Tuesday, August 5, 2014

PE12: Project Preset with 21:9 Display Aspect Ratio

INTRODUCTION

Question came up as to how video recorded with a 21:9 display aspect ratio could be imported, edited and exported in Premiere Elements 12 without black borders.

ISSUE

All the project presets in Premiere Elements are either 4:3 or 16:9. Could a user custom project preset be created for this situation, and what export opportunities for a 21:9 video existed if a user custom project preset could be created for the 21:9 video import into Premiere Elements 12?

SOLUTION

A project preset for 1920 x 822 (21:9) @ 29.97 progressive frames per second was obtained by editing the Notepad document of the Premiere Elements 12 "DSLR 1080p30@29.97.sqpreset" file.

An AVCHD.mp4 1920 x 822 (21:9) @ 29.97 progressive frames per second file was created from the edited Timeline content after customizing the Advanced export settings for Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD with Presets = MP4 H.264 1920 x 1080p30.


HOW TO 

Creation of User Custom Project Preset For 21:9 Video (1920 x 822 @ 29.97 progressive Frames Per Second)

1. Locate and copy to the computer desktop the DSLR 1080p30 @ 29.97.sqpreset file found in the Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 64 bit path
Local Disk C
Program Files
Adobe Premiere Elements 12
Settings
SequencePresets
NTSC
DSLR
1080p
and in the 1080p Folder is the DSLR 1080p30 @ 29.97.sqpreset file.

Rename the DSLR 1080p30 @ 29.97.sqpreset file so that the file name is now
DSLR 822p30 @ 29.97.sqpreset file.

2. At the computer desktop level, right click the .sqpreset file pasted and renamed there, select Open With, and then select Notepad.

3. In the Notepad document there are only two places that need to be changed. The first at the top of the Notepad document, change

From : 
<PreviewVideoFrameSize>0,0,1920,1080</PreviewVideoFrameSize>
To:
<PreviewVideoFrameSize>0,0,1920,822</PreviewVideoFrameSize>

and at the bottom of the Notepad document, change

From:

<VideoFrameSize>0,0,1920,1080</VideoFrameSize>
To:
<VideoFrameSize>0,0,1920,822</VideoFrameSize>

Then save the edited Notepad document, using specifically File Menu/Save.

4. Go to
Local Disk C
Program Files
Adobe Premiere Elements 12
Settings
SequencePresets
NTSC
DSLR
and in the DSLR Folder create a empty 822p Folder.
In the 822p Folder, place the user customized project preset that was just created for the 21:9 video (1920 x 822 @ 29.97 progressive frames per second.)

5. Set the Premiere Elements 12 project preset manually to the newly customized project preset, according in the How To near the bottom of the following blog post.
http://www.atr935.blogspot.com/2013/04/pe11-accuracy-of-automatic-project.html

Then import your 21:9 1920 x 822 source video into Premiere Elements 12/12.1 with Premiere Elements 12/12.1's Add Media/Files and Folder/Project Assets from where you drag the video to the Expert workspace Timeline.

6. After edit of the Timeline content, export it using Advanced export settings based on Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD/ with Presets = MP4 H.264 1920 x 1080p30. Customization of the preset is done under the Advanced Button/Video Tab and export settings are as seen the Figure 1.

Figure 1. Premiere Elements 12/12.1 Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD With Presets = MP4 H.264 1920 x 1080p30 Advanced Customized Settings For 1920 x 822 p30 Export As AVCHD.Mp4 File


COMMENTARY

Preliminary studies indicate that a 2560 x 1080 (21:9) could also be imported into a Premiere Elements 12/12.1 using the 822p custom project preset created. With Default Scale to Frame Size in effect, the 2560 x 1080 would be scaled automatically to the 1920 x 822 space in the Edit area monitor established by the project preset. And, export of the 2560 x 1080 21:9 Timeline to 1920 x 822 (21:9) does work.

The above blog post content is the extent of looking into 21:9 project presets for Premiere Elements 12/12.1 or other.

Work in Progress.

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ATR