Customer Ratings & Reviews

This software is compatible with both Windows and Mac. I have a Mac computer and found that Elements was similar to iMovie, which comes with iMacs/macBooks. It is quite easy to learn and intuitive to learn. If I used a Window computer this would be a great program for video editing. Does not include Photoshop capability which would make it much better and a much better value. For the Mac I would recommend staying with iMovie, but for a Windows machine this is a reasonably priced software to help with video editing.

I have historically used Sony Movie Studio products. I found this easier to use and a few different but welcome features. Great organizer, editing tools and reasonable amount of transitions and sound effects. I would recommend this product.

I work with grade school youth, and kids love seeing themselves in action! So, I take a lot of video and am constantly putting together a new montage of something-or-other. For years, like many of us I suppose, I have gotten by with free video editing software like Movie Maker or whatever video editing bundle came with my latest video camera. Over the last year though I have become acquainted with using Adobe Premiere Pro for church. Then I saw this product, Premiere Elements, and thought I’d finally “up my game” and take the plunge into trying a paid product for even my own personal use. To get right to it then -- coming from both a Windows Movie Maker and Premiere Pro background, there was definitely still a learning curve to figure out how to get similar tasks done in Premiere Elements. I expected Elements to be different than Movie Maker but I was also surprised at how foreign Elements felt compared to its big-brother, Premiere Pro. I wouldn’t mark Elements down any stars for that, it’s just an observation to anyone, like me, who has exposure to both Adobe products. Given that my experience with Premiere Pro didn’t seem to be as directly applicable as I had expected it to be, I decided to just be patient and use one of Elements’ features -- the guided edits -- to get up to speed with how Elements was laid out. It was awkward at first because my instinct was to think I could just dive-in, but the patience of following the basic guided edits soon paid-off and had me up-to-snuff editing videos pretty intuitively again within an hour. After completing the guides, I immediately dumped all of last summer’s youth camp videos into Elements and went to work producing my first full-length montage from my own footage. Elements made it easy and I had a complete video compilation done in record time, and I didn’t even use any of its pre-made time-saving templates or wizards -- I just hummed along in “expert” mode and found that to be a pretty comfortable place to get my work done. Features I personally used most were 1) the audio-gain feature to help normalize volume across clips, 2) transitions, and 3) the color-pop effect. The color-pop effect was especially nice because it lets you choose more than just one color to “pop”, and at our summer camps there is a day when the kids wear a different colored shirt to match their grade and the color-pop effect to simultaneously bring out just those shirt colors at times made for some cool looking clips. The one thing I found myself rubbing up against in Elements is that it’s laborious to use transitions that are less than one second in length. Because my videos of kids, at least sections of them, are often pretty rapid-fire clip-after-clip I like to use very fast dissolves or cross-fades of only about a quarter-second -- just enough to cover the rough edge of the cut -- but the shortest Elements lets you easily set a transition to is one-full-second. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you have a segment of short back-to-back clips, a series of one-full-second transitions between each and every clip can significantly de-energize the overall feel of the video . Now, you CAN go into each transition after it’s been added and manually drag the ends to be shorter than one second, but that can be pretty tedious when editing a video with a lot of such transitions. It’s perplexing that Elements doesn’t let you simply set a less-than-one-second transition time directly in the transition property. There are a lot of features I didn’t even scratch the surface of yet, but suffice to say that Elements has earned itself a spot as a staple in the editing of my high-energy youth and family videos.

This is a great product for making videos. The installation is pretty straight forward but does require you to create an Adobe account. The software includes links to tutorials to use the software on the Adobe website. This is not for the new user or something that can be learned really quick. Some of the features seem fairly easy to implement with videos you already have but to create new videos will likely take some time. I also was surprised with how much this product seems to push you to buy other Adobe Photoshop products. If you are not careful or follow some tutorial you would be led to buy another product before even using this one.

Adobe is the gold standard for photo and video editing. Unfortunately for casual users, the full package is far to expensive. The ability to get a large number of the Pro features for a non subscription cost that is manageable is well received. The interface continues to be refined from previous versions and very user friendly with some use. Also the haze eliminator is a nice feature to clean up outdoor videos. The truth is unless you are a professional or have video artist, you will not use many of the features in high end video editing software. Elements walks the line very well between providing features that are necessary and needed.

I've used a number of Adobe products in the past and this is the first time that I have used their video editing software. I found it very easy to use and with the quick start and guided modes it makes getting started a snap. The guided tutorial mode was nice but it seems as if there could have been more features exposed with it. There are also a number of basic templates for common special occasions that are nice for a quick organization of content into movies. For the more advanced users, of which I am not yet, there is an Expert mode that presents an enhanced timeline and additional features. Overall, the interface is well laid out and offers tools for every level of user.

