Selecting a sequence preset

A sequence can contain different types of assets, in different formats, and with various different parameters. However, Adobe Premiere Pro performs best when the settings for a sequence match the parameters of most of the assets used in that sequence. To optimize performance and reduce rendering times, find out the following parameters for the primary assets you want to edit before creating a new sequence. After learning the asset parameters, you can create a sequence with settings to match. If you will need to capture the assets from a tape-based device, you will need to know these parameters also to select the correct capture settings.

  • recording format (e.g. DV, or DVCPRO HD)

  • file format (e.g. AVI, MOV, or VOB

  • frame aspect ratio (e.g. 16:9, or 4:3)

  • pixel aspect ratio (e.g. 1.0, or .9091)

  • frame rate (e.g. 29.97 fps, or 23.976 fps)

  • timebase (e.g. 29.97 fps, or 23.976 fps)

  • fields (e.g. progressive or interlaced)

  • audio sample rate (e.g. 32 Hz, or 48 Hz)

  • video codec

  • audio codec

You can use a third-party application, such as the freewares, MediaInfo, or GSpot Codec Information Appliance, to discover these parameters for your assets. To find the codecs used to generate a file, you can also choose Window > Show Movie Inspector in Apple QuickTime Player.

Some assets might have been generated with codecs not supported natively by Adobe Premiere Pro. Often, you can edit these assets after installing the relevant codec pack from a website like codecs.com. For example, install a QuickTime codec pack to enable your QuickTime player to play QuickTime movies encoded with any of various codecs. This will enable Adobe Premiere Pro to edit those QuickTime movies.