iDVD 2 Released For Mac OS X Only

by , 2:15 PM EST, October 31st, 2001

Apple has released a new version of iDVD, the company's DVD burning software for G4s. iDVD 2 is only available for Mac OS X 10.1, and many of the new features are Mac OS X dependent. Other new features include enhanced menu capabilities. From Apple:

Apple® today announced the immediate availability of iDVD 2, the next generation of the world's easiest-to-use application for creating DVDs that play in consumer DVD players. Developed to take full advantage of Mac® OS X version 10.1, iDVD 2 is the first consumer application that enables users to add the eye-catching impact of motion video in menu buttons and backgrounds on their DVDs.

With iDVD 2, users can create the DVD's menu using new professionally designed motion video and still themes, or with their own custom menus design. iDVD 2 is available as an upgrade for iDVD owners, and it is included on Apple's Power Mac™ G4 867 MHz and dual 800 MHz configurations with SuperDrive™, a combination CD-RW/DVD-R drive.

"DVD is perhaps the most rapidly growing media format ever, and Apple has the leading DVD authoring solutions for both professionals and consumers," said David Moody, Apple's senior director of Applications Marketing. "With iDVD 2, users can create sophisticated DVDs complete with Hollywood-style motion menus by just dragging and dropping."

To add motion video to the DVD's menu buttons or background, users simply drag and drop iMovie™ videos or QuickTime® files into the iDVD 2 interface. iDVD 2 also allows users to:

create DVDs based on Apple's professionally designed themes, featuring motion backgrounds and menus, that assist in the layout and organization of the DVD project;
take advantage of multitasking in Mac OS X v10.1 to simultaneously encode the DVD, even as the project is being built;
create DVDs that include up to 90 minutes of material;
create slide shows of their favorite digital photos, accompanied by music; and
record DVDs with a single click on the Power Mac G4's revolutionary SuperDrive combination CD-RW/DVD-R drive.

Pricing and Availability
iDVD 2 requires a Power Mac G4 with an Apple SuperDrive, Mac OS X v10.1 and 256 MB of RAM. iDVD 2 is available now in English, French, German and Japanese as an upgrade package for iDVD owners through Apple's Mac OS Up-to-Date program.

You can find more information on iDVD 2 at Apple's Web site. Interestingly, it cost US$19.95 to upgrade to iDVD 2, despite the fact that iDVD was free. Upgrade information can also be found at Apple's Web site.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Interesting indeed. This isn't the same thing as Apple saying that Mac OS X 10.1 is a free upgrade that you can get for US$19.95; the company is offering an upgrade to free software for a price. That's a bit unusual, and we hope it doesn't signal things to come. That said, it could be that there the video files that are included with iDVD 2 make the upgrade too large to download, though that might be a stretch.

It's also interesting that iDVD 2 is Mac OS X-only. Considering the original iDVD was Classic Mac-only, this could show that Apple is trying to make Mac OS X more attractive. Then again, why charge for an upgrade to a product that also includes a platform change and is designed to make that platform more attractive? Curiouser and curioser.

Apple