liquorice (DivX CODEC), not my favorite. What do we need to do for this file? First, we’ll need to probably download and install the DivX CODEC. With that, we can play the file in one of our players. Can we edit it? Maybe yes, and maybe no. Note: some players have their own set of CODEC’s and will play almost anything. This, however is not a guarantee that any other program can use those versions of the CODEC’s. As a matter of fact, it’s highly unlikely that any other program can use them.

If we can play it, why would there be a problem editing it? Well, there are major differences in being able to play the file and being able to edit that same file. Some NLE’s (Non Linear Editors) can handle some CODEC’s better than other NLE’s. It could just be a choice between different editing programs. Premiere cannot usually handle DivX, or its open source cousin, Xvid well, if at all. Most NLE’s can’t either. The majority are based on a DV-AVI Type II w/ PCM/WAV 48KHz 16-bit Audio workflow. That is what they handle best. Let’s call that file format Spearmint, my favorite flavor. It’s created with the MS DV CODEC, and works perfectly in Premiere, or most other NLE’s. We’re lucky, because there are programs available that can turn almost any flavor of AV file into Spearmint, er-r DV-AVI Type II. We just need to use one of those to do the conversion, prior to Importing the file into Premiere.

What about feeding Premiere with say Double-mint, and letting it convert internally to Spearmint? Some times Premiere can work with some CODEC’s for editing. Often times its internal conversion will be perfect. Still, there is a price to pay for this and it’s usually performance when editing. On a very powerful computer, one might not notice the necessary internal processing going on, but if the computer is less than state-of-the-art, editing is likely to be slow, and can also crash, or run out of resources. Doing the conversion outside of Premiere is always going to be better, as long as we convert to that DV-AVI Type II format.

Even if Premiere can Import some of these files with other CODEC’s inside, there are very often problems. Some common ones are OOS (Out Of Sync) issues, no Audio, no Video, horribly pixelated Video, partial display of Video or Video and Audio that halt, or stutter.

When you see a .AVI file, think of the foil wrapper on a stick of gum. We think that there’s gum inside, but we first need to find out the flavor.

Hunt

Message title was edited by: Brett N

FAQ: CODEC's, a Primer

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:09:33 GMT

CODEC. That term is used a lot, and is often misunderstood. What is it, and why should I care? Well, at the very basic level, a CODEC is a “device,” that is most often a two-way conversion to either encode, or decode a data stream. For a complete discussion on CODEC’s, please see this Wiki-pedia entry.

In video editing, we use these going both ways.

1.) They allow us to playback an AV file.

2.) They allow us to edit an AV file.

3.) They also allow us to encode, for delivery, an AV file.

They are often .dll (Dynamic Link Libraries), or similar, and are usually installed to our computer as both a file, and as a Registry entry, defining the link to that file, the usage of that file and perhaps linking it to another program on our computer, such as an NLE (Non Linear Editor).

Going back to 1.) and 2.), let’s look a bit more closely. Being able to do 1.) does not insure that we can do 2.). Playback of an AV file on our computer is very different than editing that same file. Having the necessary CODEC installed for 1.) does not mean that 2.) logically follows. Also, be aware that some software players contain their own CODEC’s, so playback might well work with that particular software player, yet not another. That is because the first player contains the necessary CODEC, but it is not installed on our system, so it is not available to other players.

Even if we install it, our particular NLE might not be able to work with it for editing. Part of this is often because the AV file is not in an editable form, but in a “delivery-only” form. It can also be an inability for that NLE to use the CODEC, even though properly installed. Some NLE’s are much more lenient regarding certain CODEC’s, especially those designed for delivery. A good example of one of these is the popular DivX CODEC (and it’s open source cousin, Xvid). Some NLE’s can work with this, so long as the proper DivX CODEC is installed on the system. Some NLE’s will almost always exhibit problems. These can be a lack of video display, a lack of audio playback, a lack of both or perhaps OOS (Out Of Sync) issues. This can be confusing, as one might get good results with one NLE, but nothing in another. That is due to differences in how the code for the NLE’s was written.

As mentioned, some CODEC’s are designed for delivery-only. Some can still be edited, but some cannot. It varies greatly, CODEC to CODEC.

Most CODEC’s provide some form of compression, allowing the resultant file sizes to be reduced. Some do more compression, than do others. This compression will usually result in some quality compromise, though not always. There are several “lossless” CODEC’s that just compress elements in the AV file that do not affect the quality of the audio, or the video. Some do compression that only affects these at a minimal level. The DV-AVI Type II, MS DV CODEC is an example of this. There is compression, and a tiny quality loss, but it can usually not be detected, even with a side-by-side comparison. Other CODEC’s, like the MPEG-2 DVD-Video CODEC do affect quality, but does a very efficient job of compression. This is the accepted compression CODEC for DVD-Video. It was determined to be a good compromise between file size and quality, and is written into the DVD-Specs. This is what is inside the .VOB files, that we see on every DVD-Video disc, tucked into the VIDEO_TS folder, that is always present. It is a delivery CODEC, because it does not contain each “frame” in the AV file completely defined. It uses GOP (Group of Pictures), where there are only a certain number of fully defined frames, and in between these will only be difference frames, that are linked back to the last fully defined frame (the I-Frame). If one does a cut between the I-Frames, there is no longer a reference to that previous I-Frame. That is why most NLE’s need to internally generate files (conversions) from the MPEG-2 material. In this generation/conversion, each full frame is defined - they all become I-Frames.

While some might treat CODEC’s like they would a vampire, if one wishes to understand digital video files, they need to educate themselves in the general concept of CODEC’s, and then learn the details on the CODEC’s used by their specific cameras. To not do this would be tantamount to deciding that they did not wish to learn about film ISO, before the digital days. One does not need to do a PhD program in CODEC’s, but learning the concept, the impact and the uses of these will help them get the best possible quality and also editing experience.

