Variable Bit Rate video support?

[moverton]

I have Elements 14.  It does not handle VBR video properly.  Audio gets out of sync.  Does Elements 2018 handle it?  I would upgrade just for that feature but I con't find anywhere that it is specified.

If not, why?  Every iphone video is VBR I think.  And even my new Cannon handheld is VBR only.  Elemenets is a consumer video editor, how can it not import VBR?  Seems crazy.

I can convert my videos using handbrake but it takes a long time and I am never sure exactly what options to use to keep the original exactly.

[Bill Sprague]

Premiere Elements 14 and 2018 should not have difficulty with phone footage.   VBR is normal with cameras.  Variable frame rate is not normal with cameras.   Does your phone shoot variable frame rate?

I suspect there is some other issue where maybe the project settings and footage are a miss match.  

Can you share a problem clip via DropBox or similar?

[Peru Bob]

As whsprague​ said, it is probably VFR, not VBR, that is causing your problem.

See here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSVarfrhr1M

[moverton]

You are correct.  I meant variable frame rate. Just brain dead when I wrote the post.  And thanks for the handbrake link.  I use it but it I’ll go through the video to see what the best settings are.

So 2018 still can’t import vfr movies directly correct?  Seems kinda silly given the target audience.  My new canon handheld can’t store as constant frame rate.  Yeah, it’s a consumer level video camera but Elements Is a sub 100$ editor. Seems like half their audience is going to have iPhone video.

[Ann Bens]

The software can import vfr but the issue is in the audio: after a while is goes out of sync.

So if you dont use the audio there is no issue.

Which canon hand held would that be?

[moverton]

Actually, I think the audio is correct, the video loses time.  If you have multiple synced videos running in parallel, the video between them will slowly go out of sync.  Any that are constant rate stay in sync.

It's a Cannon HF R800.  I didn't realize it also has the VFR limitation when I bought it. 

[Ann Bens]

Regular camera's dont produce variable frame rate.

I think you are confusing variable bitrate (which the camera has) with variable framerate.

[Ann Bens]

Post a clip in Mediainfo in treeview here on forum.

[moverton]

Thanks Anne. You are correct. I am mixing up vbr and vfr.

Where is what happened. I had video from the cannon and and two iPhones of the same event. When I lined them up in elements all three were out of sync in video after a few minutes. The audio was all in sync. I used the audio track to get them in sync at the beginning and the waveform showed perfect alignment all the way through.

I’d seen the problem before with iPhone video but had never had the cannon before. I made the bad assumption that the cannon had the same issue. I opened the manual and found it had notes about vbr causing the file sizes to not be perfectly predictable based on video length and there was no way to turn that off. That’s where I mixed up vbr and vfr and why I titled the post that way.

So the iPhones video still have the incompatibility with elements but the cannon does not.

I’m happy to know I don’t have to convert all the Cannon camera’s video. But it still seems like elements should support iPhone video.

I assume it must be a little tricky to directly edit vfr video. Would be nice if Adobe at least had a converter built in which would convert it with no change in the video source. Just add the missing frames and change to constant frame rate. Seems like a converter like that would rip through gigs of iPhone video very fast and avoid all the compression and other changes handbrake will mess with depending on how it’s set.

I appreciate the offer to look at the source for me but I don’t have the permission from the people to share it.

I’m pretty sure the confusion was just mine when reading the Cannon manual.

[Ann Bens · Accepted solution]

Well Elements does support iphone footage but not variable framerate.

Elements is target towards videocamera's and not phones and screencapture software.

If you use Film Convert on the  Iphone you can set it to constant framerate.

Meanwhile you can convert with HandBrake

You dont have to share the footage just the properties.

EDIT: film convert should read: Filmic Pro.

[moverton]

"If you use Film Convert on the  Iphone you can set it to constant framerate."

What is Film Convert?  I can't find any information on that.

I'm ok with handbrake.  I was just hoping 2018 would add the feature. 

Here is what I sometimes do. Let's say we're having an event like a birthday party.  I set out 3 or 4 old iphones (4/4s/5/6) around and just let them run.  Then I use the hand held here and there.  That way I don't have to spend the whole party filming.  And when I'm done I just pull them all into Elements, sync them, and can pretty quickly create a cool movie that changes between different perspectives.  But I need to have them synced all the way through or it takes forever to cut between cameras.

[Ann Bens]

Sorry Filmic Pro.

[moverton]

Thanks so much Ann.  I did not realize there were third party video recorders for iPhone.  I just installed proMovie and it has a lot more control than the stock app.  Looking at Filmic too.

[williebegoode]

I had a similar problem and the solution turned out to be pretty simple (...but aren't they all once you have a solution...) My camera is an iPhone 6plus. Having the problem you had in spades, when I discovered that if I press and hold my finger over the image in the video; it sets up VE Lock. That was all it took. Your problem may not be the same, but that solved a problem with similar symptoms for me. Best of luck!