Hi, I have been using PE13 for a while now as it has always done what I need of it. I use a Panasonic SD900 recording in 1920 * 1080i PAL but I have just tried recording in 1920 * 1080P PAL which PE13 accepts. However, when I come to cut a BluRay I note that only 1920 * 1080i PAL is available. Do I need to upgrade to a newer version of PE or is this a limitation of BluRay (I would guess its not)?

Andy

Welcome to Muvipix, Andy!

What is it you're trying to do that you can't do? It's not clear from your question.

Sorry. I am trying to create a 1920 by 1080P PAL BluRay and I only see an option to create a 1920 by 1080i PAL BluRay (there are other lower quality resolutions available).

Hope this assists.

Andy

Oh, I see now.

No, you can't output a 1080p BluRay from Premiere Elements.

To do that you'll need to output a 1080p AVC video from Premiere Elements and then use a third-party disc authoring program to create your BluRay.

Thanks, that is most helpful. Is there a recommended piece of software that does not "clash" with PE13 (or indeed more recent versions of PE)??

Andy

Why the need for 1080p? I have created many blu ray discs with premiere elements using 1080i and don't know that anyone would notice the difference. I understand the difference between the two but don't think that visually there enough of a difference for this to be a problem. Someone please educate me if I am mistaken, or even wrong

And Welcome to Muvipix Andy

It's not a Premiere Elements issue, it has to do with the Blu-Ray specification -- 1920x1080 50p and 25p are not supported. Go ahead and use the Blu-Ray interlaced option. Coming from progressive footage, the two interlaced fields will be generated from the same progressive frame so there will be no interlacing artifacts.

Thanks guys. I guess I will stick with 1920 by 1080i as that seems to be the simplest option, which BTW looks good on my TV anyway!

Andy

As for which applications won't clash with Premiere Elements, here's some information on how render Blu-ray AVC and AC3 streams in Premiere Elements 15 that can be used directly in DVD Architect Pro 6 without recompiling. While I can't verify it, this should also work with DVD Architect Studio. As others have said, 1920x1080 25p (or 30p) isn't supported by DVD Architect. You would have to use 23 or 24 fps for progressive, which may not play back smoothly with your 25p source -- but just might work.

Here's how to create the streams in Premiere Elements:
1. Select Export and Share
2. Select Devices
3. Select Custom
4. Select Advanced Settings
5. Select h.264 Blu-ray for format
6. On the video tab change profile level from Main 4.1 to Main 4.0; change frame rate to 24 Progressive, 23.976 Progressive, or 25 (PAL) Upper; Target Bitrate: 17.5 Mbps (maximum on slider)
7. On Audio tab change from PCM to Dolby Digital; Change bitrate to 448 kpbs
8. On Multiplexer tab change method from TS to None.
9. Select OK, give preset a name and Select OK again.
10. Enter a filename and then click Save. Two files are created, one for video and another for audio.
11. When exporting is complete, select Folder Location
12.In Explorer, change the file extension of the video file from .m4v to .avc

You now have an .avc and .ac3 file that can be used in DVD Architect, and the best part is they won't be recompiled.

I could hardly believe it.

If you have to have progressive output you can slow the project down 24fps - which sounds like an odd idea - but it's the opposite of how commercial films are put on to DVD in the UK. 24FPS films are played at 25fps interlaced (with both frames the same) giving an effective progressive film. This is why PAL DVDs are often shorter than NTSC DVDs by about 8% - and why they play better (because they are higher resolution and don't suffer the pulldown from 24 to 30 fps - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-two_pull_down)

Answer to RJ Johnston: thank you, this is very helpful.