Good luck,

Hunt

Message title was edited by: Brett N

FAQ: What information should I provide when posting, or What do you need to know to solve my issue?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:26:22 GMT

When asking a question on the Premiere Elements user-to-user forums, you can make it easier for folks to help you by proactively providing the answers to the following questions:

What version of Premiere Elements? Include the minor version number (e.g., Premiere Elements 9 with the 9.0.1 update).
Have you installed the recent updates? (If not, you should. They fix a lot of problems.)
What operating system? This should include specific minor version numbers, like "Mac OSX v10.6.8"---not just "Mac".
What kind(s) of image file(s)? When talking about camera raw files, include the model of camera.
If you are getting error message(s), what is the full text of the error message(s)?
What were you doing when the problem occurred?
Has this ever worked before?
What other software are you running?
Tell us about your computer hardware. How much RAM is installed? How much free space is on your system (C:) drive?
Has this ever worked before? If so, do you recall any changes you made to Premiere Elements, such as adding Plug-ins, brushes, etc.? Did you make any changes to your system, such as updating hardware, printers or drivers; or installing/uninstalling any programs?

Screenshots and sample movies are often very useful in showing exactly what you're seeing, and can thus make getting an answer faster and easier. FAQ: How do I capture and post a screen shot or video?

Also, please do everyone a favor and check the Premiere Elements FAQ list and also do a quick Premiere Elements Community Help search to see if your question has been addressed already.

How can I solve Mac installation issues?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:08:16 GMT

First, make sure that you've downloaded or are using the Mac installation disk or file! (The box includes several discs, so make sure you're using the right set.)

Also, if you are installing on OSX Mavericks, download and install this Adobe fix.

http://download.adobe.com/pub/adobe/premiereel/mac/Premiere_Elements_10_Installer_Fix.dmg

But if you're still having problems, check out this helpful knowledge base solution.

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/925/cpsid_92579.html

How can I edit FRAPS video in Premiere Elements?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:36:48 GMT

Although FRAPS isn't the best source format for video in Premiere Elements, some folks at Elements Village have come up with a workflow that seems to work pretty well.

http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67036

Key elements are:

1) The FRAPS software must be installed on the same machine you're editing your video on

2) ffdshow should also be installed

3) It is best to down-sample your video in FRAPS to 1280x720 at 30 fps before you bring it into Premiere Elements

4) Output the video from FRAPS using the Huffyuv codec

5) Edit it in a Premiere Elements project set up for Flip Mino HD 30 (although, in a pinch, it may also work in a project set up for AVCHD Lite 1280x720p)

What's new in Premiere Elements 10?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:28:29 GMT

Version 10 of Premiere Elements includes a number of great improvements in performance and stability, including faster project opening, quicker, more responsive performance and better handling of high-def and AVCHD footage.

In addition, the program includes a number of exciting new features:

• The program not only comes in both Mac and PC versions, but includes 64-bit support for Windows 7 64-bit!

• A new Pan & Zoom Tool and workspace makes creating motion paths over photos easier than ever.

• An Auto Vibrance effect intensifies color and contrast in your videos automatically

• A professional-style Color Correction Tool allows you to adjust and intensify colors in your shadows, highlights and mid-tones.

• A tool for sharing your videos directly to Photoshop.com, YouTube, PodBean and Facebook.

• Greatly expanded AVCHD support, including the ability to burn AVCHD to disc, output AVC and MP4 video in a variety of frame rates and resolutions AND Share presets for creating videos for iPads, Vimeo and even Tivo!

For illustrations and detailed discussions of all of these improvements, as well as a new feature list for Photoshop Elements 10, see the "Details" links on this page:

http://Muvipix.com/pe10.php

What should I do if my FireWire connection isn't recognized in Windows 7?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:47:17 GMT

Bill Hunt offers this solution:

Many users have experienced issues with FireWire devices not working with Win7-64. Often, those same devices worked with their previous OS, but not now. The cameras are not being recognized, or their other FW devices are just not being seen.

This appears to be related to the FW driver that Win7-64 installs by default, at least in most cases.

The "fix" is to go to Device Management, and locate the driver used for FireWire. One would replace that default driver with the one with the word "Legacy" in its name. Fairly simple to do, and it fixes FW issues for most users.

Click Windows Start orb; type "device manager" into the Search box and select Device Manager (or launch Device Manager anyway you like)
Swivel open the "IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers" item
Right-click on your listed 1394 controller; select "Update Driver Software"
Click the "Browse my computer for driver software" button, followed by the "Let me pick from a list" button
Select the option that has "(Legacy)" at the end of the name; click Next and let the driver be installed
Close out of dialogs and retry capture

What should I do if my Text Styles suddenly disappear?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:27:17 GMT

On XP, go to C:/Documents and Settings/[username]/My Documents/Adobe/Premiere Elements/[version]/Styles and rename the file "workingset.prsl" as "workingset.old" so that the program will recreate the file when it is next launched.

On Vista and Windows 7, go to C:/Users/[username]/My Documents/Adobe/Premiere Elements/[version]/Styles and rename the file "workingset.prsl" as "workingset.old" so that the program will recreate the file when it is next launched.

If these files are not visible, you will need to first go to Start/Control Panel/Folder Options and, under the View tab, check Show Hidden Files, Folders and Drives.

How can I correct frame rate issues in Premiere Elements 9?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:23:33 GMT

This Adobe Knowledge Base article includes a replacment .dll that will correct a frame rate issue in version 9.

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/887/cpsid_88760.html

How do I correct the problem with the display driver in Premiere Elements?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:11:49 GMT

First, ensure you do have the latest driver from the nVidia or ATI web site.

Then, in XP, go to C:/DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS/ALL USERS/APPLICATION DATA/ADOBE/PREMIERE ELEMENTS/[version 0.00] and remove or rename the file BadDrivers.txt.

