Adobe Premiere Elements 9

Pros: This application offers great features of expert products for beginners.

Cons: There are multiple applications contained in this product which can be confusing.

The Verdict: This product will give you great results in a few hours without a lot of hassle.

Some people may consider this video editing software to be less than its counterpart Premier Pro CS5 but the true difference between the programs is not the features available or the overall versatility of the application but the intended audience. Adobe Premiere Elements is a powerful program that is geared for anyone one to use with little difficulty. Now you can make videos like a pro and not feel bogged down by complex programs that take hours upon hours to master.

If you already own a version of this application you may be wondering if it is worth upgrading it. The answer to that question is a resounding yes. While the latest version of the product doesn't have radical changes to it, Adobe has improved the features in a way you will be wondering what took you so long to make the change. There is also great news for those of you who use Mac. This application is now available for you, too.

This application offers you the ability to import video and files directly from the source. You don't have to work in the extra step of transferring the files to your hard drive and then into the application. So long as you have the right hardware, you can import files from ultra-portable camcorders, DSLR digital cameras, webcams and even cell phones. This saves time and reduces the risk of losing the files somewhere in the vast space of your computer's memory.

Export options have also been enhanced to stay right in step with the burgeoning popularity of online video sharing. While the previous release of Adobe Premiere Elements afforded the capability of uploading directly to YouTube, Elements 9 also permits rather simple uploads to Facebook as well. We’re particularly fond of the new option to create web DVDs. With this feature of video editing software, the user is able to create menus and add soundtracks to uploaded videos just like on a physical DVD. Even better though, these videos can be created and uploaded in full HD while a DVD is limited to standard definition video.

Adobe Premiere Elements 9 video editing software has numerous improved options to enhance your ability to make sophisticated videos. Upgraded functionality allows you to fix imperfections in the audio track as well as the video. Many automated features are available so that the program can be easily used by newcomers to the world of video editing software, but they can be overridden and enhanced to satisfy the creativity requirements of more advanced users.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and Adobe Premiere Elements 9 are available together in a value priced bundle. They share files from the same Elements Organizer application, so they work especially well together.

Video Capture/Playback: 

The Adobe Premiere Elements 9 video editing software comes packaged with Elements Organizer, a separate media management hub application which houses all your video clips and still images. Once in Elements Organizer, the files are available for use by Photoshop Elements as well. Those who edit both video and still images will likely find this shared application of great value. The application comes complete with 2GB of free online storage. That can be upgraded to 20GB for an additional charge.

Within Elements Organizer, there are four tabs that allow you to access most critical functions. The Organize tab allows for sorting, tagging and searching of clips and photos as well as protecting them with automatic online backup. The Fix tab provides easy-to-use but effective editing features. Create is where you can make InstantMovies, which we discuss in the Ease of Use section of this review. It also allows you to create slide shows and print creations. Finally, the Share tab is the key to uploading to the internet in a variety of ways.

Elements Organizer is integral to using both Adobe Premiere Elements and Adobe Photoshop Elements. The shared data makes the two applications work seamlessly together. Nonetheless, it can be a bit confusing in that some functions that seem to belong in the Premiere Elements application are actually part of Organizer and the two must be run simultaneously. It’s mainly a matter of getting used to the division of labor, but we think that a more user-friendly solution is attainable.

A wide array of import and export file formats are usable with this video editing software. Most significant among them are AVCHD (import only), Blu-ray Disc (export only), DV-AVI (import/export on Windows, import only on Mac OS), DVD, Dolby Digital Stereo, H.264, HDV, MPEG-1 (import only), MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MP3, QuickTime and Windows Media (Windows only). It is also compatible with many other formats.

Adobe claims Premiere Elements 9 can support up to 99 video tracks and 99 audio tracks, but we found that this actually sells the application short. There’s nothing that prevents adding tracks 100, 101, 102, etc. Indeed, if there really is a limit, we couldn’t find it. Consumers aren’t likely to ever approach that many tracks, but it appears the maximum number is only limited by your computer’s hardware.

Ease of Use: 

Adobe Premiere Elements 9 is amazing in its many capabilities. It offers options that only the pros had available to them a very short time ago. The only notable downside to this video editing software is that it’s a bit complicated to use, despite great progress by the manufacturer to make it user-friendly.

