Reprinted from an Adobe press release:
Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe Premiere Elements, a brand new Windows-based product for customers who want creative control and reliability when editing their home videos. Leveraging the award-winning professional functionality found in Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Premiere Elements automates tedious tasks so video hobbyists are free to experiment with effects, transitions, text and audio. Using Adobe Premiere Elements, footage can easily be captured from a DV camcorder directly to the video timeline, edited with professional-level effects and delivered as stunning custom DVDs, complete with menus and scene indexes to share with family and friends.
Also today, Adobe introduced Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0, a milestone upgrade to the No. 1 selling consumer photo editing software* (see separate release). Available as separate products, Adobe Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements 3.0 also can be purchased together in a single retail package. Combined in one affordable solution, these products deliver the powerful software customers need to easily blend still photos with video clips. Consumers can then create dynamic slideshows and photo-rich video projects – that can be burned to DVD and easily viewed by friends and family on the TV screen.
“The cost of DV camcorders, PCs powerful enough to edit video and DVDs have dropped significantly, making it much easier for consumers to get professional quality results with their home videos,” said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Digital Imaging and Digital Video products at Adobe. “Photoshop Elements has been a hit with photo hobbyists worldwide as they explored the creative freedom and power of digital photography. We felt the time was right to leverage our award-winning digital video technology and offer Adobe Premiere Elements, which brings a new level of quality and sophistication to the amateur and home video market.”
Editing Made Easy
Essential features in Adobe Premiere Elements include: reliable transfer of footage from DV camcorders to the video timeline with no interruptions; automatic shifting of video clips to fill in any gaps whenever scenes are trimmed or rearranged; and integrated DVD burning which makes it simple to create DVDs that are fun to share and convenient to watch. Consumers can experiment with a wide range of easy-to-use special effects, like warping, twirls and pans, as well as broadcast-quality scene transitions and titles. Adobe Premiere Elements customers can easily add sound effects and music – up to 99 audio tracks at a time – to set the mood for their home movies.
“Digital video tools have typically been reserved for the pros and are often too difficult to use for amateurs. They typically require a lot of extra time and expertise,” said Joshua Duhl, Research Director, for Content Management and Rich Media at IDC. “A unique opportunity exists for user-friendly, affordable, yet powerful software that brings a little taste of Hollywood to home movies. Everyone has these devices. The next step is connecting them with products to help them turn what they capture into something they can be proud of. Enthusiasts really need an end-to-end solution like this that will guide them through the process from start to finish, without stifling their creativity or requiring any additional software.”
Pricing and Availability
Shipping later this fall, Adobe Premiere Elements for Windows XP (Home, Professional, Media Center with Service Pack 1) is available for pre-order today in the United States and Canada for an estimated street price of US $99.99 on www.adobe.com and www.amazon.com. Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 Plus Adobe Premiere Elements will be available as a bundle in the United States and Canada and can be pre-ordered for an estimated street price of US $149.99. Adobe’s complete digital photo and video hobbyist product line is also being made available on online sites and in select retail stores.
Information about the other language versions, as well as pricing, upgrade, and support policies for other countries is available on www.adobe.com. For more information, customers can call 1-800-492-3623.
