Video is OK, but no Audio in PE7

[DHITCH10]

I'm new to video editing and I'm looking for some advice on solving my video editing issues:

- Video is from Sony Handycam DCR- DVD403 (burns directly to 3" disc)
- Dell Inspiron computer (1.5 years new)
- Using Premiere Elements 7

Video files are .VOB
-.VOB files from Sony Handyman camcorder (on 3" disc and saved on HD)

I'm currently able to play audio/video from Sony Disc and saved video files in Windows Media Player
and it works fine. I want to edit the videos in PE 7. The videos upload in
PE 7 and I can play the video, however, I cannot hear the audio. I have
saved the .VOB files in different formats ( .MPEG, .AVI) using Any Video
Converters software and reimported to PE 7..... I still do not hear audio.

Any help you can offer? What am I missing? I have both Video _RM and
Video_TS files

Thanks

[Dave McElderry]

Hi, and welcome to Muvipix!

You say you upload the videos to PrEl 7. Specifically, how are you getting the video into PrEl 7? You want to use the Get Media>DVD (Camcorder or PC DVD Drive).

[DHITCH10]

I'm using the Premiere Elements 7 and going to Get Media/use DVD. I have also tried Get Media/From File or Folders, both end up with the same result with vodeo but no audio. Any other ideas on how to troubleshoot?

Thanks

[Chuck Engels]

Welcome to Muvipix DHitch,
What settings for audio did you use on the camcorder?

If you add a mp3 file or some other audio file can you hear it ok?

[Barb O]

Looking at the Sony Handycam DCR- DVD403 specs at the Sony site, it is shown as recording Dolby Digital 5.1ch surround sound.

So I suspect that the 5.1 audio with SD video format is a factor in your problem of not hearing any audio from PE 7.

I don't have any experience with DVD camcorders. However I do have some experience with video from a Sony DCR-SR100 Hard Drive camcorder that records SD video and 5.1 audio. Maybe that experience will help in a group effort here to solve your audio problem.

-- What are your Premiere Elements Project settings ?

-- When you look at the Timeline of a Premiere Elements project which contains one of the clips from your camera, on which numbered tracks are the video and the audio of this clip? (you may need to scroll to see all your tracks- mine would often be on Track 4)
-- Look at the audio track: within that track, do you see any "wave" type line indicating volume of the audio ?

Looking at the problem from a different angle --
Did the Sony software that came with your camera include a program to convert the 5.1 channel audio to stereo audio? I think that only a few camcorders came with that software, but if your model did, then I would suggest running that program BEFORE you bring your video in to Premiere Elements.

EDIT - ADDING MORE
recording settings for sound format
The Sony site manual shows possible settings of "4CH MIC" or "STEREO" for recording sound with 4CH MIC being the default.
Therefore,
-- referencing back to Chuck's question -- which format did you use for recording ?
-- if you were using 4CH MIC, I recommend that you do a recording with the STEREO setting and then try processing it in Premiere Elements 7. Knowing the results with STEREO audio, should help us suggest a next step for analysis and troubleshooting.

[DHITCH10]

The Project settings are set to NTSC-DV Standard 48kHz (which I beleive is the default setting).

I see audio and video on track 5. Audio track 5 has a 5.1 next to it (Dolby) but I do not see any "waves" for the audio in track 5. However, when I click on Window then Audio Meter, the Audio Meter appears and I can see sound "waves" through the Audio Meter.

The Picture Package software was provided with the Sony camera. However, the software is not compatible with Windows Vista and Sony offers Picture Motion Browser v4.3.03 as a replacement. I just read in the footnotes:

The following functions that are included in Picture Package are not available in Picture Motion Browser
-Creating a Video CD
-Creating a slideshow or video with effects and music automatically
-Converting the audio format (from Dolby Digital to MPEG Audio)

Now what do I do?

[DHITCH10]

I keep working on this. I saved the .VOB files as a .WMV file as this is what the Sony software would offer. The video quality was not great but I could see the audio "waves" on track 4 in the Timeline. In the .VOB and MPEG files I cannot see the audio "waves".

