Video preview window is black

[weslowsk]

For Adobe Premiere Elements 12 on Windows 7 (32 bit) I tried to import a m4v file. Once it imported it, the video preview window is black. Audio works fine.

Why is the preview window black?

[Bill Sprague]

It may be explained by what Wikipedia says: 

"The M4V file format is a video container format developed by Apple and is very similar to the MP4 format. The primary difference is that M4V files may optionally be protected by DRM copy protection.

Apple uses M4V to encode video files in its iTunes Store. Unauthorized reproduction of M4V files may be prevented using Apple's FairPlay copy protection."

It may also be that if you install Quicktime on your computer, Premiere Elements will "borrow" the necessary codecs. 

[weslowsk]

Thanks for the suggestion. However, I already have QuickTime installed (it's no longer supported by Apple so the latest version is at least 2 years old). I confirmed that I can open the m4v file with QuickTime just fine.

I know that the m4v is not DRM protected, so that's not the issue.

I'm running Windows as a VM in Virtualbox 5.2. For my VM's configuration, if I have "Enable 3D Acceleration" and "Enable 2D Acceleration" selected, the preview window is black. When only "Enable 2D Acceleration" is selected or if neither of the options are selected, then the preview window is not black and actually shows the correct video. However, the audio and video are badly out of sync when I play/preview the video in Expert view. So, I guess I know how to get past the black preview window issue, but I don't know how to get past the sync issue.

Any suggestions, given my scenario?

[Ann Bens · Accepted solution]

Might work if you change the extension to mp4 or mts if that does not work,

run the file through HandBrake and convert to mp4.

See how that goes.

[weslowsk]

Thanks for the tip about QT. I uninstalled and reinstalled it with just the codecs.

I ran the video files through handbrake and made sure to output them with a constant frame rate. PE12 has no problem handling the files now...no sync issues.

So, it appears that PE12+ just doesn't handle variable frame rate source files (well or at all).

Others seem to agree

Premiere Elements needs to handle variable frame rate files. | Photoshop Family Customer Community

Is this an official confirmed bug?

[Ann Bens]

So, it appears that PE12+ just doesn't handle variable frame rate source files (well or at all).

Non of the Elements versions do.

Hence the suggestion of Handbrake.

[Ann Bens]

You dont need the QT player just the codec.

install like this:

[Carmickj]

None of these answers apply here.  It is video that had worked the day before without going black.  Not all the video went black just the end of it as the frames before it were edited.  It has an mp4 extesnsion.

[John T Smith]

You added to a 5 year old discusion about Premiere Elements 12 on Windows 7 (32 bit)

You need to provide your computer and software details