In Windows 7 or Windows 8, go to C:/PROGRAM DATA/ADOBE/PREMIERE ELEMENTS/[version 0.00] and remove or rename the file BadDrivers.txt. (You may need to first go to Start/Control Panel/Folder Options/View and, under Hidden Files and Folders, select the option to Show Hidden Files, Folders and Drives.)

When you next launch Premiere Elements, BadDrivers.txt will be recreated and you will no longer see the message.

How can I work through the limitations of the Premiere Elements 9 trial?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:37:17 GMT

Adobe has a number of suggestions for working with the trial download of Premiere Elements 9.

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/870/cpsid_87080.html

Where can I download additional content for Premiere Elements?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:45:02 GMT

Additional content for the most recent versions of Premiere Elements can be downloaded from this page.

http://www.adobe.com/special/premiereel/downloads/

What Effects and Transitions are not included in the Mac version of Pre9 and 10?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 23:30:57 GMT

The Windows version of Premiere Elements 9 and 10 includes a number effects and transitions that are not available on the Mac version.

The Windows version includes 86 video effects and 23 audio effects.

The Mac version includes 71 video effects and 19 audio effects.

The Windows version includes 111 video transitions.

The Mac version includes 50 video transitions.

A complete list of omitted effects and transitions can be found in the sticky posted to this Muvipix forum.

http://muvipix.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=89

What's new in Premiere Elements 9?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:19:28 GMT

In many ways, Premiere Elements 9 may be the best version of the program Adobe has ever produced!

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/

You won’t find a lot of new bells and whistles in this new build. Not a lot of new, obvious features. This time out the emphasis has been on improving performance – and it certainly shows. Although the few new features that have been added are pretty impressive!

Highlights include:

•Mac compatibility. For the first time ever, the entire Elements Suite – Premiere Elements, Photoshop Elements and the Elements Organizer – has been released in Mac as well as Windows versions.

•Improved support for AVCHD video. AVCHD video can now be edited natively in Premiere Elements! That means you don’t have to render the video (if you’re using the correct project preset) on the timeline until you add effects or transitions to it.

•Support for Flip and still camera video. Version 9 includes project presets for Flip video as well as for a number of still camera video formats, including the the Canon EOS series!

•Toggled Timeline track views. Video and audio tracks can be toggled between a full-size view and a compressed, flattened view, making much more efficient use of the timeline’s vertical space.

•Sharper interface. The program’s interface is now much cleaner, with clear, easy-to-read text on its tabs and tools. Additionally, the brightly-colored Organize, Edit, Disc Menu and Share tabs have been replaced with cool, black tabs so that the program looks more like its professional, big brother programs in the Creative Suite.

•Automatic project settings tool. When the first clip you use in your project doesn’t match your project’s settings, the program will warn you of this mismatch and offer to automatically update the project’s presets for you.

•WebDVD output. A new Share option allows you to output and upload your videos as a Web site that operates like a DVD – complete with menu pages and media links.

•Added NewBlue effects. Some great new effects and transitions from NewBlue – including the very exciting Cartoonr effect for making your videos look like cartoons!

For more detailed information on the new features in both Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements as well as screen shots of the new interfaces and tutorials demonstrating some of the new tools, see http://muvipix.com/pe9.php

How can I get the best quality on YouTube?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:52:57 GMT

Premiere Elements offers Publish & Share functions for uploading directly to YouTube. However, because of occasional issues uploading directly to YouTube and similar sites, many people prefer to create the files as a separate process and upload them manually. (Others claim this actually gives you much better results.)

In versions 10, 11 and 12, the best outputs for YouTube and other online video sites can be found under Publish & Share (Share in version 10), Computer, AVCHD and selecting either YouTube Widescreen SD (standard definition) or YouTube Widescreen HD (high-def) from the preset menu.

For earlier versions of the program, John Cloudman offers this advice for outputting a high-quality hi-def video for YouTube:

Go to Share tab, Computer, QuickTime/MOV. Choose the DV preset and then click the Advanced button.

On the Settings window, do the following:

Video Tab
*Video Codec: H.264
*Quality: 100
*Frame Wdith: 1280
*Frame Height: 720
*Frame Rate: 29.97
*Field Type: Progressive
*Pixel Aspect Ratio: square
*Set Bitrate: checked
*Bitrate: 8000 kbps

Audio Tab
*Audio Code: AAC
*Output Channels: Stereo
*Frequency: 44kHz

That should generate a .mov file that Youtube will handle correctly. You can modulate that Bitrate to reduce the amount of data size, and you can modulate the Quality number to reduce the encoding time. I wouldn't go lower than 3000 kbps for a bitrate or below 50 on Quality. Hope this helps everyone!

Forum poster Felix G relays this method for outputting a high-quality standard definition file for YouTube.

1. From Premiere Elements, select the Share/Personal Computer option, then select the DV-AVI output option (either standard or widescreen).

2. Import this AVI file into Windows MovieMaker, place the file on MovieMaker's timeline and Publish (to your hard drive) a
WMV, dvd-quality (4:3 size) PAL 3,0 M.

3. Upload to the WMV to YouTube. You will need to wait (approx 10 min. per minute movietime) until the uploaded movie is re-encoded by YouTube and released and online in high quality.

What tools can I use to convert my video to DV-AVI?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:11:58 GMT

All video may look the same and sound the same, but it actually comes in many flavors, formats and compression systems (codecs). Premiere Elements is built around a DV-AVI workflow. (DV-AVIs are AVI files that use the DV codec.) This means that DV-AVIs flow easily through it and place the least strain on the program and, ultimately, your system. Not all AVIs use the DV codec, and many (such as video from still cameras) can cause real problems for Premiere Elements.

A good rule of thumb is that, whenever possible, you should use DV-AVIs as your video source.

More information on the why's and how's of converting video for Premiere Elements can be found in my article "Converting Video for Premiere Elements", free from Muvipix.com.

A number of free or low-cost programs will convert your files.

