[Mallrat]

From rumors it sounds like there will be a new version of all the iLIfe suite.

Do you think iDVD 4 will finally let you use an EXTERNAL burner?

If so, I'd be so happy.

[hmurchison2001]

iDVD will not be available to other burners unless it becomes serialized. Right now it only works for Macs with Superdrives and it's supposed to be. Once Apple added support for 3rd party burners then serial numbers would be required to track the distribution and use of the app.

iDVD has an MPEG2 Encoder which means that Apple pays a large(relatively) license fee for shipping iDVD. To have iDVD support 3rd party burners would be tanatamount to Apple paying you money burn DVDs and that just isn't going to happen.

[Mallrat]

Originally posted by hmurchison2001:
iDVD will not be available to other burners unless it becomes serialized. Right now it only works for Macs with Superdrives and it's supposed to be. Once Apple added support for 3rd party burners then serial numbers would be required to track the distribution and use of the app.

iDVD has an MPEG2 Encoder which means that Apple pays a large(relatively) license fee for shipping iDVD. To have iDVD support 3rd party burners would be tanatamount to Apple paying you money burn DVDs and that just isn't going to happen.

I think what you trying to say, although your wording confuses me, is that it would cost apple too much money.

But I have no idea why.

I figured they didn't do it for one simple reason. to get you to buy a mac with a superdrive.

But all it does it confuses people like me, when the rest of iLife works on every mac, why limit 1/4 of the great bundle.

The next mac I buy will probably have one, but I don't like the fact that their is no other choice for cheap dvd burning on apple.

I checked and found nothing. It's iDVD or DVD Studio Pro and all I want is iDVD.

Anway, here's hoping you're wrong and they do make it work with any mac, and any burner.

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally posted by Mallrat:

But I have no idea why.

lisencing. If you distribute an MPEG-2 (or ac3 or aac) encoder you have to pay out the ass for each copy you distribute.

but I don't like the fact that their is no other choice for cheap dvd burning on apple.

I checked and found nothing.

ffmpegX and Sizzle (among others) offer free DVD authoring. Encoding can be done with lots of things (MediaPipe, ffmpegX for free...). And I think with iDVD3 you can make your project on a non-superdrive mac, then fish the mpeg files out of the .dvdproj bundle and author them with one of the above. Burn of course with any of the dozen or so free burning apps that have popped up since 10.2 (I would use Disk Utility though).

Out of curiosity, where did you check and find nothing?

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by Mallrat:
I think what you trying to say, although your wording confuses me, is that it would cost apple too much money.

But I have no idea why.

The point is that when Apple only lets you burn on a built-in Superdrive, they know *exactly* how many people can be using the MPEG-2 encoder, because they know how many Macs with built-in Superdrive there are.

This is important because Apple pays licensing fees on every copy of iDVD (rather, the MPEG-2 encoder contained within).

If they give out free software that lets you encode and burn MPEG-2s to any third-party drive, they have no way to track how many users are using the encoder, and licensing fees would go through the roof.

In a nutshell: If they didn't block third-party drives, iDVD would be quite expensive.

-s*

[Krypton]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
The point is that when Apple only lets you burn on a built-in Superdrive, they know *exactly* how many people can be using the MPEG-2 encoder, because they know how many Macs with built-in Superdrive there are.

This is important because Apple pays licensing fees on every copy of iDVD (rather, the MPEG-2 encoder contained within).

If they give out free software that lets you encode and burn MPEG-2s to any third-party drive, they have no way to track how many users are using the encoder, and licensing fees would go through the roof.

In a nutshell: If they didn't block third-party drives, iDVD would be quite expensive.

-s*

But nowadays the only way to get iDVD is to pay for iLife, or buy a new Mac. Anyone with an external burner would gladly pay for a copy I'm sure.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by Mallrat:
From rumors it sounds like there will be a new version of all the iLIfe suite.

Do you think iDVD 4 will finally let you use an EXTERNAL burner?

If so, I'd be so happy.

You're gonna have to buy a new mac with superdrive. They are cheap now so go for it.

[ckohler]

Being able to select a different encoding engine sounds too much like Pro feature to me.

One feature I'd like to see is the ability to select an initial video clip that plays before the main menu. Also, between menu transitions would be cool.