Using Adobe Premiere Elements, tagging clips is a key to managing the video editing process. You can tag clips into categories such as people, places, travel, events or any term that is meaningful to you. They’re stored that way in Elements Organizer to help in retrieving them when needed. Smart tagging makes the process even easier and works automatically when clips are imported. Beyond categorizing clips by subject, it includes an Auto-Analyzer function which sorts clips by quality based on criteria including lighting, contrast, audio, motion and more. You can select one or more criteria to find clips that meet your specific needs.

Among the best ease of use features that we’ve encountered with video editing software is Adobe’s InstantMovie. When selected, it searches for the best clips based on user-specified Smart Tag criteria like quality and subject. InstantMovie can place clips in the correct order based on your script and eliminate clips that don’t meet the quality you’ve specified. The program coordinates music, transitions, titles and effects. It includes a number of themes to get you started and will even add a scene index. All in all, it’s a great way to get started with video editing and can provide the foundation for more advanced editing as you learn by experience.

Editing Tools: 

After you have imported your video project, Premiere Elements 9 lets you choose to view it in either a timeline or storyboard format. In a timeline view you will see the project displayed as a vertically stacked arrangement of video and audio tracks, whereas a storyboard (or sceneline) is a series of images that represents each clip in a project. Regardless of which view you choose for your projects, you will have access to a variety of editing tools including split/trim, text tools, video stabilization and color correction.

Almost everything in this video editing software supports the drag and drop feature. This allows you to do everything from importing video and audio tracks, apply transitions and effects, clipping and trimming, and even publish your project, all from the main user interface.

Beyond that, there are automatic options to fix imperfections. Camera shake, lighting and color problems can all be remedied with the SmartFix feature. Smart Trim can help in deciding what to keep and what to cut out of your movie by making suggestions based on your criteria. If you usually accept the recommendations, you can choose to make the video editing software simply accept them by default.

Export/Production: 

These days, everybody wants to share their video masterpieces online. Adobe Premiere Elements 9 makes it easy to upload your creation to YouTube or Facebook. Videos can be uploaded directly to YouTube from the Premiere Elements. In a bit of a twist, Facebook uploads must be done from the Elements Organizer application. It’s not a problem just something to keep in mind.

Perhaps the best way to share a video online is to create a web DVD and upload it to Photoshop.com or your own website. In this way, you can create a virtual, interactive DVD complete with menus, scene indexes and chapters. It’s a great way to share, and you can do it in full 1080p HD.

Editing Effects/Transitions: 

Premiere Elements video editing software comes loaded with a large selection of effects and transitions. Motion Tracking allows you to attach images and effects to specific portions of a clip. For example, you can highlight the area surrounding a person’s head and insert an animated butterfly. The software will then track the highlighted area throughout the clip making it appear as though the animated butterfly is following the person in your video. This can also be used to insert thought clouds, blurred objects and other fun effects.

This video editing software supports green screen, or Chroma Key, editing. Adobe calls it Videomerge. Though blue and green backgrounds are most commonly used, any solid color background can be used as long as it isn’t close to flesh tone or the color of the subject's clothing. With it, the person being filmed can be placed in front of any background. Just for fun, Adobe Premiere Elements 9 has added a cartoon mode which can instantly make your live action video appear as an animated cartoon. Various filters can be applied to create the cartoon look that suits your specific desires.

Disc Creation: 

With Adobe Premiere Elements 9, you can burn your completed movies to DVD or Blu-ray discs. The application includes disc creation options including menu templates, menu customization, chapter separation and audio tracks for the menu screen.

Audio and Photo Editing: 

Adobe Premiere Elements 9 has six new functions for fixing audio problems. They include audio polish, auto mute, cleaner, hum remover, noise fader and noise reducer. We found the audio polish option to make the greatest improvements, and while there are default settings for each, we seemed to have better luck by tweaking the setting to obtain the best results. Track mixing, trimming, cross-fading and even 5.1 surround sound support are also available using this video editing software application.

Help & Support: 

Support for Adobe Premiere Elements 9 is available by telephone or email. The manufacturer’s website features several helpful tutorials on a variety of subjects like getting started, importing and exporting files, customizing themes and capturing video. There’s also a searchable FAQs section for this video editing software.

Summary:

It’s hard to beat Adobe Premiere Elements 9 video editing software, whether you’re new to the subject or are an accomplished prosumer. It offers a great balance of automated and manual editing tools which make it easy for those who need it and foster ultimate creativity and control for those who want it. Combine this with Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 9 and you’ll have a complete media editing system.