Premiere Elements - Premiere Elements, especially current versions, can often do an excellent job of converting. To use it, open a new project (Use the DVD/Hard Drive Camcorder project setting if you're converting MPEGs to DVD files), import your video and place it on the timeline. Then, with the timelline selected, go to File/Export/Movie. The resultant AVI should work perfectly in any Premiere Elements project.

If you don't get the quality you need or if the program simply can't handle the file format or codec, here are some other options:

MPEG Streamclip (free at http://www.squared5.com ) - A great tool for easily converting MPEGs and VOB files (DVD video files). To use it, open the file with MPEG Streamclip and then open the AVI/DivX Exporter window from File/Export to AVI.

    For Compression select the Apple DV/DVPRO_NTSC (or DV PAL, if appropriate) codec.
    For Field Order select Lower Field First.
    Change the default sound settings from MPEG Layer 3 to Uncompressed.

If you have widescreen footage click on the Options at the top right. Leave the Scan Mode as is but change the Aspect Ratio from 4:3 to 16:9.
If you would like to save these settings, click on the Presets button at the bottom left then click on the New button to name and save your settings. The next time you run MPEG Streamclip, you can go directly to the Presets button and Load your saved settings.

Click on “Make AVI” and choose a folder and filename for your DV-AVI file.

Super (free from http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html ) can convert almost any video format to almost any other video format. It's newest version outputs both PAL and NTSC DV-AVIs.

To use Super, set the Output Container drop-down menu to DV -- and leave everything else at its default setting. (Although, if you are using PAL video, ensure that Video Scale Size is set to 720:576.) Drag the video you want to convert to the area just below the Output specs and click Encode.

Finding the download link on its messy web site is a bit tough though. But you can find it near the bottom of this page

http://www.erightsoft.com/S6Kg1.html

Windows MovieMaker - It’s right on your computer, and it handles a wide range of files. It’s particularly good for converting still camera video to a format Premiere Elements can work with.

To convert a video into a DV-AVI with MovieMaker, simply import it into MovieMaker and drag it to the MovieMaker timeline. Then:

From the Main Menu select File/Save Movie File
A dialog will open - Select ‘My Computer’ and press the Next button.

On the next screen you can name the new file and select/browse to a folder to put the file in (remember where you put it because you will need to browse to the file in Premiere Elements to import to you project). When you have named the file and selected the location press the Next button.

On the next screen, click the link that says Show More Choices. There will be three radio buttons to choose from. Select No. 3, Other Settings and, from the drop-down menu, select DV-AVI.

NOTE: Windows Live MovieMaker, the new, online version of MovieMaker included with Windows 7, will not output DV-AVIs. Fortunately, the "classic" Windows MovieMaker 2.6 is still available on the Microsoft site. You can find it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34

Quicktime Pro ($29 from Apple) - A great tool to own if you use a lot of MOVs (Quicktime) as source files. It not only converts MOVs to DV-AVIs but also includes some basic video editing functions.

VirtualDub (free from http://www.virtualdub.org ) – This terrific tool should be on everyone’s computer. Less a conversion tool than a video processor, it will make many AVIs (including Type 1 DV-AVIs) compatible with Premiere Elements as well as converting many other file types.
Converting is as easy as opening the file in VirtualDub and doing a Save As to create the new, freshly-processed file.

How can I convert my AVCHD footage to an easier high definition format to edit?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:11:18 GMT

AVCHD UpShift, from NewBlue, convert AVCHD (hi-def MP4) to more standard HD-mpeg (hi-def MPEG .m2t), a format that is both more universally editable and which demands significantly less system resources.

http://www.newbluefx.com/avchd-upshift.html

The product sells for $49.95.

Another solution that will convert your AVCHD to formats more easily edited on a PC with no loss quality.
http://www.shedworx.com/voltaichd

Note, of course, with any conversion, your output files will be much larger, so allow for that extra hard drive space.

It sells for $34.99.

More information on the why's and how's of converting video for Premiere Elements can be found in my article "Converting Video for Premiere Elements", free from Muvipix.com.

How can I use footage from one project in another?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:21:52 GMT

The best format for saving your video from one project so that it can be used in another Premiere Elements project is DV-AVI. For hi-def video, the format is HDV.

To save your video as a standard-definition DV-AVI, go to Share, Personal Computer and select the AVI output option with the DV preset. When you're ready to mix together these segments open a new project using the DV settings and assemble them on that timeline.

To save your video as a high-definition M2T video, go to Share, Personal Computer and select the MPEG output option with the 1440x1080 MPEG preset. When you're ready to mix together these segments open a new project using the HDV settings and assemble them on that timeline.

How can I export a completed project from Premiere Elements?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:14:11 GMT

There are a number of formats you can export from Premiere Elements. All are available under the Share tab and the major output formats are available under the Personal Computer option.

To export your completed video for use in another project, use the DV-AVI output option.

To export your video for display on the internet, use the WMV or MOV output options.

How can I force Vista (32 bit) to allocate more RAM space?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:21:35 GMT

According to forum member Eelco van Vliet, Premiere Elements has a memory leak. Also Vista32 only allows 2 gigabytes of memory per process unlike Vista64 and windows7.

To allocate more RAM, go to:

START BUTTON -->ALL PROGRAMS -->ACCESSORIES-->RUN

In the Run box, type:
BCDEDIT /set increaseuserva 4096

Have updates been released for Premiere Elements 8?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:14:52 GMT

In February, 2010, Adobe released a patch for Premiere Elements 8 that fixes a number of issues.

This patch addresses the following:

Crash on launch due to graphics driver incompatibility
Crashers because of GPU based errors in the application
Crashes during capture from DV/HDV cameras
Crashes during playback
Some intermittent crashes (during upload to youtube.com, scrolling through and using effects/transitions etc)

To download this patch, select Check for Updates from the program's Help menu.

