Converting a .perl file to .mp4 without Premiere Elements

[dskern11]

Hello All:

My wife used to have Premiere Elements on an old computer that created a number of .perl files that we can no longer open on a newer computer that no longer has Premiere Elements.  Is there a way to convert the .perl file to .mp4 without Premiere Elements?  Or is there another way to view the .perl file short of purchasing a new version of Premiere Elements?  Any information would be appreciated.  Thank you 

[Steve Grisetti]

.prel files are project files, not media files. So you can't convert them to anything.

If you can open a .prel and locate the media that was added to it, you can output it as an MP4. But you'll need to know which version of Premiere Elements these .prel's were created with. One version of Premiere Elements may or may not be able to open another version's project file.

[dskern11]

Hello:Steve:

Thank you for the reply. The version was Premiere Elements 12. Are you able to offer any solutions with this new information? Thank you

[Steve Grisetti]

Use File/Open to open the .prel in Premiere Elements. Then use Publish & Share to output your video.

However, this will only work if the project file is able to locate the media you used in your project. If not and you don't know where the media files are, there is not much you can do.

[dskern11]

Thanks Steve, but my original post stated that we no longer have Premiere Elements. It was on an old computer and we no longer have the software. Is there any other way?

Regards,
David

[Steve Grisetti]

Nope. As I said, those are Premiere Elements project files, not media files. Only Premiere Elements 12 can open them .

[dskern11]

Steve:


So I was able to download a copy of Premiere Elements 12 to the new computer and I see the .prel file.  Are you able to provide a procedure on locating the media in the file and converting it to .mp4?

Regards,
David


Regards,
David

[Steve Grisetti]

Do you know where the media used in the project is located?

Without it, you can't output a video from a project file.

[dskern11]

Steve,

I see all the individual sections of the video in Elements, but each clip has oriental writing in it. When I tried to to convert and save the video to Flash, it saved it as those oriental writings.

I do have other files along with the .prel file in the folder, but I cannot open them with anything.

Regards,
David

[Steve Grisetti]

The writing you are seeing on all of the clips tells you that the media that the project links to is missing.

As I said, if you do not have the media files that were linked to this project, you can not output a video from it.

[dskern11]

Steve,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to all my posts. I have only one more question. If over the years, I've transferred the file folders from computer to computer and saved them on an external hard drive, and those folders still have the .prel files in them, where could have the media files gone?

Regards,
David

[Peru Bob]

The media files are not part of the project file.

There are two things necessary to use a project:

1) The project file (.prel file).  This is the file that contains all of the information of how a project uses the edits like effects and transitions, etc.

It is the file that you use to do the editing.  It accesses the media files, but does not copy or contain the media files. 

2) The media files.  These are the videos and images that are used by the project file.  They can be .mp4, .mp3, .wav, .mov, .jpg, .psd, etc. These files are not modified when you do your edits in the project file.  The project file just refers to these media files for their content.

Think of the project file as the recipe and the media files as the ingredients.  You need both to complete the dish.

[dskern11]

Steve,

But where would the media files be? I never erased anything from the folders holding the project files. They couldn't have just disappeared.

Regards,
David

[Peru Bob]

The media files will be wherever you placed them, unless you accidentally deleted them or saved or moved them to the wrong place.

[dskern11]

Thank you to everyone who helped by posting answers to my questions.

Regards,
David