4K Video Editing Success with a cheap NLE
Dec 30, 2014 12:57:53 #
Premier Elements is one of the cheap video editors (NLEs) aimed at amateurs. The 4K video format is new and there are only a few cameras or camcorders amateurs would buy that can create 4K clips. Among them are the Hero 4, Panasonic FZ1000, Sony AX100, a Samsung smartphone, a Samsung tablet and the Panasonic LX100. Disregarding the phones, tablets and GoPro, the LX100 is the lowest price entry point. Out since October, it is getting rave reviews for being compact, having a fast Leica Lens and a M4/3 sensor. Rumors are that there will be a lot more 4K cameras at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
Adobe's competitors in the cheap NLE market are Sony, Cyberlink and Corel who brag about 4K capability in their marketing and specifications. Nowhere, that I could find, in Adobe's marketing for PrE 13 was there any mention of 4K.
Why shoot in 4K when so few have 4K viewing capability? The bit rate is a lot higher. The theory is, that since the 4K files are three or four times larger than the HD 1080p60 files we are used, we should have more "Photoshop like" creative editing opportunities. Results from color, exposure correction, cropping and shake control should be better. The 1080p output we create for our HD TVs, can be better if our original clips have more data.
My dear wife surprised me with a Panasonic LX100 for Christmas so I could scratch the 4K itch. Would PrE 13 stand up to the job? Or, would I have to learn how to use Sony's Home Studio? When I started with PrE, it was version 9 and I had one of the first AVCHD camcorders. It was not until PrE11 that Adobe fully caught up with AVCHD. Would 4K be a better experience?
Yesterday I took my new camera to the Oregon beach and shot a bunch of clips. Last night I put them on my computer using Lightroom. I don't use Organizer. I used Lightroom to get rid of the duds. From Lightroom, I exported clip copies to a PrE13 project folder. I was delighted they all showed up when I Added Media. I dropped them all to the timeline and trimmed them by grabbing the edges. I intentionally did not make adjustments, transitions, titles or do any color grading so I could test the "workflow".
I'm delighted! It worked without flaw. An appropriate 4K project preset was automatically selected, the preview window was smooth without jitter. There are 4K output presets under XAVC-S, below AVCHD in Publish & Share > Computer. The larger files were slower to render, but not so slow to be a show stopper.
The two and a half minute result is here: https://vimeo.com/115617380
Obviously, the performance of any NLE is computer related. I have an i7 laptop with lots of memory and a fast HDD. If you want to "test" 4K clips in your system, I can put up some that are straight out of my camera.
Adobe's competitors in the cheap NLE market are Sony, Cyberlink and Corel who brag about 4K capability in their marketing and specifications. Nowhere, that I could find, in Adobe's marketing for PrE 13 was there any mention of 4K.
Why shoot in 4K when so few have 4K viewing capability? The bit rate is a lot higher. The theory is, that since the 4K files are three or four times larger than the HD 1080p60 files we are used, we should have more "Photoshop like" creative editing opportunities. Results from color, exposure correction, cropping and shake control should be better. The 1080p output we create for our HD TVs, can be better if our original clips have more data.
My dear wife surprised me with a Panasonic LX100 for Christmas so I could scratch the 4K itch. Would PrE 13 stand up to the job? Or, would I have to learn how to use Sony's Home Studio? When I started with PrE, it was version 9 and I had one of the first AVCHD camcorders. It was not until PrE11 that Adobe fully caught up with AVCHD. Would 4K be a better experience?
Yesterday I took my new camera to the Oregon beach and shot a bunch of clips. Last night I put them on my computer using Lightroom. I don't use Organizer. I used Lightroom to get rid of the duds. From Lightroom, I exported clip copies to a PrE13 project folder. I was delighted they all showed up when I Added Media. I dropped them all to the timeline and trimmed them by grabbing the edges. I intentionally did not make adjustments, transitions, titles or do any color grading so I could test the "workflow".
I'm delighted! It worked without flaw. An appropriate 4K project preset was automatically selected, the preview window was smooth without jitter. There are 4K output presets under XAVC-S, below AVCHD in Publish & Share > Computer. The larger files were slower to render, but not so slow to be a show stopper.
The two and a half minute result is here: https://vimeo.com/115617380
Obviously, the performance of any NLE is computer related. I have an i7 laptop with lots of memory and a fast HDD. If you want to "test" 4K clips in your system, I can put up some that are straight out of my camera.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.