PE: Blu-ray Disc/VLC Player Playback Notes

INTRODUCTION

Premiere Elements 15 is the last version to feature Export & Share/Disc with choices of  DVD, Blu-ray, and AVCHD (each with Type = Disc or ISO Image). In the subsequent versions, 2018 and current 2019, DVD is the only choice under Export & Share/Disc.

Back in April 14, 2016, I addressed the topic of "Blu-ray Computer Playback Updated" in which I included Blu-ray disc playback using the free VLC Player 32 bit (version 2.2.1). See HERE. VLC add-ons of KEYDB.cfg and libaacs.dll were essential for VLC playback of store purchased Blu-ray disc content. These add-ons, at that time labelled "UPDATED 22-02-2016", were downloaded from 
https://vlc-aacs.whoknowsmy.name/
The results from that April 14, 2016 work pointed to that free VLC player as the player of choice for playback of my Premiere Elements 14/14.1 created Blu-ray disc format on Blu-ray disc (with menus).

ISSUE

Recently I updated my Windows computers to VLC player from 2.2.1 32 bit to 3.0.6 64 bit for some explorations of the HEIC/HEIF/HEVC topic. As an aside, I looked at VLC 3.0.6 64 bit playback performance for a Blu-ray disc format on Blu-ray disc (with menus) that I created with Premiere Elements 15 Windows. It was decided to share some details of that task.

RESULTS

A Verbatim BD-RE (25 GB) Blu-ray disc was used in Premiere Elements 15 Export & Share/Disc/Blu-ray with Type = disc. The burner was the LG Blu-ray/DVD burner (BH12L535) which I  converted a long time ago from an internal to external drive. At the start of the present work, I ran into a burner not recognized issue in Premiere Elements 15. The issue resolved by going to a brand new Verbatim BD-RE (25 GB) Blu-ray disc.

VLC 3.0.6 64 bit (with add-ons) playback of the Premiere Elements 15 Blu-ray disc format on Blu-ray disc was excellent.

Source of the VLC 3.0.6 64 bit add-ons was from
http://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/
which at this time offers the ones for UPDATED 25-03-2018! See there

• keys database to get the file named KEYDB.cfg which was placed in a user-created aacs folder in the path ...Local C drive/Users/Owner/AppData/Roaming/aacs

• AACS dynamic library to get the file named libaacs.dll which was placed in the VLC folder in the path ...Local C drive/Program Files/VideoLAN/VLC

The add-ons details apply to the VLC 3.0.6 64 bit on my Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit and Windows 10 Home 64 bit.

COMMENTARY

This work essentially represents notes from a quick and successful look at the updated VLC player playback for a Premiere Elements created Blu-ray disc format on Blu-ray disc (with menus) as well as for one store purchased Blu-ray movie. Based on these results the free VLC player continues to be my player of choice for Premiere Elements created Blu-ray disc format on Blu-ray disc and store purchased Blu-ray movies on Blu-ray discs.

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ATR

PE: Basic Expectations For 2019's New HEIC/HEVC Format Support

INTRODUCTION

The most recent "What's new in Adobe Premiere Elements" document includes the Adobe announcement

Adobe Premiere Elements 2019 supports the import and editing of media captured with the following codecs:

• High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF) for images 

• High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) for video

And based on Adobe documents, the above is a feature for Premiere Elements 2019 only on macOS 10.13 and higher. 

ISSUE

I interpreted the Adobe support description as relating to

• Video files with HEVC* compression with file extension of .mov, .mp4, or .m4v

• Image files with HEIC* file extension (container) and HEIF* format

With or without Premiere Elements Windows** support, I decided to explore what importing, editing, and export opportunities were available to me using those types of files. Files and software used were online downloads for personal use only.

FINDINGS

Video files with HEVC* compression with file extension of .mov, .mp4, or .m4v

Source: HEVC.mp4 (1920 x 1080 download from Elecard Videos)

Premiere Elements 2018 Windows - accepted only H.264.mp4 converted from H.265.mp4 using VLC Player converter or HandBrake.

Viewing and Conversion:

Free VLC Player (version 3.0.6 Vetinari, 64 bit) - immediately supported opening of this file and allowed for conversion of H.265 to H.264 which could be imported into Premiere Elements 2018 as H.264.mp4. Also, this VLC player offered conversion of H.264 to H.265.

Windows Media Player (version 12.0.7601.24435) or QuickTime (version 7.7.9) would not open the file.

Free HandBrake Software - allowed for the conversion of the file from H.265 to H.264 which could be imported into Premiere Elements 2018 as H.264.mp4.

Image files with HEIC* file extension and HEIF* format

Source: "Download HEIC Image Samples" link at the Winaero web site.

Premiere Elements 2018 Windows - would accept jpeg photo which was converted from HEIC file, but not the HEIC file.

Free GIMP Software  (version 2.10.10) opened the HEIC file, allowed for edits as well as export as jpeg (File Menu/Export As/Select File Type (By Extension) from long list of choices besides jpeg (choices included png, HEIF/HEIC).

Free CopyTrans Download (For Private Use Only) from Winaero web site
Quickest way for HEIC to jpeg was download of CopyTrans, right click of HEIC image, selection of "Convert to JPEG with CopyTrans" in the pop up menu.
 
COMMENTARY***

For now, for me, conversion workarounds were the solution found for getting the following through the Premiere Elements Windows workflow which included opening, editing, and export of limited sources of

• Video files with HEVC* compression with file extension of .mp4.

• Image files with HEIC* file extension and HEIF* format

Since I do not have a mac computer, it is not possible for me to comment on these tasks in Premiere Elements 2019 macOS 10.13 and higher.

Another matter that should be taken into consideration (in addition to video compression, file extension (container) is computer hardware requirements for these tasks. Refer to "Recommended Hardware" cited at the Elecard "Download Elecard Videos" web page found HERE. In my explorations into this topic, high quality results were obtained from the hardware conditions

Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit Desktop
Intel (R) Core (TM) i3 CPU 3.2 GHz

Windows 10 Home 64 bit Laptop
Intel (R) Pentium (R) CPU 8980 2.40 GHz


Lots of articles exist online regarding HEVC, HEIF/HEIC, Apple involvement in all this, and potential replacement of one technology for another. For now, please explore online searches for deeper insights in the HEVC and HEIF/HEIC technologies and devices that currently produce these files.

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*Numerous online sources give H.265 as an "also known as" name for HEVC video compression. HEVC is used to represent the name High-Efficiency Video Coding. And, online sources use HEIC to represent the name "High-Efficiency Image Containers" and HEIF to represent the name "High-Efficiency Image Format".
**Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit, Windows 10 Home 64 bit. Latest version of Premiere Elements 2018 Windows.
***I am not affiliated with any of the above products. The information provided is for informational purposes only (not promotional) and represents what I have read and/or what I have explored on my personal computers.



ATR