What is the best device for capturing analog video?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:23:11 GMT

There’s a difference between a DV bridge and plain old capture device or capture card. Capture devices merely digitize your video input to any of number of video formats. DV bridges, on the other hand, are specifically designed to convert any video and audio input into DV-AVI files, the preferred video format for PC-based video editors. (Macs also prefer DV video, although they are saved as DV Quicktime files rather than AVIs. The video data content, however, is identical.)

DV bridges range from relatively inexpensive to high-end professional devices with time base correction and other video optimizers. The best value on the market in DV bridges and a Muvipix recommended “best buy” is the Grass Valley Canopus AVDC, a favorite of many videographers and available online for under $200. This great device can is a great value if you plan to edit a lot of video from non-DV sources.

Another great device is ADS Pyro AV Link, which is discontinued but can still be found for under $150 obnline. Like the Grass Valley Canopus device, the Pyro AV link will take any AV input (a camcorder, a DVD player, a VCR or virtually any other video source, including live video) and port it into your computer as a high-quality DV-AVI file.

Capturing video from a DV bridge is easy. Just plug your camcorder’s, DVD player’s or VCR’s AV cables (RCA jacks) into the DV bridge’s inputs and plug the bridge (connected by FireWire) into your computer. Windows will recognize the device just as it recognizes a miniDV camcorder connection.

The capture process itself is essentially the same as capture from a miniDV camcorder. The only difference is that, since there’s no direct connection between your video source device and the computer, you won’t be able to control the device with the Capture Monitor’s playback controls. But, once you’ve got the device cued up to the segment you want to capture, you just click the Capture button and you’re good to go!

By the way, these DV bridges can also be used with DVD camcorders and hard drive camcorders, so it’s a great way to make any non-miniDV video 100% Premiere Elements compatible.

An alternative to a DV bridge is a set-up called a pass-through, which essentially uses a miniDV camcorder as a DV bridge.

To do pass-through capture, attach your non-DV camcorder to your miniDV camcorder, via its AV cables, and then link the miniDV to your computer via FireWire. With the miniDV camcorder in play mode (but without a tape inside) the non-DV camcorder’s video then flows through the miniDV and into the computer, where it’s captured as DV-AVIs.

The biggest challenge to using this method is that fewer and fewer new miniDV camcorders support pass-through connection. And it’s very difficult to learn, from most spec sheets, which camcorders do. But, if your miniDV camcorder is pass-through capable, this is a simple and effective method of digitizing almost any analog video input.

What should I do if my program's licensing suddenly stops working?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:38:14 GMT

If you suddenly find your program unable to launch or you get a 150:30 error, it's likely that the program's licensing has corrupted.

Adobe offers this third-party solution that usually fixes the problem.

http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/licensing_download_eula.html

Premiere Elements Basic Training

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:38:38 GMT

If you'd like an overview of the basics of Premiere Elements -- from creating a project through building a timeline, adding effects and titles and outputting your video -- I've created an 8-part tutorial series for Premiere Elements support site Muvipix.com.

It's a great way to introduce yourself to the interface, as well as to introduce you to our training materials and my Muvipix.com guide books for Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements.

You can watch the series here. Hope you'll check them out!

How can I improve the odds that I'll have success with Premiere Elements 8?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:27:57 GMT

Here are some things I've learned over the past several weeks.

1) Ensure you've got enough hardware resources. I wouldn't try to run this program on anything less than a dual-core processor with 4 gigs of RAM and at least 30 gigs of free, defragmented hard drive space. Don't try to edit AVCHD on anything less than a quad core machine.

2) Ensure you have the latest Windows Updates (manually go to Windows Update and get the non-critical updates also) and the latest version of Quicktime and your graphics cards drivers.

3) LET THE PROGRAM COMPLETELY START UP BEFORE YOU TRY TO EDIT! This program takes a long time to fully start up. Wait until it completely loads, all of the clips have thumbnails on them and your hard drive stops churning. (You can even open Task Manager and watch it until the processor calms down.) On a slower machine, it can take 3-5 minutes for the program to completely load and settle down.

4) Whenever possible, use only standard video formats as your source files: MiniDV, HDV (tape-based hi-def) or AVCHD. Watch out for video from things like pocket hi-def camcorders like the Flip.

5) Render often. (I also recommend you go to Edit/Preferencess/General and turn off Background Rendering.) Whenever you see red lines above your clips on your timeline, press Enter and let the program render them. (The red lines will turn green.)

As I've said, I'm now running version 8 on both an XP machine and a Windows 7 machine and it's quite stable with my current workflow.

Hope that helps!

How can I turn off processes that run after I exit Premiere Elements 8?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:31:51 GMT

Ozpeter offers this great solution:

Pending a fix or advice from Adobe, I've written a tiny program to help with problems of Premiere Elements 8 not shutting down properly.

"PE8 Runner" is a small utility which...

- Asks you whether you want to run Premiere Elements 8.0 with or without the welcome screen

- Checks after you close the program whether it really has closed, or whether its process is still running

- Asks you whether you want to terminate the unclosed process (so you don't have to use Windows Task Manager to do it).

INSTALLATION

None. You can run PE8 Runner.exe from anywhere on your PC. But it assumes you have Premiere Elements installed
in the default location (C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0)

USE

Run PE8 Runner.

Answer yes or no to the question about using the welcome screen.

(If you choose not to use the welcome screen you will go straight to the program
and then you must open or create a project using the normal menu).

Use Premiere Elements 8 as normal.

After you close Premiere Elements 8, about 10 or 20 seconds afterwards
you may see a window pop up telling you that the Premiere Elements process
is still running (and using your PC's resources), and asking you if you want
to terminate the process.

Unless you are in fact still using the program, answer "yes".

LIABILITY

The author (me) has developed and tested the program on a virus-protected system
using Windows XP SP3. Every precaution has been taken to ensure that
it is reliable, but it's up to you to choose whether to use it or not, and the author
accepts no responsibility for the outcome.

