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http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=1471
Bucking the rumors? Apple posts iDVD 2.1 update -- for free
By Michael Flaminio, Insanely Great Mac
January 5th 2003
iDVD 2.1 is now available for download from Apple's Web site and Software Update
utility.
Rumors have been swirling about Apple charging a fee to upgrade current iApps such as
iTunes, iDVD, iMovie and iPhoto, all of which are ripe for at least a minor update if
not a major upgrade. On the eve of Macworld Expo, Apple may have just poured cold
water on those rumors by releasing a free update to iDVD, version 2.1.
>From Apple, iDVD 2.1 includes:
Handles all the complex encoding and formating for you
Provides background MPEG encoding so you can work more efficiently
Now allows up to 90 minutes of video on each disc. Or thousands of still images.
Supports full motion menus and buttons.
Allows you to use your own movies or images for menus, backgrounds and buttons.
Provides a one-window interface for authoring � and one-click DVD recording.
AppleScript support for automating DVD creation.
DVD-ROM data support.
Produces DVDs that can be played on:
� Most standard set-top DVD players
� Most computers with DVD video drives
Not all those features are new to version 2.1, but one notable addition is the ability
to create 90 minute DVDs, this is an increase from 60 minutes in previous iDVD
versions. While not specified, this likely means the inclusions of VBR encoding, which
allows for better compression, allowing video to take up less space, therefore, more
minutes on a DVD. Using more sophisticated controls, one could typically fit about 120
minutes on to a DVD, but 90 minutes is reasonable for iDVD and its turn-key setup.
Many will be disappointed to see the lack of external DVD-R drive support in this
release. This is probably a logical, if not unpopular, choice for Apple, as iDVD is
intended for use with computers that ship with a SuperDrive. It might be, however, in
Apple's interests to offer a iDVD "Pro" version to bridge the gap between iDVD and its
professional DVD Studio Pro. If it doesn't I'd expect it'd only be a matter of time
before a third-party solution fills the void.
So what does the iDVD update mean for Macworld? Last week Apple posted the final
version of iSync and an accompanying iCal update. With regards to the rumors, it
suggests that they're either wrong or perhaps Apple will only charge for a major
upgrade, like for iPhoto 2.0. Also, it appears Apple is clearing the deck days before
Macworld, which could mean it doesn't want any distractions from any bigger
announcements, whatever that may be.
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