Settings for mp4 export

Mixing frame-rates between clips and sequences is possible and often works ok, but occasionally can be problematic. So it's wiser to avoid when you can. And work around when you can't. If you now your deliverable needs or should be X, it's wiser to make sure all cameras and media prepped for the project are made in X framerate to begin with.

As to framesize issues ... it's very common to work UHD (3140x2160) on an FHD (1920x1080) timeline. Like most, I recommend setting the preferences scaling default to "set to framesize" as that puts the larger media in full-view on the sequence without actually scaling down the pixel count. This means that if you then decide to 'zoom in', you don't suffer pixelation issues.

"Scale to framesize" resets Premiere's "knowledge" of that clip to the framesize of the sequence anywhere it's used. So that 3140x2160 clip is now only 1920x1080 to Premiere. Now, apply a scale option to zoom in, and it scales up the 1920x1080 image. Bad.

Neil

You may not need these, but some help links

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/get-started.html
https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro/premiere-pro-tutorial/td-p/10974406?page=1
https://community.adobe.com/t5/video-lounge/tips-amp-tricks-to-become-a-premiere-pro-power-user-with-abba-shapiro/td-p/10900149?page=1
https://community.adobe.com/t5/video-lounge/video-series-real-premiere-pro-secrets-by-cut-to-the-point/td-p/10900176?page=1
https://community.adobe.com/t5/video-lounge/podcast-art-of-the-cut-coup-53-editor-walter-murch-ace/td-p/10887889?page=1

Premiere has quite a few "moving parts" that can balk up the working playback. From the media itself, as say H.264 is far more difficult for NLE playback than an intraframe codec, to the location of the cache & media files. They all matter.

Cache files need space, and they need fast connections to the CPU/RAM and other subsystems.

Media files also need space and fast connection, preferably on a different drive than the cache or OS/Program files. Many external drives simply can't maintain the sustained speed needed, but some can.

TB3/USB3.1 and higher, with appropriate cables and specialized SSD drives like the Samsung T5 model can at times provide enough fast external access for media use. ESATA ... external SATA ... was a 'thing' for a while a decade back on higher-end laptops, and I had one with that. I could run an external drive and sustain above 4GB/s general use with it, nearly to what an internal drive could provide. But they stopped working with that connection.

Neil

To start with, take a look at the properties for the footage and make sure that it matches the sequence settings.

This is what has gone wrong from start, you have editied on a DV 720x480, interlaced, Lower Field First timeline and probably placed 1920x1080 footage on it and use the Position/Scale to "move" the footage to the intended place in the video frame. Then you have changed the sequence settings to 1920x1080 but still keeps all other settings, iow Pixel Aspect Ratio to DV NTSC (0.9091), Lower Field First while it should have a Pixel Aspect Ratio of 1.0 and either Progressive or Upper Field First. This results in sections of video missing in export.

Thumb of rule:

If the footage is 1920x1080, 29.97, Upper Field First, the Sequence Settings should be 1920x1080, 29.97, Upper Field First and the export should be 1920x1080, 29.97, Upper Field First or 1920x1080, 29.97, Progressive if it is intended for the web.

When using footage X on a timeline with Y setting and export with a X or Z setting you will have problems and the export will look bad. Avoid any mis-match.

So make sure to know your source footage, right click on it and choose Properties. (See image below) Make sure that the Sequence Settings match the settings of the source footage. Then you have to manually reset the properties for the clips on the timeline that you have adjusted Prosition and Scale to get back on track.

Short version:

The issue is not the setting you use when exporting, the issue is the settings and workflow you used when you started the project. 🙂

Media files are generating when you render your timeline (without exporting). its fine if those got delete.

As for the missing/confused files. most likely you moved some files around and Premiere recognized/links other files with the same filename from a different source.

It is always a good practice to rename your files comprehensively, in a way that there will be no way for duplicates. (ex: Project_Date_CameraName_CardName_Original Filename)

Moving media and relinking, especially if the files have separate audio, can be problematic. Yea, that happens.

Neil

Any time you change anything about a sequence, any previews will be no longer useful, so it dumps them. No problem at all, they're just previews.

Curious about the non-square pixels ... any reason for the .9091 PAR setting? What's the media?

And what's going on in the area with diagonal stripes on clips?

Neil