Premiere Elements 2 for Windows: Visual QuickStart Guide

Specifying Project

Settings

For the vast majority of users, the default

preset specifies the most appropriate set-

tings. However, you might set a different

default if you aren’t using the dominant

video standard for your region (see the side-

bar “NTSC or PAL”). And although most

folks shoot video in the standard format

(4:3 aspect ratio), some cameras shoot in

a widescreen format (16:9 aspect ratio). In

these instances, go to the Setup dialog box

to change the default preset.

You can also create your own setting presets,

but because Premiere Elements is designed

to work with DV projects, your choices are

limited. Except for the video standard (NTSC

or PAL) and the image aspect ratio (standard

4:3, or widescreen 16:9), you aren’t permitted

to set the fundamental characteristics of the

video and audio—which could deviate from

the DV standard.

Even so, you might want to create a preset

that varies more superficial settings—such

as the way video and audio frame rates are

displayed, the title and action safe zones, or

the initial number of video and audio tracks

in the project’s timeline. However, because

you can change these options at any time,

this book covers those options in the appro-

priate sections in later chapters.

43

Starting a Project

Specifying Project Settings

Audio Sample Rates

Analog signals are described by a contin-

uous fluctuation of voltage. An analog

signal is converted to a digital signal by

being measured periodically, or sampled.

If you think of the original audio as a

curve, the digital audio would look like

a connect-the-dots version of that curve.

The more dots (samples) you have, the

more accurately you can reproduce the

original curve. Therefore, an audio sample

rate describes the number of times audio

is sampled in a given period of time in

order to re-create the original sound.

Audio sample rates are expressed in hertz

(Hz), a measure of frequency equal to one

cycle per second. It’s often more conven-

ient to express frequency in kilohertz

(kHz), or 1,000 cycles per second.

DV cameras record audio at 32 kHz or

48 kHz or give you a choice between the

two audio sample rates. Even if your foot-

age was recorded at 32 kHz, Premiere

Elements upsamples (converts it to a

higher sample rate) and processes it at

48 kHz. You can create your own project

preset, but you still aren’t permitted to

change a project’s audio sample rate.

Don’t worry—your audio is compatible,

and the processing shouldn’t cause qual-

ity or playback problems.

To save a preset as the default:

1.

In the welcome screen, click Setup

(Figure 2.23).

The Setup dialog box opens.

2.

Select the preset you want to save as

the default.

3.

Click the Save as Default button

(Figure 2.24).

The settings specified by the selected

preset are applied to all new projects.

✔ Tips

■

You can also access an open project’s

settings by choosing Project > Project

Settings > General. Doing so won’t allow

you to change the fundamental aspects

of the project, such as how it processes

video and audio. However, it does let

you change how video and audio are

displayed.

■

Premiere Elements captures and processes

video in the DV format in order to take

advantage of the quality, efficiency, and

simplified workflow DV offers. When

you output your edited project, however,

Premiere Elements can export to a DV

tape or recompress the footage to another

format—most notably, a format compati-

ble for burning to a DVD.

Figure 2.24 Select the preset you want, and click the

Save as Default button.

Figure 2.23 To specify the default project preset, click

the Setup button in the welcome screen.

44

Chapter 2

Specifying Project Settings