PE4 crashes when working with MP4 videos

[dmceathron]

Hello everyone - just got a new Samsung HMX20 camera - shoots in full HD and creates clips in MP4 format. I did a few tests on the cam before shooting about 111 clips today, totaling approximately 30 minutes of video.

The test worked great, looked CLEAR and fabulous.

I started PE4 and captured all the clips just fine.

However, when I try to import more than about 10 clips into a new project in PE4, it crashes (no warning or message) and goes to a blue screen, then my computer restarts.

System Specs: 1 month old HP Pavilion DV7, AMD Turion Dual-Core 2.10 GHz, 4.0 GB, 64 bit system, 184 GB free of 284.

I have a backup drive I could use if needed, but not sure if it would help - I figured it would be better to have everything on the C drive... Although perhaps that is naive of me.

Any thoughts? This is for a client project, so any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! If you have any questions to help your understanding of the issue, feel free to ask.

I have used PE4 successfully with my older Panasonic cam (not HD), and this issue has never presented until now, when trying to work with numerous clips.

I also posted this on Adobe forums - sorry if anyone is reading it twice - both forums are such a great help!

Thanks!!

[Paul LS]

Welcome to Muvipix... you have found a good forum where folks are very supportive and eager to help...

I have been responding to you over on the Adobe forum. Where are you based by the way? Maybe some folks here will have some other ideas. By the way be sure to check out the complimentary stuff in the Products section.

[dmceathron]

Thank you for everything - I will post in both forums once I figure it out!

[Steve Grisetti]

HI, dmc. Welcome to Muvipix!

Part of the challenge for video editing software is that manufacturers keep inventing new, challenging formats for these programs to edit.

Your Samsung HMX20 is a hybrid camcorder. It records to a memory card in AVCHD -- but it also records in a variety of frames rates and interlacing modes.

Premiere Elements 4 is not capable of working with AVCHD video, unfortunately. Version 7 is the first version of the program to be able to work with that video format.

AVCHD, because of its heavy video data and high compression, also requires a very powerful computer. Most people who are editing it successfully are using a quad core processor with 4 gigabytes of RAM.

[Chuck Engels]

The only potential problems I can see is the slower processor, normally quad core for HDV, and the 64 bit system.
The crashes can also come because of the audio in your files. During the time you are importing Premiere Elements is conforming the audio. If it doesn't like what it finds it will often crash. This could also be a audio driver issue so it would be good to check for a driver update.

What is the audio format that your camcorder records to?

[Steve Grisetti]

That would be AVCHD MP4, Chuck.

[Steve Grisetti]

Actually, I need to correct that. It's not AVCHD after all -- which could be compounding the problem.

Here's what Camcorder Info says:
The Samsung SC-HMX20 compresses video in the H.264 (MPEG-4.AVC) main profile format. This is similar but not identical to the AVCHD codec favored by Panasonic, Sony, Canon, and JVC–everyone else, in other words. AVCHD uses H.264 (MPEG-4.AVC), but adds other features that may or may not benefit the consumer.

In other words, it's another proprietary MP4 format that's going wreak havoc on video editors.

I wish camcorder manufacturers wouldn't do that.

Possibly converting it with the Prism Video Convertor would help. It seems to be the best solution for the similarly troublesome Flip camera's codec.
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/437535?tstart=0

[Paul LS]

Yep, it is not AVCHD, it is an MP4 variant. He used Super to convert it, he wanted to maintain the high definition.
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/446193?tstart=0