I have edited videos in the past using GoPro Studio and Windows Movie Maker. I am by no means a movie editing pro or anything close. I've used Adobe Premiere Pro before and found it overwhelming. While I would love to learn how to use Premier Pro, I just don't have the time to dedicate to learning it. Since the birth of my son (who's 1 now), I have been recording more videos and wanted to do something with them other than sit on my computer or phone. I liked GoPro Studio, but found it difficult to incorporate pictures and use footage from sources other than GoPro (that difficulty could be user error). I thought Adobe Premiere Elements would be a nice sweet spot. From what I've read, it was a tamed down and easier to use version of Premiere Pro. In a sense it is, but in a sense it isn't. I was able to create a 2 minute video on the "Guided" setting, which does a decent job of explaining the features and how-to of the program, but it wasn't without its share of headaches and trial and error. (I stayed completely away from the Expert setting). It has a "Quick" setting, but I wanted a bit more control over my videos and haven't run it through its paces just yet. If you've never edited videos before, and don't have the time or desire to teach yourself, this program isn't for you. It's unintuitive to the uninitiated. It has some powerful tools and effects, but despite Adobe's best efforts, it's still difficult to learn. It's not intuitive to the normal person. The performance depends on your machine. I have a relatively new Acer R 15 inch laptop with i5 processor with 8 GB RAM and HDD. I found the computer slowing down considerably when using this program. I had to shut down every window and background program to have it perform smoothly. But mostly any slow downs occurred when importing and exporting media. I'm guessing this is maching dependent. I only mention this in case you have an older or budget machine. I don't think you need a top of the line computer, but you'll need something with oomph. Bottom line is that if you want to edit videos and you are willing to put the time in, this is a program that will help you create amazing results. But in the beginning, be prepared for a steep learning curve. Once you learn how things work though, it's extremely rewarding. I would also recommend a training guide or how to book. I think running through an example to learn the programs' features to be the quickest way to get up to speed.

I've had a few days to play with Adobe premiere elements 15 and so far so good. I think this software is definitely something that someone with limited video editing experience can create some great movies/videos. I would say I'm very tech savy but I'm pretty limited when it comes to making and editing video, but had no problem creating a short movie/video for my girlfriend. Its also very easy to share the videos you create to social media or to an iPhone/android.

If you are looking for a great intro into video editing, then this is the way to go. There are a lot of advanced features you can't do with this software, but if you're a novice like me then this is great! You can switch to an expert view on this software for those that have more experience too, but doesn't look too different from the Quick or Guided views. If you're looking for something more advanced from Adobe, you'll probably go with their other software (or maybe something else altogether).

This product is easy to use even if you are a rookie to creating movies. My main issue is that the installation and setup was difficult. I had to keep restarting my machine and the wizard was not very helpful. The software is easy to use, just refine the installation process.

As a member of Best Buy's Tech Insider Network, they sent this to me at no cost in exchange for an honest review. As is the case with most software these days, you're provided with two options for installation - use the CD/DVD provided or download directly from the vendor. My MacBook doesn't have a DVD drive so I opted for the download. Be warned for those who have slower connections, it's a 2GB download! Installation was straightforward. It does require you sign up for an Adobe account if you don't already have one. The interface feels like most other Adobe products. A clean interface with a lot of sub-menus that are the keys to your success - or frustration. If you've never worked with any video editing programs, you might find yourself getting frustrated. Most of my experience has been with Mac iMovie which in comparison is lacking in features. Premiere Elements has so many options and effects to make the most of your movie it can be daunting. Adobe does a nice job with on-screen tutorials to guide you along the way instead of soulless text driven "help" screens. If you're new to video editing, I'd strongly recommend spending time editing smaller clips to see all the different options available to you. It will have a steeper learning curve, but opens up a new world of options.

I installed Premiere with the included disc. There's a link to download it should you not have an optical drive. The box also included two discs, one for Windows and one for Mac. The included code unlocked the software and all is good. I haven't started a project with it yet, but it looks fairly straightforward.

Adobe Premiere Elements 15 is a great software package for beginners and experienced videographers. The user-friendly interface also makes it attractive to users of all ages. Overall, a great product for anyone wanting to do video editing but doesn't want to have to pay a professional.

Premiere Elements 15 is Adobe's entry-level video editing software, and offers tools available in Photoshop CC and Elements. The Remix feature allows for matching of music and video clip length. Not much else to say - great starter package if you want to try video editing.

I was pleased to know that I was able to navigate and use the software without having to read detailed manuals.The navigation buttons are easy to use, and everything seems to flow. I was able to quickly put together a video presentation with good results.

I am a photographer who has not done more than snapchat for video. But i have a 3 year old and wanted to make more videos. this software is SO easy to use. I recorded, edited and published a 5 minute video in under 2 hours without watching any tutorials!

I received this both as a single program and with the photoshop elements 15 and premiere elements 15 bundle so installing it again would have been a bit redundant. My thoughts are exactly the same as they were for the bundle. Installation was pretty fast. Was less intuitive than expected but not difficult to figure out. Works well but I wouldn't say it is the best option available. I've only been able to work with it for about 2 days so far so my views my change after more time, but for now I can say that it works and would be a good choice for anyone that wants editing and organization tools.

I received a copy of this software in exchange for an unbiased review. Installation and setup was quick and easy. As a beginning video editor, it was simple to figure out how to add and manipulate videos using the software. I was able to create and edit videos of my dog in the first 5 minutes! There are plenty of options for music, transitions, and effects and these are simple to use. Does not include photoshop but you are able to make a picture slideshow and use the effects and editing on the photos. Overall, I would recommend this for a beginner to intermediate video editor.

Really recommend this software, great for editing photos and making them look their best. Very easy to use.

I like that for the price I can edit my family movies with the simpler version the pro's use.