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(More customer reviews)Adobe Premiere Elements 4 is the best of the 2007 enthusiast-level video editing software packages on the market... but that really isn't saying much. Media editing on the PC is EXTREMELY frustrating because ALL of the software at the hobbyist/enthusiast level is either 1) buggy, 2) difficult to use, or 3) both. In fact, it is hard to say that Premiere Elements 4 is the "best" of the 2007-released programs out there; it would be more accurate to say that the other video editors that came out in 2007 perform at levels lower than PE4. A few examples include...
Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8 - Confusing and counter-intuitive interface as well as incompatibility with certain OS-aspects and hardware make this editor a no-go for most.
Pinnacle Studio 11 - Extremely buggy, poor rendering, and reports of system corruption (??? check out the reviews and newsgroup posts!) will keep most away.
Windows Movie Maker - Version 6 (or three if you aren't going by OS numbering) isn't available for XP... just Vista. 6 doesn't have the power and versatility of Premiere Elements, but it is vastly improved over the XP version. Windows Movie Maker 6 is worth checking if you have Vista, because most version of the OS get it for free (XP also contains the older version of both it and Media Encoder).
Roxio Easy Media Creator Suite 10 - Roxio, best known for DVD and CD burning software, adds media editing to their suite. Sadly, it crashes so often that it creates more frustration than fun. Almost non-existant tech support and months without a patch are signs that this is software to avoid.
You'd think it would be easy to recommend Premiere Elements 4 with such poor competition, but it is not. On release, PE4 has shown itself to be buggy. During the first three days I used it, the program crashed four times and even erased all of the editing I had saved during one event. Turning off auto-saves helped, as did only importing one file at a time (rather than an entire folder). PE3 had somewhat similar crash issues before it was patched, but eventually became extremely stable (Adobe has decent support for their releases, unlike some companies). PE4 also lacks some of the encoding features many of us would have liked - you can't capture from most cards, and the getting video from DV and harddrive camcorders can be hit-or-miss depending on your specific hardware and whether or not it is supported. Finally, PE4 does not support numerous file types "straight out of the box" that it probably should (the best example of this is .flv "flash" files that PE4 can create but that it can not edit nor import).
What's good about PE4? When it works, the interface is easy to understand and work with. The video files produced tend to be top-notch, and there are a lot of "advanced" options for new users to grow into. There are numerous plug-ins available to expand the power of the software, and many support avenues are available (including books, newsgroups, and discussion lists). DVD burning is built in, simple, professional-looking, and can be improved upon if Photoshop Elements is used (Photoshop can build DVD menu templates). There are some great effects that can be used, and you don't have to have a degree in video editing to learn how to use them. There is also a decent (but not complete) range of pre-set file-saving options to choose from, including QuickTime, Windows Media, AVI, MPEG, Flash, and various mobile products.
Summary: Premiere Elements 4 is the best of the 2007 video editing releases, but it is still buggy and could use improvement. I'd recommend waiting for the first major patch before buying, but if you really need video editing software, try downloading the demo from http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/ and seeing if it is right for you (it was available at the time of this writing. Note that many of the other products mentioned also have demo versions available, too).
For those thinking of upgrading from Premiere Elements 3: Once patched, I never had a problem with PE3 crashing - not so with PE4. Wait for Adobe to release a decent patch before upgrading (it was not available at the time of this writing, but it may be up now - check the site). The new look of PE4s interface is nice, but PE3s wasn't bad, either. The new features range from pointless to moderately useful, but aren't groundbreaking: Beat detection (useful in rare instances), improved audio mixer (nice!), ability to burn to Blu-Ray, upload to YouTube function (pointless), improved keyframe control (can be VERY useful), and various new settings/save options (very useful) are included.
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Adobe Premiere Elements 4Item #: N39517. Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0 software makes creating and sharing impressive home videos a snap. Burn your footage to DVD in simple steps, complete with a DVD menu and scene index, or easily assemble your movie by rearranging clips with drag-and-drop simplicity. And share your movies on DVD, the web, mobile phones, and virtually anywhere else. Product Description: Adobe Premiere Elements - ( v. 4.0 ) - complete packageCategory: Creativity applicationSubcategory: Creativity - video editing & productionVersion: 4.0License Type: Complete packageLicense Qty: 1 userLicense Pricing: StandardLanguage(s): Universal EnglishPlatform: WindowsDistribution Media: DVD-ROM ( mini-box )Package Type: Retail Customers also search for: Discount Adobe Premiere Elements - ( V. 4.0 ) - Complete Package, Buy Adobe Premiere Elements - ( V. 4.0 ) - Complete Package, Wholesale Adobe Premiere Elements - ( V. 4.0 ) - Complete Package, 0883919136127, 25530473, Digital Imaging Software
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