Working with Projects > Specifying project settings
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Specifying project settings


When you start a project, review the project settings, which are organized into five categories:

General Settings Control the fundamental characteristics of the video program, including the method Premiere uses to process video (Editing Mode), count time (Time Display), and play back video (Timebase). See General settings.

Video Settings Control the frame size, picture quality, compression settings, and aspect ratios that Premiere uses when you play back video from the Timeline (the window where you edit your video program). See Video settings.

Audio Settings Control the characteristics of audio you play back from the Timeline. See Audio settings.

Keyframe and Rendering Options Control frame-related characteristics when you build (render) and play back video previews from the Timeline. These options work in combination with the Video settings. See Keyframe and rendering options.

Capture Settings Control how Premiere transfers video and audio directly from a deck or camera. (Other Project Settings panels do not affect capturing.) For more information about capture settings, see Digitizing analog video as DV and Preparing for DV video capture.

The appropriate settings for your project are usually determined by the current stage of your project. Many video capture cards provide their own presets or recommend project settings for optimal results. For information on comparing and changing settings, see Comparing settings using the Settings Viewer. Keep the following guidelines in mind as you progress through your project:
  • When setting up or editing a project, specify settings that will provide the quality you want when you play back the Timeline. For example, specify project settings that match the requirements of the final program or that temporarily lower the frame rate so that your computer can process edits faster. For more information on using low-resolution files, see About offline editing.
  • If you are about to use a videotape deck to record directly from the Timeline, specify project settings that represent the final picture quality you want.
  • If you are about to export the video program to a file (for example, a QuickTime .MOV file) and you want to specify different settings than you did for editing, you must also specify export settings. Export settings are available through the File > Export Timeline command, not in the Project Settings dialog box. Since you use separate settings for previewing and exporting, you can also maintain a set of preview settings that stays constant no matter how often you change export settings (such as when you repurpose a program for multiple distribution media such as television and the Web). When you specify project settings for the first time, the settings are copied to the export settings, making your export settings the same as your project settings unless you change the project or export settings later. See Exporting a video.

    • Working with Projects > Specifying project settings

    Related subtopics:

    General settings
    Video settings
    Audio settings
    Keyframe and rendering options
    Saving and loading project settings