Creation of multiple sound tracks when improrting a 5.1 video clip into the time line

Hi,

Here are the conclusions of the comparison of both methods for getting arround with the unability by Premiere Elements 19, since its last 2021-11-07 update, to handle correctly 5.1 Dolby MTS files.

1. Deleting the 4 inapropriate audio tracks which appears when MTS files are added to the timeline requests, as mentionned previously, numerous operations for each video clip (at least 6 steps); quality of video track and of sound track appear not to be altered by such operations.
2. Converting each 5.1 Dolby MTS file into a stereo MP4 one, requests to learn how to configure Handbrake.fr software (not straitforward at first), to acheive the conversion (batch conversion is possible) and finally to modify the MP4 clip creation date, so that it is equivalent to the original MTS one, using Organizer Elements as a tool to modify EXIF data.

Having acheived both procedures for a set of MTS video files, I prefer using the second mrocedure, namely the conversion using Handbrake.fr. My major concern was the loss of video quality during such file conversion. Sofar, quality of video and sound track of converted clip files appear as good as the original ones. This was not obvious, since resulting file size is much smaller in MP4 container than in MTS one (ratio = 164). Furthermore, MediaInfo software tool tells, for example, that video flow rate is more than 300 times smaller within the coverted file (15.2 Gbps for original MTS file vs. 41.8 Mbps for MP4 converted one, using High L4.2 quality factor).

Using my usual Premiere Elements 19 film production parameters, namely AVCHD 1080p50 (H264, 1920x1080p50, VBR2, 10-20 Mbps), resulting quality of the MP4 film file appears equivalent to those of film produced before 2021-11-07 Premiere Elements 19 update, using the same film productions parameters. Of course such comparison is very empirical and I have no quantative indicator for assuming such video quality conservation.

In conlusion:

• Thanks to inacceptable evolution of Premiere Elements 19 software, after its 2021-11-07 update, I have spent a lot of time and effort for getting arround the 5.1 Dolby MTS issue. Other post on this forum demonstrates that I am not the single user facing this issue.
• I find really non-professionnal for a company like Adobe to avoid any notification to Premiere Elements users related to the 5.1 Dolby MTS issue.
• Moreover a 2022-01-13 official article named 5.1 audio import assumes that such import is possible, which is clearly not true, even for the 2023 Premiere Element version.
• Although this user forum is dedicated to software users, which I really appreciate, I regret the absence of any Adobe staff contribution on this post or on previous ones, to clarify this issue.
• After several exchanges with Premiere Elements community experts, which I have greatly appreciated, I finally close this post, although I really feel that the problem is not solved.