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CNET Editors' review
While its sibling Photoshop Elements is turning 10, the younger Premiere Elements just gets the digits. And this update to Adobe's consumer video-editing software is even less jingly than the image-editing package when it comes to new bells and whistles. But this does represent Adobe's first 64-bit port of the package--Windows only, unfortunately--which is an essential step for future development of the product.
Adobe has beefed up the Organizer a bit to improve its video support, since it's now serving Premiere Elements as well as Photoshop Elements. It allows for hierarchical tagging, as well as Smart Tags, which can automatically classify your media as high, medium, or low quality, as well as tag what it thinks is in focus, low contrast, blurred, and so on. Running the Auto Analyzer to get the video tagged can take a while, though. And I'm still unhappy with the way Adobe handles AVCHD import; it tries and fails to process all the ancillary files that are part of the directory structure, and doesn't give you the option to copy the entire file structure wholesale so that it can be played back or just burned as if it's a disc. And if you're planning on burning AVCHD discs, keep in mind that the software doesn't yet support version 2.0 of the spec, which allows for 1080/30p. Via the Organizer you can now directly upload unedited videos to YouTube as well.
The application itself uses the same task-oriented architecture as Photoshop Elements, with Project, Edit, Disc Menus, and Share modes that are fairly straightforward. It uses a traditional video-editing interface, with both timeline and scene editing views. There's a bit of a learning curve to understanding even the basics for simple effects and transitions, but it's no worse--and no better--than most other video-editing software when it comes to ease of use.
The new Three-Way Color Corrector lets you adjust highlights, midtones and shadows independently.
(Credit: Lori Grunin/CNET)There are only a couple of significant new features in version 10. Adobe has added a new Three-Way Color Corrector, which splits corrections for highlights, midtones, and shadows. While useful, I wish it had a way to do coarse changes on all three channels at once, then unlock them to fine-tune them individually. It also adds Auto Tone and Vibrance--both handy for automatic corrections--which should be familiar to Photoshop users.
Adobe also adds a pan and zoom, which lets you move around and dive into still images, and it can automatically pan around to identified faces. It's easy to use, but can be annoying: if you try to use a photo that's the wrong dimensions for the movie--and many photos are--it just tells you the image is too big. There really needs to be a dialog that pops up and allows you to resize or crop the photo.
As you'd expect, there are new themes, you can now upload movies to Facebook, and SmartSound music clips are now available on the Mac.
On the Mac, Premiere Elements is more powerful than iMovie with a more traditional interface, but I think it's a bit slower and more intimidating as well. Users of previous versions running 64-bit Windows should probably upgrade for the better memory management. If you're looking for a first video-editing package, Premiere Elements will have all the features you need, but expect to spend some time learning the ropes.
Publisher's Description
From Adobe Systems:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 helps you edit video using smart, automated options, enhance your movies with pro-quality effects, and then share on virtually any screen. Edit pictures with easy-to-use options and share them via print, the web, and Facebook. Features include create a polished movie instantly, drag and drop support, edit and preview in one convenient place, quality effects and transitions, and search the clips.
What's new in this version: Version 11.0 adds new editing environment, fresh guided edits, and a revamped organizer.
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All versions:
2.1 starsout of 27 votes
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Current version:
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"Very capable but an absolute pain to use"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 10.0
Pros
Extensive functionality
Cons
Horrific, overly complicated user interface.
Nothing is straight forward.
A chore to useSummary
First off Adobe Premier is a poor and dirty installation on your computer. During installation you are asked for you default televison format NTSC or PAL. In my case this is PAL and I therefore selected PAL. Yet whenever Premiere Elements presents me with a saving option it defaults to NTSC and there is not option to change it within the user preferences. Sort it out please Adobe. The installation DVD includes a content DVD which when insterted allows you to select which contect to install. The problem being nowhere is it listed what that content actually is, so you cannot make an informed decision, which might be useful for those of us without twin 12TB hard drives looking for efficent use of available space.
It's quite clear to me that Adobe Premiere gained it's notoriety amongst video editors due to it's functionality and most certainly not due to it's ease of use.
In fact the painful interface one must trudge through to perform the most basic of tasks is an immense failiing on the part of Adobe Premiere. Almost without exception everthing you wish to do, regardless of how simple it could otherwise be, is a convoluted multi multi step process. Nothing is quick and easy.
The inclusion of numerous "smart" modes that are not reliable enough to depend on is almost an acknowledgement by Adobe that even manually trimming a video file, for example, is not as straight forward as it could be. The provision of a ridiculously large number of varied presets just serves to clutter things up. There is no quick and simple save as source option when saving (oh sorry, "sharing") a file.
I find the interface is so bad I've reverted to doing simple trimming of my video clips on the camera. It is infinitely quicker and easier to do it on camera than through Premiere.
In my opinion for future versions Adobe can quite safely hold back on adding more functionality if they sort the interface out because it is that which is seriously marking Adobe Premiere down.
