<table border="0" cellpadding="20px" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td><div class="breadcrumbs"><a href="1_4_11_0.html" title="Specifying project settings">Previous</a> | <a href="1_4_11_2.html" title="Specifying Capture settings">Next</a> | <a href="1_4_0_0.html">Starting and Working with Projects</a> > <a href="1_4_11_0.html">Specifying project settings</a></div><h4 class="head2">Specifying General settings </h4><hr /><ol><p class="paragraph">General settings should match the most common source media in your project (for example, if most of your footage is DV, use the DV Playback editing mode). Changing these settings arbitrarily may result in a loss of quality.</p></ol><p class="headstep">To specify General settings:</p><ol><p class="paragraph">Choose Project > Project Settings > General, and specify the following options:</p><p class="run-inhead">Editing Mode</p><p class="paragraph">Identifies the DV Playback video method used for all projects. The following video preview settings can't be changed because they must remain consistent with the DV standard: Timebase, Frame Size, Pixel Aspect Ratio, Fields, and Sample Rate.</p><p class="note"><span class="bold">Note:</span> The Editing Mode setting should represent the specifications of the source media, not the final output settings. Specify output settings when you export. (See <a href="1_11_4_0.html">Exporting video for hard disk playback</a>.)</p><p class="run-inhead">Timebase</p><p class="paragraph">Specifies the time divisions Adobe Premiere Elements uses to calculate the time position of each edit: 25 for PAL (European standard), and 29.97 for NTSC (North American and Japanese standard). Do not confuse timebase with the <span class="Emphasis">frame rate</span> of the video you play back or export from projects, although timebase and frame rate often use the same value.</p><p class="run-inhead">Playback Settings</p><p class="paragraph">This button is available when you use a DV preset, choose the DV Playback editing mode, or install a plug-in that provides additional playback functions. When you use the DV Playback editing mode, use this option to indicate where you want your previews to play back: on your DV camcorder (or other connected device) or on your desktop. For information on the playback settings available for third-party plug-ins, see the documentation provided by the manufacturer of the plug-in.</p><p class="run-inhead">Frame Size</p><p class="paragraph">Specifies the dimensions, in pixels, for frames when you play back projects. In most cases, the frame size for your project should match the frame size of your source media. Don't change the frame size in order to compensate for slow playback--instead, adjust playback resolution by choosing a different Quality setting from the More menu in the Media window, or adjust the frame size of final output by changing Export settings.</p><p class="run-inhead">Pixel Aspect Ratio</p><p class="paragraph">Sets the aspect ratio for individual pixels. This ratio is determined by the video format: PAL or NTSC. If you use a pixel aspect ratio that is different from your video, the video may play back and render with distortion. (See <a href="1_5_11_0.html">About aspect ratios</a>.)</p><p class="run-inhead">Fields</p><p class="paragraph">Specifies the field dominance, or which field of each frame's interlaced fields is drawn first. Note that many capture cards capture fields regardless of whether you shot progressive scan footage.</p><p class="run-inhead">Display Format (video)</p><p class="paragraph">Specifies the way time appears throughout the project. The time display options correspond to standards for editing video and motion-picture film. For NTSC video, choose 30 fps Drop-Frame Timecode. For video to be played back from the Web or CD-ROM, choose 30 fps Non Drop-Frame Timecode. For PAL video, choose 25 fps Timecode. For more information about these formats, see the <a href="1_13_0_0.html">Glossary</a>.</p><p class="run-inhead">Title Safe Area</p><p class="paragraph">Sets how much of the frame edge to mark as a safe zone for titles, so that titles aren't cut off by televisions that zoom the picture slightly to enlarge it. A rectangle with cross-hairs marks the title-safe zone when you click the Safe Zones button in the Monitor window. Titles are usually assumed to require a wider safe zone than action.</p><p class="run-inhead">Action Safe Area</p><p class="paragraph">Sets how much of the frame edge to mark as a safe zone for action so that action isn't cut off by televisions that zoom the picture slightly to enlarge it. A rectangle marks the action-safe zone when you click the Safe Zones button in the Monitor window.</p><p class="run-inhead">Scale Clips To Project Dimensions When Adding To Timeline</p><p class="paragraph">Adjusts imported video and still images so that they fit within the frame, if they are larger or smaller than the frame.</p><p class="run-inhead">Sample Rate</p><p class="paragraph">Identifies the audio sample rate defined by the project preset. Options are 32 kHz or 48 kHz. In general, higher rates provide better audio quality when you play back audio in projects, but they require more disk space and processing. <span class="Emphasis">Resampling</span>, or setting a different rate from the original audio, also requires additional processing time and affects the quality. Try to record audio at a high-quality sample rate, and capture audio at the rate at which it was recorded.</p><p class="run-inhead">Display Format (audio)</p><p class="paragraph">Specifies whether audio time display is measured by using audio samples or milliseconds. By default, time is displayed in frames, but it can be displayed in audio units for sample-level precision when you are editing audio.</p></ol><hr /><div class="breadcrumbs"><a href="1_4_11_0.html" title="Specifying project settings">Previous</a> | <a href="1_4_11_2.html" title="Specifying Capture settings">Next</a> | <a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="1_4_0_0.html">Starting and Working with Projects</a> > <a href="1_4_11_0.html">Specifying project settings</a></div></td></tr></table>