Please test it on an unimportant project before using it on something real.

I have not been able to test it on other versions of Windows and would be interested in any reports.

Download link http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/9/22/1451533/PE8%20Runner.zip - it's a small download. Source code is included.

How can I turn off background features in Premiere Elements 8?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:02:33 GMT

There are two features that run in the background while you're working in Premiere Elements 8 which, while useful, can interfere with your other work. So, if you find your computer running sluggishly, you may want to try disabling them.

Background Rendering renders all non-DV footage or footage to which effects or transitions have been applied on your timeline automatically. (Clips which appear on the timeline with a red line above them need to be rendered in order to show at full quality.) To turn off this feature, go to Edit/Preferences and uncheck the Background Rendering option.

To manually render your video, press Enter. The red lines above your clips will turn green when rendering is complete.

The Organizer also runs a background feature called the Auto Analyzer. To disable it, go to the Organizer's Edit/Preferences and select the Auto Analyzer page. Uncheck this option.

Note that the Auto Analyzer creates Smart Tags, which are necessary in order for the program to Auto Enhance your clips. If you turn off the Auto Analyzer, then, you will also disable the Auto Enhance feature.

Finally, as an added tweak, go to Premiere Elements' Edit/Preferences and set Timeline Scrolling to Page Scroll. The default setting (Smooth Scrolling) continually moves the timeline as your video plays, wasting unnecessary resources.

How can I edit video from a Flip camera?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:21:42 GMT

Flip cameras store their video in a hi-def MP4 format -- however, this is not an AVCHD format and you will likely not be able to edit the video by importing it into Premiere Elements without converting it. (The video is actually stored in a proprietary MP4 codec called 3iVX.)

Version 9 of Premiere Elements includes project presets for working with Flip video. When you create a new project, go to Settings and select the appropriate setting: Flip Mino or Ultra, standard-def or high-def.

Versions of Premiere Elements prior to version 9 will likely have problems working with Flip video, however. In those cases, we recommend converting the video to a format the program can work with.

This free software, from NCH Software, will convert the MP4 files from a Flip camera into a more editable AVI.

http://www.nchsoftware.com/prism/index.html

Be sure to choose the AVI output option and, from the Encoder options, select DV Encoder (NTSC or PAL, as appropriate).

For NTSC DV video, also set the Output Options to:

Frame Size: 720x480

Frame Rate: 29.97

For PAL DV video, set the Output Options to:

Frame Size: 720x576

Frame Rate: 25

Where Prism falls short, however, is in producing 16:9 video files. The only options seem to be to 4:3. For producing 16:9 video, the better choice appears to be MPEG Streamclip, as described in this FAQ:

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

How do I update my old Organizer catalog for a new version of the program?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:27:28 GMT

When you install a new versiobn of the program and start the Organizer, it will usually give you a pop-up asking if you want to convert the catalog from a previous version. However, if that tool doesn't automatically launch, contributor Barb O offers this manual solution:

Go to File menu Catalog command and you will see a button for Convert. Click that convert button to start the catalog conversion process manually.

Note that IF you have more than one catalog, each one converts separately.

BEFORE you start your new program, go to your old Organizer's catalog and select:
-- Catalog > Repair
-- File > Reconnect > All Missing Files
-- Catalog > Repair (again)

The logic here is that a "cleaned up" prior version catalog is less likely to have problems during the upgrade process.

What's new in Premiere Elements 8?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:53:13 GMT

Version of 8 Premiere Elements includes lots of great, new features -- features that will benefit the veteran videomaker as well as the novice.

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/

They include:

• A full-featured Organizer, now a separate program shared by both Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements 8

• Dynamic editing options for adding clips to your project through the Monitor

• The ability to add effects and transitions to several clips at once

• Optional automatic background rendering

• Automatic quality enhancement options for your video clips

• A Smart Trim tool for automatically editing your video

• A Smart Mix tool for automatically adjusting your audio levels

• A motion tracking tool for following people or objects around your video frame

• Improved customization for themes and InstantMovies

• An effects mask for applying effects to certain areas of your video frame without affecting the rest of the frame

• New Share options, including options for posting podcasts and sharing video to Photoshop.com

• Nearly 250 pieces of clip art you can add to your movies, including several animated objects!

For more detailed discussion and illustrations of these new features, see my Steve's Tips article on version 8 on the Muvipix site:

http://muvipix.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=0&t=6180

How do I install the additional content file (PRE7_Cont_WWEFGJ) that I downloaded with Premiere Elements?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:24:48 GMT

Additional content for Premiere Elements 7 can be found by following the link in the article linked to at the end of this FAQ.

You'll need to log in to your Adobe account, and then you'll see the link to the download on the same page as the Free Trial download.

John Venediger received this from Tech Support, based on his problem installing additional content (including templates and themes):
When trying to install/open the contents file (PRE7_Cont_WWEFGJ) you get this message - The setup has detected that premiere elements is currently in use. Please close Premiere Elements, then launch setup again despite the fact that Premiere Elements is not in use.

To resolve this issue, please perform the following steps:
1. Right-click the Microsoft® Windows XP® taskbar and select Task
Manager.
2. Under the Applications tab of the Task Manager, please ensure Adobe
Premiere Elements or Photoshop Elements is not running in the background.
3. If Adobe Premiere Elements or PhotoShop Elements is running in the background, please
select the application and press End Task.
4. Next, switch to the Processes tab and look for a process named Adobe
Premiere Elements.exe. and Photoshop ElementsEditor.exe.
5. If Adobe Premiere Elements.exe or Photoshop ElementsEditor.exe. is running, please select the process and press End Process.

If you are still unable to install the additional content, please refer
to our knowledge base document kb404997. Perform step 8 and try the
installation again. Continue to step 7 if necessary. To access the
document, simply copy the following and paste it in the address bar of
your web browser:
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?loc=en_us&product=premiere_elements

Why don't my AVCHD clips load to the Video 1 track?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:25:33 GMT

If you're using AVCHD video with 5.1 audio in a Premiere Elements 7 project that is not set up with 5.1 audio, the video will load to the Video 4 track rather than Video 1.

