Soon after the release of Premiere Elements 13 in September 2014, forum threads began to appear asking "What happened to the Bitrate Encoding option of VBR, 2 Pass* in Premiere Elements 13?" And, subsequently in October, 2014, Adobe's PRE_help (Premiere Elements Team) responded in one of those threads
We acknowledge the missing 2-Pass Encoding as a bug and will look at it the next version.When we looked at the issue then in the early days of Premiere Elements 13, it was found that VBR, 2 pass option was available for the presets under Premiere Elements 13 Advanced export settings for Publish+Share/Computer/MPEG or Windows Media, but not Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD or XAVC-S.
On February 5, 2015, Adobe released the 13.1 update for Premiere Elements 13. Details of the 13.1 update's features and fixes can be found in the February 5, 2015 blog post "PE 13: Adobe Releases Premiere Elements 13.1 Update". The 13.1 update did not address the missing Bitrate Encoding option of VBR, 2 Pass for Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD or XAVC-S.
ISSUE
Not only did the 13.1 update not address the issue of the missing VBR, 2 Pass for Publish+Share/Computer AVCHD or XAVC-S, but it added to the missing when it removed the VBR, 2 Pass option that did exist in the 13 version under Publish+Share/Computer/MPEG. However, the 13.1 update did not remove the VBR, 2 Pass options that existed in the 13 version under Publish+Share/Computer/Windows Media.
SOLUTION***
For Premiere Elements 13 users wanting VBR, 2 Pass for Publish+Share/Computer/MPEG, do not install the 13.1 Update. If VBR, 2 Pass is needed for Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD or XAVC-S, it would appear purchase of the next version** is the only solution if Adobe decides to include Bitrate Encoding VBR, 2 Pass in feature set of the next version..
Based on the findings, the situation that now exists..
Premiere Elements 13 Users...
Bitrate Encoding options:
CBR
VBR, 1 Pass,
VBR, 2 Pass
Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD or XAVC-S
Bitrate Encoding options:
CBR
VBR, 1 Pass
Publish+Share/Computer/Windows Media
Bitrate Encoding options:
CBR, 1 Pass
VBR, 1 Pass
CBR, 2 Pass
VBR, 2 Pass Contrained
VBR, 2 Pass Unconstrained
Publish+Share/Computer/AVI or QuickTime does not offer Bitrate Encoding options in Advanced export settings.
Premiere Elements 13.1 Users...
Bitrate Encoding options:
CBR
VBR, 1 Pass
Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD or XAVC-S
Bitrate Encoding options:
CBR
VBR, 1 Pass
Publish+Share/Computer/Windows Media
Bitrate Encoding options:
CBR, 1 Pass
VBR, 1 Pass
CBR, 2 Pass
VBR, 2 Pass Constrained
VBR, 2 Pass Unconstrained
Publish+Share/Computer/AVI or QuickTime does not offer Bitrate Encoding options in Advanced export settings.
COMMENTARY
The fate of the Bitrate Encoding VBR, 2 Pass option in the new Premere Elements version will be reported in this blog post once the new version in released (assumed end of September 2015). Premiere Elements 12/12.1 does have the Bitrate Encoding VBR, 2 Pass choice under Publish+Share/Computer/MPEG, AVCHD, XAVC-S, and Windows Media.
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*Rough description: Bitrate Encoding option VBR, 2 Pass...analysis during first pass, encoding during second pass...VBR, 2 Pass choice often made for quality considerations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_bitrate
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd743105%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
**If history repeats itself, Adobe should be releasing a new version of Premiere Elements in September-October 2015 (presumed named version 14). Typically new features and what remains and what is removed from the previous version are known to the user only at the moment of release of the new version.
***Study done on Windows 7 64 bit and Windows 10 Pro 64 bit with tryout and purchased Premiere Elements 13 with and without the 13.1 update.
