A new feature of PE 2.0 makes the program compatible with camcorders and PC's supporting the USB 2.0 standard. Otherwise, it's possible to import video via a video-USB interface such as Pinnacle Systems' Dazzle 150, or a comparable device.
PE's Great GUI
Once data is imported, Premiere Elements' graphical user interface is extremely intuitive, and makes editing, then inserting special effects a snap.
Premiere Elements stores all of a project's video in its media window. These elements can then be dragged and dropped into the program's timeline, where they can be edited and modified.
By clicking on "File" then "Interpret Footage," it's possible to set the aspect ratio of any clip stored in Premiere Elements. This is useful both to ensure that all of a project's footage is in the same aspect ratio (whether it's 4X3, 16X9 or 2:1, all of which are supported by PE), or to customize your DVD for a specific play-back format.
This is highly useful, especially for projects with a disparate variety of sources. Premiere Elements works with video in a wide range of formats, which include DV, AVI, MOV, MPEG/MPE/MPG and WMV.
The program also allows for a reasonable amount of straightforward audio editing. It won't make you give up Cakewalk's Sonar, or Steinberg's Cubase, but for many applications, it can get the job done. Premiere Elements accepts a variety of Windows-supported audio formats including WAV, AVI, MP3, and WMA. So it's possible to have a background song from an MP3, sound effects in WAV, and the dialogue in the default Windows Media format from the video it was recorded with - or in any other combination. (PE 2.0 will import Dolby Digital AC-3 files, but exports them as stereo. Adobe still appears to want keep surround sound the province of its full-blown version of Premiere.)
The Timeline: Premiere Elements' Nerve Center
Whether working with video, still photos, or some combination of the two, photos and video are edited and conformed via Premiere Element's timeline window, which is where the bulk of the work in the program is carried out.
The timeline has a time stretch tool, making it easy to adjust the duration of a shot, either by dragging it forward and slowing it down, or by right clicking on the shot and typing in a percentage number for its speed. 100 percent is normal speed, a smaller number speeds it up (by reducing the frame count), a number greater than 100 percent slows it down, and a negative number reverses the shot's motion.
![Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 [Old Version]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51110ZFMMRL._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
1 - Bliffle
Maybe it's a great product. But I'm not going to buy it. I can't remember how many times in the past 15 years I bought Adobe Premier, installed it, learned how to do something with it (even attending Premiere classes), then watched it just gather dust as I used some shareware package to do practical everyday editing. As recently as last week I actually used the ancient Video For Windows (VFW) which came free from MS on a single 1.44 mb floppy. It does all I need for family videos. Last night I used the freebie MS Movie Maker to good effect. Who needs Premiere?
2 - Stephen Inoue
Nice review!
The improved MPE2 handling in Premiere Elements 2.0 is great. New support for DVD camcorders, Hard drive based camcorders like the JVC Everio-G makes allows folks to bring in video from almost any device.
SI
3 - Gentle trombone
I have just bought the Sony HDR 12E video camera hoping to use it in conjunction with my Adobe Premiere Elements 4. However, I cannot get the program to see the camera. Any helpful suggestions, please?