In Sceneline mode, the video won't even appear in the sceneline (because it is not loading to Video 1).

The solution is to create a project using the correct presets for your AVCHD audio, as illustrated below.

How can I combine my DVD files into one file for editing?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:34:07 GMT

Paul LS offers this excellent solution:

Go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>Command Prompt... the Command Prompt window will open.

Assuming C: is your hard drive and D: is your DVD drive type the following commands...

type: "d:" and press Enter, then type what is between the ".." below:

type: "cd video_ts" and Enter
type: "copy /b vts_01_0.vob + vts_01_1.vob + vts_01_2.vob c:\DVD.vob"

vts_01_0.vob + vts_01_1.vob... etc are the vob files in the VIDEO_TS folder on the DVD.

(Substitute the actual names of the vob files in your DVD's VIDEO_TS folder for "vts_01_0.vob", etc.)

You will find the joined vob file under your C: directory and named "DVD.vob".

This file is a single file with all the component vob files joined together.

Note it could take some time to combine the vob files. Once it is complete it will say "1file copied" in the Command Prompt window.

How can I troubleshoot my camcorder capture problems?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:25:27 GMT

1. Before you blame the software, make sure your operating system and its components are optimized and up to date. The computer regimen listed in our Appendix, and, in particular, ensuring that your operating system, its firmware and drivers are up to date, is fundamental maintenance!

Remember, you’re using a very intensive program on an operating system that’s constantly changing, updating and evolving. Like a race car driver who knows that even a few pounds of pressure in one tire can mean the difference between a stable ride and one fraught with problems, you should always make sure your computer’s operating system is in perfect working order.

And always make sure you have the latest version of Quicktime and the newest RealTek drivers on your system! They may not seem like obvious solutions to your problems, but more times than not, a simple update makes all the difference.

2. If your operating system isn’t even registering your camcorder as connected, you’re dealing with a more fundamental problem than a Premiere Elements issue.

Check your connections. Make sure your camcorder is set up right for capture (i.e., is in VTR/play mode). Possibly even check the camcorder on another computer to see whether it’s the computer, the FireWire cable or even your particular camcorder that’s failing.

3. Make sure you’re using a FireWire/IEEE-1394/iLink connection for capture. Some miniDV camcorders also offer a USB connection – but, most of the time, they won’t work with Premiere Elements. Trust us on this. You want a FireWire connection if it is at all possible.

4. If all connections are working and Windows recognizes your camcorder but Premiere Elements doesn’t, note the auto-launch window that Windows opens when you plug your camcorder into your computer.

What software does it offer to launch to capture your video? Some software (such as Nero) is less willing to share capture devices with any other software. And sometimes that means, unfortunately, capture directly into Premiere Elements may simply not be possible – at least not without way more work than it’s worth. In that case, you may want to consider our third-party solutions below.

5. If all seems to be in order and Premiere Elements still isn’t recognizing your camcorder, click on the >> button on the upper right corner of your Capture panel. (If this button doesn’t show, go to Premiere Elements Window drop-down menu and select Show Docking Headers.)

Select the Device Control option and, from the panel that opens, click on the Options button.

This button will open another panel in which you can set the program to the exact brand and model of camcorder or DV bridge you’re connected to. (There are Standard settings also, in the event your camcorder model isn’t listed.)

In all honesty, changing these settings rarely revives a dead camcorder connection. However, it can “refine” a connection in which the camcorder is recognized but capture doesn’t seem to be going quite right.

Finally, if none of these solutions works, you can use a third-party capture solution.

A favorite capture software utility for miniDV capture is WinDV. This free and fully-loaded capture utility will often work even when nothing else seems to (assuming Windows sees the camcorder connection).

Like Premiere Elements itself, WinDV captures miniDV video in small DV-AVI clips which are perfectly compatible with Premiere Elements and other editors.

Other options include the low-cost Scenalyzer and the absolutely free Windows MovieMaker (included with your Windows operating system). Both will capture your miniDV files in the DV-AVI format, which you can then import into your Premiere Elements project.

For high-definition video, HDVSplit is, like WinDV, free and yet very stable and nicely featured.

Why doesn't Premiere Elements see my DVD or BluRay burner?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:24:54 GMT

The presence of certain programs on your computer -- namely Nero and some other disc burning software -- can corrupt your registry, keeping Premiere Elements and other programs from seeing your CD, DVD or BluRay drive.

Microsoft offers this automatic registry fix for the problem.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

How can I remove the watermark from projects created with the trial version of the program?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:53:20 GMT

Once you've purchased the full version of Premiere Elements, you can remove the watermark from projects created with the trial version by deleting the rendered files.

To delete the rendered files, go to the Timeline menu and select Delete Render Files. The program will then recreate "clean" renders as needed.

What resolution should my photos be in Premiere Elements?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:52:46 GMT

Photos make great source files for a Premiere Elements project, but you’ll find the highest quality results and the best performance from the program if the sizes of your photos are properly optimized before you bring them into your project. We urge you to make sure that any photo you use (especially if you use several in a slideshow) has been resized to no larger than 1000x750 pixels before you bring it into your Premiere Elements project to ensure the best quality and optimal program performance. (Photos taken directly from digital cameras can be 20 to 25 times that size!)

At first this may seem to go contrary to common wisdom. Traditionally, the higher the resolution of your photo, the better the quality of the output. But remember that Premiere Elements is a video editing program, and video is a relatively low resolution medium (essentially the equivalent of 640x480 pixels). And, to a point, reducing the resolution of a photo or graphic to be used in a video actually improves the quality of the video output. (1000x750 pixels seems to be that point)

The reason for this has to do with a process called downsampling, the system a video program uses to bring high-resolution photos down to video size. Premiere Elements does a fair job of this – but, as any pro knows, nothing that happens automatically will be as clean or as efficient as what you do manually. “Down-rezzing” is definitely one of these things.

