Before we look at the new video-editing features in Premiere Elements 3, we need to address a problem we’ve encountered with previous versions of this program, and which we were disappointed to see is still present in this upgrade.

Premiere Elements is very particular about its system requirements. The manual says it requires an Intel or other ‘compatible processor’ that supports the Intel SSE instruction set.

Many recent AMD processors do support SSE, but we’ve still had problems running Premiere Elements on AMD-based PCs. It wouldn’t run on our 2GHz Athlon XP desktop system, which is only a year old.

Even more annoying was the fact that it wouldn’t run on an Intel-based laptop either, as there was a conflict with the notebook’s audio drivers. Only when we installed the software onto a brand new Intel Core Duo system did it grant us the honour of starting first time.

It is possible to get around these problems, but you’ll need to delve through the support section on Adobe’s website and then spend time adjusting various settings to get the program to run properly.

Given that Premiere Elements is aimed at home users who won’t have much technical knowledge, this tortuous installation process is unforgivable. But if Premiere Elements likes your PC, you’ll find this a very worthwhile upgrade.

Elements is a powerful video-editing program, but the interface has always been more complicated than those of rivals such as Pinnacle’s Studio. Adobe has made an effort to address this in version 3 by adding several features.

The first is the ability to switch the Timeline window into a new mode called Sceneline. This allows you to construct a simple storyboard for your project quickly by dragging clips into the Sceneline and arranging them in the required sequence.

Small transition markers are automatically placed between clips and you can insert transitions into the Sceneline simply by right-clicking on the markers. When you’ve finished, you can fine-tune the project by switching back to Timeline mode and performing more precise edits.

The editing process has also been simplified by making the main Monitor window more versatile. From here, you can view individual clips as you'd expect, but you can also perform a wide range of editing tasks by holding down the Shift button as you drag clips into the window.

When you hold down the Shift button a small menu appears on screen that allows you to perform tasks such as creating picture-in-picture effects by superimposing one video clip over another, or splitting a clip in two and inserting another clip in the middle.

A new Text button in the Monitor window allows you to type titles and credits straight onto clips, rather than having to switch into a separate titling module.

These changes to the Monitor window make it much easier to perform many basic editing tasks without having to grapple with the complexities of the Timeline window. Adobe has also added a number of options to Premiere Elements’ import and export options.

You can import video from all sorts of devices now, including mobile phones and new HD (high-definition) camcorders. And, when you’ve finished editing, there are options for exporting to new devices such as an Apple iPod or Sony Playstation Portable.

There’s no doubt that Premiere Elements provides an impressive range of video-editing tools at a competitive price, and the improved ease of use in this upgrade makes it more attractive to home users who want to experiment with digital video.

Of course, none of this matters if the program won’t run on your PC – but at least there’s a trial version available so you can test it before buying.

Also consider:
Pinnacle Studio Plus 10
A new engine and extra features help produce quality video projects on a budget

Ulead Video Studio 10 Plus
A good home video-editing suite for under £60

DVD2Pod video-conversion software
A video-conversion utility for Apple's iPod

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