I’ve tried Premiere (the full version), and while it is awesome, for someone like me
(the occasional family videography), it’s simply like trying to fly the Space Shuttle
to go the grocery store down the street. So, I was glad to get a chance to try Premiere
Elements 4.
Starting PE4 up, I really liked the look. It reminded me of Lightroom some. The layout was easy to understand. I hardly had to use the extensive online Help at all. In minutes, I was up and running.
The interface was easily adjustable by extending or collasping windows as needed. It was also very easy to locate the media items that I was importing as well. The workflow for PE4 is conviently contained on three tabs arranged to guide you through the creation process: Edit, Create Menus, and Share.
With PE4 you can now download and edit MPEGs, AVI, Windows Media and Quick Time files. You can even work with other devices including digital cameras, cell phones or camcorders. You also have the option to import media from DVDs (unprotected, of course).
The new version of PE comes with a expansive selection of styles, effects and transitions. One of the coolest things for making a quick DVD and for amateurs is the preset themes/templates. You don’t have to be a master of Photoshop to have a theme on your DVDs. There are several built-in ones. However, you do have the option to create your own themes and then import them into PE4.
When working with media and video clips, PE4 enables you to use the Sceneline View (for the amateur users), or the Timeline View (for the pros). The Sceneline view makes it pretty foolproof to create your video. You can even add transitions. However, Sceneline View does not enable you to actually edit the video. You’ll need to switch to Timeline View for that.
When you’re done selecting your theme and editing the video, you can create your DVD menu, as desired.
Finally, you can decide the format to output your masterpiece into, by choosing the Share menu. Your output choices are:
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Burn to DVD
•
Create and upload to You Tube! or another online website
•
Export files to your computer
•
Export files for viewing on mobile phones and other devices
•
Record back to DV or HDV tape
I also tested Photoshop Elements 6. I found that PE4 works the best when you used these two programs in tandem. Both programs share the same Organizer database (your library).
Overall, I’d rate PE4 a 5 of 5 stars, if used by amateur videographers. More advanced users will still prefer the extreme flexibility of PE4’s big brother, Premiere Pro.
Tested on:
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Windows XP Pro
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2 GHz Centrino Duo Pro laptop
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2 GB RAM
•
CD/DVD Burner