Below is the substantive part of what Adobe says the differences are. This information was taken from:
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/23492.htm
Key Feature Differences
Import/Export Formats
Plug-in Support
How to Order Premiere 5.1x
Adobe Premiere 5.1 LE shares some, but not all, of the features in the full version of Adobe Premiere 5.1x. This document compares these products and provides information on ordering Premiere 5.1x.
Key Feature Differences
The following table lists the differences between features in both products as well as the additional features provided by the full version of Premiere 5.1x:
Feature
Premiere 5.1 Full
Premiere 5.1 LE
Transition Effects
77
16
Video Filters
67
16
Audio Filters
21
3
Video Tracks
99
3
Audio Tracks
99
3
Color Keying
YES (14 transparency settings)
NO
Motion Settings (e.g. zoom, rotate)
YES
NO
EDL Export
YES
NO
Auto Save
YES
NO
Levels of Undo
32
3
Project Trimmer
YES
NO
Stop Motion Capture*
YES
NO
Still Image Capture*
YES
NO
Batch Capture
YES
NO
Batch Processing
YES
NO
Navigator Palette
YES
NO
Commands Palette
YES
NO
Timeline, Monitor, Project Window Options
YES
NO
RAM Preview
YES
NO
Titles with Roll and Crawl Options
YES
YES
Web Video plug-ins
YES (Animated GIF, RealPlayer, Microsoft NetShow ASF, and MPEG)
NO
Documentation
Online Help, printed user guide
Online Help, PDF user guide
* Also requires support by capture card
Import/Export Formats
Premiere 5.1x can import and export files in several still, video, and audio formats. The following import and export formats are supported in Premiere 5.1x, but not in Premiere LE:
Import Formats
Export Formats
- Premiere 4.2 or 4.2 LE Projects
- Batch Lists
- Premiere Library
- Premiere Sequence
- Text
- AutoDesk Animation
- CompuServe GIF
- TIFF Sequence or Frame
- Targa Sequence or Frame
- GIF Sequence or Frame
- Animated GIF
- Filmstrip
- Flc/Fli
- Windows Bitmap Sequence
Plug-in Support
Plug-ins designed to work with the full version of Premiere 5.x will not work with Premiere 5.1 LE. Premiere 5.1 LE ships with a number of capture cards whose manufacturers have prepared specific plug-ins for Premiere 5.1 LE.
How to Order Premiere 5.1
If you own Premiere 5.1 LE, you may upgrade to the full version of Premiere 5.1 for $199 plus shipping. This upgrade is available only from Adobe directly. For more information, see document 416374, "How to Order the Premiere 5.1 Upgrade" or call Customer Services at 888-724-4507.
If you would like more information on the feature set and functionality of Premiere 5.1, visit the Premiere product area on Adobe's Web site at www.adobe.com/prodindex/premiere/main.html.
Here is something similar from: http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/NOTES/2436.htm
Customer Service Database
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Premiere 5.1 Full Version and Premiere LE Comparison
FaxYI number 516376
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Key Feature Differences Between Premiere 5.1 and Premiere LE
The following features are available in Premiere 5.1, but not in Premiere LE. Premiere 5.1:
- Allows 77 transition effects -- including wipes, zooms, and spins -- each with a variety of settings and possibilities.
- Contains 67 video filters -- including color correction, sharpen, lens flares, and more -- many with keyframes you can use to control and vary the filter's settings over the duration of the clip.
- Contains 21 audio filters -- including reverb, noise gate, parametric EQ, and more -- many with keyframes you can use to control and vary the filter's settings over the duration of the clip.
- Gives you 14 transparency settings -- including Blue Screen, Alpha Channel, and Track Matte -- for you to use when superimposing clips.
- Saves your work automatically and allows you up to 32 levels of undo on the Timeline.
- Provides a Commands palette, allowing you to access frequently selected menu items.
- Provides a Navigator palette, allowing you to move quickly through the Timeline.
- Gives you Motion control options, including spinning, zooming, rotating, and more.
- Includes the following plug-ins for producing Web video: Animated GIF, RealPlayer, Microsoft NetShow ASF, and MPEG formats.
- Comes with both a comprehensive online help system and a printed user guide manual.
- Supports high-end offline editing through EDLs (Edit Decision Lists), batch capture, and batch processing.
- Provides a RAM-based preview option, allowing you to quickly view your visual effects.
- Includes Timeline, Monitor, and Project Window Options, letting you customize your windows to fit your personal working style.
Import/Export Capabilities
The following import and export options are supported in Premiere 5.1, but not in Premiere LE:
Import
Export
- Premiere 4.2 or 4.2 LE Projects
- Batch Lists
- Premiere Library
- Premiere Sequence
- Text
- AutoDesk Animation
- CompuServe GIF
- Batch Capture
- TIFF Sequence or Frame
- Targa Sequence or Frame
- GIF Sequence or Frame
- Animated GIF
- Filmstrip
- Flc/Fli
- Windows Bitmap Sequence
How to Order Premiere 5.1
If you own Premiere LE, you may upgrade to the full version of Premiere 5.1 for $199 plus shipping and handling. This upgrade is only available directly from Adobe. For more information, see document 416374, "How to Order the Premiere 5.1 Upgrade," or call Customer Services at 888-724-4507.
If you would like more information on the feature set and functionality of Premiere 5.1, visit the Premiere product area on Adobe's Web site at http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/premiere/main.html. To receive Premiere product information via Adobe's FaxYI system, call 650-556-8481 and request document 1054.
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That's it! Bob C
[This message has been edited by bcrabtree (edited 19 January 2002).]