What's New iDVD2 is substantially different from its predecessor. In addition to being OS X only, some of the other key new features include:
These new features are well designed and very easy to use. Background rendering, for example, is automatic and starts as soon as you drag a new clip into your project. Record time defaults to 60 minutes and will automatically extend to 90 (with a slight loss in quality) when your project length exceeds 90 minutes. No settings to remember to tweak; just create your project and let iDVD2 worry about the details. Preferences O Usage Using iDVD is intuitive, even if you've never built a DVD before. The program does not ship with printed or PDF manuals; the only help available is from the Apple Help system. The help system is relatively thorough, and addresses new features, "how do I?" questions, and includes a link back to the iDVD website. In addition, a detailed tutorial walks you through the process of creating an iDVD project from start to finish, including customizing a theme.
The bottom section, below the main screen, contains buttons which (from left to right) open the drawer, allow you to add folders (sub-menus), create a slideshow, enable motion preview, enter DVD preview mode, and burn your DVD. The first step in creating your DVD is deciding which base theme to use as a starting point. You simply click the one you prefer, and then switch over to the Customize tab and start tweaking the settings to your liking. Once you have a theme chosen, you start placing content. Typically, the content will be movies that you have created in iMovie2. You drag them into the large work area on the right, and position them as you wish. You can create new folders, which are basically doorways to another level of menus, allowing you to expand the scope of your project. You can also add slideshows, which are basically folders of images with predefined "Previous" and "Next" buttons.
The Background box lets you apply your own image/movie and audio track to use as a menu background. This is probably the one option that can most change the look of your project from the stock Apple themes. You can either drag the files in from the Finder, or use the Import menu item. Each folder in your project can feature a different image/movie and sound file, allowing for a great deal of flexibility in the look of the finished project. The slider above the box controls how long the clips will play; 30 seconds is the longest supported duration. Here's a useful tip - you can use any of Apple's theme movie backgrounds in any of the other themes. Control-click on iDVD2 in the Finder, then select Contents/Resources. Control click on one of the .theme files, and again navigate into Contents/Resources. You should find tow versions (NTSC and PAL) of each movie. Just drag it into the Image/Movie well, and you've switched the background movie for one of Apple's themes. Save it as a favorite for easy future access. The Title box controls the position, font, color, and size of the title. I ran into what appears to be a bug in this section, as my title would occasionally not accept the changes I was requesting. I couldn't replicate the problem reliably, so it's hard to say what (if anything) it was caused by, but it's definitely a bug. The Button box allows you to change the look and positioning of the buttons. Although the Free Position option is a nice addition, iDVD2 currently lacks any means of aligning clips which were hand-positioned. Shift-drag, control-drag, etc. do nothing to constrain motion, so it's quite hard to make sure that clips are exactly aligned when placing them freely. One limitation is that the effects are applied to all buttons at the current menu level; you can't have one round button and two square buttons, for example. Once you've tweaked a theme to your liking, you can save it as a favorite, making it very easy to create another project with the exact same look and feel as a previous project. By using your own movies/images and sounds in your project, combined with the customization features, you can create a DVD that truly feels unique and customized for the particular project you are working on. Once you've got everything set and ready, it's time to burn the project to DVD. Unlike iDVD1, the new version can burn in the background (although Apple recommends keeping the load light during the burn process). Additionally, since clips are rendered in the background while you work, the final burning step can be significantly faster than it was with iDVD1. As a potentially expensive test, I burned a DVD in the background last night while web surfing, checking email, and working in AppleWorks. In addition, I switched to and from my PC several times, which turns the USB bus on and off. iDVD2 burned the movie without complaints, and the finished product worked fine in our DVD player. Continues on Page Three ... or back to Page One |