After trying 2020 for a while, playback seemed a lot better than the previous version I had. So over to version 15 to see if my instincts were correct. Sure enough, playback stuttered with the same effects in place as in 2020. There was stabilization, color (lightness), lens distortion (undo fisheye), and LUT Buddy applied to the video clip. Playback is smooth in 2020, although the quality is somewhat grainy. LUT Buddy really slows down processing. Going from version 15 to version 2020, I also noticed that you can capture a video frame just by clicking the photo icon above the timeline; that feature may have been introduced in a prior version. Before I would have to go through the menu system to export an image. I hated that.
Now my trial is over, but I think I can buy Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements bundle for approximately $83.00. Errr, make that $89.00.