The negatives outweight the positives for me. -
"Powerful video editor if you have the time to learn it"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 10.0
Pros
Up to 99 tracks available, lots of interesting effects and transitions, better pan and zoom in PrE 10, great for green/blue screen, Smart sound soundtracks that can be cut to required length. Premiere Elements 10 seems more stable than 9 was (I almost gave up on 9, SO many bugs!!). Can link to pics in Photoshop Elements so that if you edit a pic in PSE the changes will be reflected in Premiere Elements.
Cons
Does crash at times (make sure you save your work!), not as slick as iMovie (but is more powerful). Has a bit of a learning curve, not particularly intuitive.
Summary
I really enjoy using Premiere Elements. I do a fair bit of green screen and it handles this well. You can stack multiple layers (if your computer can handle the processing power), animate objects, make use of multiple keyframes etc. It's worth buying a couple of good books to get you on your way rather than just sticking with straight cut-and-paste a few clips type of editing. I love Creating Hollywood-style movies with Adobe Premiere Elements 7 (all the techniques apply to 10). You can make a superman movie, beam someone in, animate a light saber etc. While you're doing the projects you learn a lot about making a movie.
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"No good for BluRay on my computer. Locks up on burn BR"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 10.0
Pros
Ok for standard dvd editing and burning but not for bluray!
Cons
I have tried 3 different versions including the current Adobe Premier Elements 10 and they have all locked up my computer when I tried to burn a bluray disk. After 2 hours on the telephone to India or somewhere, the tech told me it was my burner that was the problem. I burned a bluray disk with another program proving he was just trying to get rid of me. I packed the software and returned it....good riddance.
Summary
My opinion, don't buy this product if you intend to burn bluray disks.
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"mislead to download site"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0
Pros
...............
Cons
When you try to download it, the site sends you to the download site of Adobe Premiere Elements 10 instead of 3. I wasn't ables to download it, after having registered in this site. Bad mark for CNet. I felt cheated.
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"If only it worked!"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 10.0
Pros
Still searching
Cons
Unstable, buggy, undependable, and frustrating.
Summary
I've owned several previous versions of PE. The most bizarre thing about Adobe PE is that each version seems to get WORSE and WORSE. I wrote in a previous review (4.0 or 5.0) that I would much rather Adobe advertise a new version as "while we've added nothing new and there are no new features in this version, we have worked extremely hard to remove the bugs and make this a stable, dependable video editing program that doesn't crash regularly and frustrate you to the point of tears." If that's what they advertised, I'd buy this product again.
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"Hard to use, crashes constantly"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 9.0
Pros
Integrates with Photoshop Elements
Cons
Constantly crashes, seems only able to manage short projects with few scenes without crashing. Poor file management - hard to find project files or delete files no longer needed. Extremely hard to use
Summary
I bought this because I thought it would be better & easier to use than Pinnacle Studio - wish I had stayed with Pinnacle!
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"Crashes everytime"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 9.0
Pros
Features, easy to use. Variety of formats
Cons
Crashes everytime when trying to save movie
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"Absolutely horrible program"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0
Pros
Pretty easy to use when it works.
Cons
Can't go more than a few minutes without it crashing. Get BSOD without fail EVERY time it tries to render the video...EVERY TIME!!! And always after it is over 90% complete. Tried every fix and udate Adobe says to do and does not work.
Summary
By far the worst running program i hae ever seen. This doesn't even deserve to be called beta software...beta software is much better than this.
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"Very Bad Software"
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0
Pros
The Content That You Can Easily Download Right Into The Program
Title Effects & FontsCons
Rendering makes for a bad day. Can NOT edit on the fly. Many of the good features you have to turn off just for decent performance, crashes all the time regardless of configuration and patch downloads. Organizer doesn't produce the files added
Summary
This is the worst editing software I have ever used. This program runs like a very bad beta version. I have a powerful computer that meets all the requirements and more, brand new and from the first use of PrE the crashes began and NEVER stopped. Despite the patches and dll downloads this software is the most horrible thing I have ever bought. It has cost me time and money. Do NOT purchase this product or you will be sorry. If you do not believe all that I say visit the forum http://forums.adobe.com/community/premiere/premiere_elements and just type 'PROBLEM'... The forum is turned into a technical resource more than a help section for editing.
Adobe should be ashamed to have even put their name on something so terrible. Individual results DO NOT VARY... trust me. I'm in the process of starting a class A against Adobe since they have not taken any viable steps to fix the problems users are experiencing and will not refund the money for defective products. -
"I have yet to make a single acceptable movie."
Version: Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0
Pros
Taught me patience and the ability to see my hard earned money as not the most important thing in life.
Cons
Lack of tutorials. Lack of quick movie themes. The wedding video that turns a good number of your film into black and white and has no ideas but to fly doves in front of the guests was particularly bad. Bugs-bugs-bugs.
Summary
Shouldn't buy this product unless you are a computer technician-who enjoys dealing with bugs and has no artistic sensiblity.