Any suggestions?

[Barb O]

1 -- one approach

A program that I know some people use to convert MPEG and VOB files to DV-AVI format (which can be more easily processed in Premiere Elements) is MPEG Streamclip from http://www.squared5.com

I have not used that program myself -- have you ?
Apparently you should select for the codec Apple DV/DVCPRO_NTSC and change the sound setting from MPEG Layer 3 to Uncompressed and set the Field Order to Lower Field First. If you recorded in widescreen, change the Aspect Ratio to 16:9

Note: if you do convert to DV-AVI, then DV standard or if you recorded in 16:9 then DV widescreen would be the correct PE 7 project settings.

2 -- a different approach

If you do not convert (but continue to work and troubleshoot the MPEG/VOB files), then

-- I think that the project setting should be
Hard Drive, Flash Memory Camcorder
because that setting is designed to work with MPEG and VOB files such as you have from your DVD camcorder

-- I suggest that you record a short video using the STEREO setting on the camcorder.
Make a new PE 7 project with the "Hard Drive, Flash Memory Camcorder" setting and then use the PE 7 Get Media function. Add that clip to the Timeline and play it back in PE 7. Post whether the audio is heard on playback.

FYI -
I found a project with a clip (.mpg) file from our Sony HDD camcorder on the Timeline where I could not see the wave pattern on the track BUT the audio did play within Premiere Elements. So my thought about presence/absence of the visible wave pattern on the audio track being meaningful was probably wrong - so ignore it. Their are other some audio meters that we can investigate if appropriate.

[Barb O]

Some general comments

1 -- I recommend a book by Steve Grisetti (one of the founders of muvipix)

"The Muvipix Guide to Adobe Premiere Elements 7"
I have referenced this book tonight while responding to your question and I use it frequently when trying something new or even just when I am struggling with something done previously.

If you go to the Home page of muvipix site and then click on the "Muvipix Store" in the list on the left -- you can see the books available with Table of Contents and some sample material.

Since you have PE version 7, I recommend purchasing the version 7 book (even though there are newer versions). Especially for a beginner, I think it is valuable to have a book where the user interface descriptions are written for the same version as I run.

2 -- It is possible that improvements in version 9 will do a better job of processing this type of video with MPEG standard definition and 5.1 audio.

I am definitely not recommending that you upgrade to v9 based on this comment because I don't have experience yet with my Sony HDD video and v9. However, because you are currently having problems in v7, I thought that the v9 trial MIGHT be an alternative if there is no resolution to your problems using v7.

[DHITCH10]

OK, confirmed with Sony that the camera does not have a stereo option, just records in 5.1 sound.

Called Adobe customer support and they deleted PE 7 out of the temporary files on my computer as it can appently "bog down" the system and crash. I was able to reimport the VOB file and hear audio and see video. The default settings in PE 7 were OK for my video.

Thanks all for the advice and support. I will be buying the user guide now from muvipix!

[Barb O]

The default settings in PE 7 were OK for my video.

Thanks for your feedback.

I am glad that you can now hear the audio of your video. However, I am skeptical of your conclusion that the default Project settings of PE 7 will be OK for your video. Why ?

1 -- My conclusion is that (presuming you have NOT converted your video to DV-AVI format with other software) ,

your video from your Sony DVD camcorder (standard def with 5.1 audio) is best processed with one of the "Hard Drive, Flash Memory Camcorder" PE project settings. Quoting from the muvipix PE 7 book p 18 - "these presets are designed to work with MPEG and VOB video source files, such as those from DVDs and hard drive camcorders"

2 -- I don't think we have discussed whether you recorded your video in 4:3 (full screen) or 16:9 widescreen and whether you want your output from the editing to be Full Screen or Wide Screen. This is important because it must be considered when selecting the PE project setting at the beginning of the project. It can not be changed midway through your project.

Therefore, for the PE 7 Project Setting, under the Hard Drive, Flash Memory section I would choose Standard or Widescreen according to which format of video you recorded.