importing AVI

[BadBadDog!]

Hi --

Just purchased and installed premiere elements. went to import several avi files and each one has issues with the sound being slow or distorted. these same files open without problem in VSDC editor, Movie Maker, Movie Editor and Camtasia. What is the issue with Premiere (or what could I be doing wrong...)?

Thanks in advance!

[Peru Bob]

Please use the free MediaInfo and post a screenshot the properties of your media in tree view:

MediaInfo 

If it is not a supported codec or is variable frame rate, you may need to covert with Handbrake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=xlvxgVREX-Y

[BadBadDog!]

Thanks Bob, I'll get to that computer later today. To be clear: there are some codecs that other editors support (i.e. VSDC and Camtasia) that Premiere Elements does NOT support? If so, is it possible to add codecs to Premiere Elements?

[Ann Bens]

Depends on the codec used.

[Bill Sprague]

Premiere Elements and codecs:  https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-elements/kb/troubleshoot-video-premiere-elements.html

[BadBadDog]

I DID previously read the Adobe article on Premiere Elements and Cdoecs. What I am having trouble wrapping my head around is that I clearly have a valid codec installed for these AVI files or else VSDC, Camtasia and Movie Maker would not be able to open them. My limitation is that I don't understand why Adobe is not or can not use the same codec to open AVI files. AND if it is true that Elements ONLY works with some codecs, is there a comprehensive list of specific codecs that Elements will snuggle up to ...................

[Ann Bens]

Please answer Bob's question about Mediainfo,

Avi is not a codec but a container.

[Bill Sprague]

"I don't understand why Adobe is not or can not use the same codec...." 

It is because editing is more complex with different requirements.  Playback is easy by comparison.  From the help file:  " The technical requirements for editing video files are more stringent than the requirements for playing video files. You sometimes have to transcode (convert) problematic files."

[BadBadDog!]

MediaInfo:

[Ann Bens]

You should be able to inport this file.

Rename top folder the clip is in and try again.

[BadBadDog!]

Tried renaming the file, the top folder and moving the file to the root directory (F:\) with no resoution to the problem. The inported video looks fine, but the sound is slowed down; using Time Stretch to speeed up the video 150% restores the sound to the correct speed, but of course the video is now 1.5 times faster.

At the risk of repeating myself, VSDC video editor  and Movie Maker open and edit these files with no problems. Premiere Elements strikes the sweet spot between the inscrutable complexity of VSDC and the simplicity but feature paucity of Movier Make, which is why I was eager to use it. Plus in a previous life I was pretty familiar with Premiere Pro. While transcoding is certainly an option, I am not looking forward to doing that for 70+ files thought I suspect I can set up Handbrake (know of it, but never used it) to do the heavy lifting ....

[Ann Bens]

Did you install a codec pack?

[BadBadDog!]

No codec pack installed and when I looked at the installed codecs with the Windows Media Center utility I saw none additional other than those supplied with Windows 10

[Ann Bens]

Can you upload a short clip to test?

[Ann Bens]

It might be the audio: two stereo tracks?

[BadBadDog!]

I'll snip a short clip when I get home (approx 7:00pm eastern) and upload.

FWIW these files were recorded on a SONY DSR-45A and then captured by Windows Movie Maker from the DSR via the Firewire interface.

One stereo (2ch) audio track

Thanks!

[Ann Bens]

Captured with Windows Movie Maker might made them avi type 1 which could be an issue.

Download Gspot and check.

Mediainfo does not show dv type.

[BadBadDog!]

2 iamges below

GSPOT renders the video and audio with no problems

[BadBadDog!]

anybody have any thoughts after looking at the GSPOT shots above?

Thanks!

[Peru Bob]

It is type 1, so you may need to convert it to Type 2.

[Ann Bens]

My hunch was correct.

Windows Movie Maker has never been a good source for capturing dv tape.

Elements does not handle DV type I correct.

Only solution is to convert.

https://www.videohelp.com/software/DVdate

https://www.videohelp.com/software/WinDV

[BadBadDog!]

Thanks --- I've downloaded those and will convert to type 2 and try importing again. I AM curious (AND hopeful) to see if that cures the problem ..............

[Bill Sprague]

I googled for DVCPRO information.  It seems to be an old, aimed at tape, codec.  There were sites that offered downloads but I have no idea if they are trustworthy.    There were suggestions that it was a codec used in early tape based digital editing needing Mac computers.