There’s also a more pressing reason for downsampling your photos yourself. The process of “down-rezzing”, like the process of assimilating non-DV-AVI files into a video project, is a very intensive process. So intensive, in fact, that it’s the single biggest reason Premiere Elements fails, particularly during the disc burning process.

It takes a lot longer for the program to down-rez a 4000x3000 pixel photo than it does a 1000x750 pixel photo. Many, many times longer. And would you rather wait an hour or two for the program to transcode your DVD or 10 hours for a process that might end up with the program choking and dying anyway?

Photoshop Elements, by the way, has a very nice batch resizing feature that can resize a whole folder full of photos in just a few clicks. You’ll find it under the program’s File drop-menu, listed as Process Multiple Files.

For high-definition video, you can increase the size of the photos to 2000x1500 -- although you should be aware that this will require much more processing time and computer power than standard definition video.

How can I best work with JVC Everio video files?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:39:36 GMT

For a variety of reasons, MOD files from JVC Everio camcorders can be challenging for many video editors, including Premiere Elements, to work with.

Forum member MarkItVision offers his best solution for making the files easier to edit.

Using CyberLink Power Director Express - a program which comes bundled with the camcorder - capture the video and then place it on the timeline. Then go to File>Produce Movie and at "step 1" select "create a file"

Change the settings as shown to Type II and High Quality 48k. Change settings by clicking on the button two over from the one labeled CLVS and you can confirm the audio is PCM using the button to the right of it.

Follow the arrow "right" and give your file a name and location It will output the AVI as a DV-AVI Type II 48kHz PCM.

Import this file into a Premiere Elements project. The program should work easily with it.

To conform your video file for widescreen, drag it to the timeline, right-click on it and set it to "interpret footage as D1/DV PAL (or NTSC) Widescreen 16:9 (1.422)".

How can I ensure that my operating system is up to date?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:02:27 GMT

An up to date system is vital, when it comes to running intensive programs like Premiere Elements.

Here are three ways to ensure you have the latest firmware and drivers.

1) Go to Windows Update and manually download all the latest, including optional updates for hardware. These non-critical updates don't install automatically

2) Go to http://www.apple.com and download the latest version of Quicktime. Quicktime is at the core of all PC-based video applications, include Premiere Elements

3) To ensure that all of your software is up to date, download this great product from Secunia. The home version is free.

http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/

This program will update all of your drivers and firmware and will even advise you when a driver is outdated.

A great, free tool for ensuring your drivers are up to date is Device Doctor, available from http://www.devicedoctor.com/

This program will scan your drive and recommend driver updates, when available. Although the program is free, a voluntary donation is encouraged. The program also offers to install a free toolbar -- which I recommend you decline.

How can I work through a Burn DVD problem?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:06:35 GMT

In a perfect world, you could put together a project out of any media, click the Share tab and burn it to a disk. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons – some related to Premiere Elements, most related to operating system drivers or program conflicts, this sometimes doesn’t go as smoothly as it should.
The simplest solution is to break the process down into its elements and then troubleshoot each element individually.

There are three main reasons for a problem burning a DVD or BluRay disc: challenging source video (including photos that are larger than the recommended 1000x750 pixels in size); interfacing issues with your disc burner (often the result of a program like Nero not sharing the burner with other programs); and lack of computer resources (namely lack of available scratch disk space on your hard drive). This workaround eliminates most Burn Disc problems. And those it doesn’t eliminate, it at least helps you isolate where the problem is occurring.

1. Burn to a folder rather than directly to a disc. Select this option from Share/Output/Disc. This eliminates the possibility that other disk burning software is interfering with communication with your computer’s burner. Once the disk files are created, you can use your computer’s burner software to burn the VIDEO_TS folder and its contents to a disk.

If this doesn’t work, it could be that your computer lacks the necessary resources, as discussed below.

2. Clear space on and defragment your hard drive. A one-hour video can require up to 50 gigabytes of free, defragmented space on your hard drive to render and process (depending on your source files). Even a “pure” AVI project can require 20-30 gigabytes of space.

Clear off your computer and regularly defragment it, per Maintain Your Computer, above, and you’ll reduce the likelihood of this being an issue – assuming you’ve got an adequately powered computer and an adequately large hard drive in the first place.

How can I optimize Vista and Windows 7 for best performance?

forums_noreply@adobe.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:54:25 GMT

Vista adds a number of mostly aesthetic features that leach power from your system -- and when you're editing video, particularly hi-definition vidoe, you need all the power you can get!

Here are a couple of simple "power tweaks" for getting the most out of your Vista machine:

1. From Start, go to your Control Panel, then select Performance Information and Tools. In the dialog box that opens, select Indexing Options in the left pane. Then, click the Modify button in the Indexing Options dialog box and click the Show All Locations button at the bottom of the Indexed Locations dialog box. For best performance, turn off Indexing on all of your drives.

2.    Click Start, right-click on Computer, and click Properties. Click Advanced System Settings. Click on the Advanced tab. Under Performance, click Settings. Uncheck these options:
•    Fade or slide menus into view
•    Fade or slide tooltips into view
•    Fade out menu items after clicking
•    Show shadows under menus
•    Slide open combo boxes
•    Slide taskbar buttons
•    Use a background image for each folder type
    Close the Performance Options & System Properties dialogs.

3. Windows Vista Sidebar provides instant access to gadgets. However, the Sidebar is one of Vista’s top resource suckers. Turn it off and your computer will sigh in relief.

4. Turn off the Aero interface! Right-click on your desktop, select Properties and then Appearance. Select the basic Vista look. It may not be quite as cool as Aero’s semi-transparent windows, but it’s well worth the trade-off in performance. And, in two days, you probably won’t miss it anyway.