Should I update iMovie/iDVD 6 to 8?

[CMD is me]

On Apple's site reviews warn others to NOT upgrade from 06 ot 08. I have iLife 06 and really like it. I use iMovie/iDVD quite a bit. What are the issues with 8? Do you still have the ability to adjust volume curves, fade out/in, add titles, etc? I don't bother with many effects otherwise.

Secondarily, is the quality of DVD encoding much better compared to 06? I've been disappointed with the DVD MPEG quality of 6 -- the original source looks much better! I try to keep my videos under an hour, but its often not possible.

 

[Mitch528]

Personally, I use a lot of effects, so i do not like this product. However, if you are not interested in effects, then upgrading to iMovie/iDVD 08 would be, in my opinion, a good choice.



Mitchell Kutchuk

 

[scr1968]

On Apple's site reviews warn others to NOT upgrade from 06 ot 08. I have iLife 06 and really like it. I use iMovie/iDVD quite a bit. What are the issues with 8? Do you still have the ability to adjust volume curves, fade out/in, add titles, etc? I don't bother with many effects otherwise.

Secondarily, is the quality of DVD encoding much better compared to 06? I've been disappointed with the DVD MPEG quality of 6 -- the original source looks much better! I try to keep my videos under an hour, but its often not possible.

The big change has been with iMovie '08. It is a completely different application. Some people love it, some people hate it. I was on the fence when it first came out but I am getting used to it. You can always continue to use iMovie 6 if you want. Apple made it available since so many iLife users complained about iMovie 8.

As for iDVD encoding - this comes straight from Apple's website as a new feature of iDVD...

See movies and slideshows in superb quality. The new professional-quality option in iDVD uses advanced encoding technology to maintain the highest possible quality for DVDs that are near or at the disc’s capacity.​

SCR

 

[CMD is me]

Thanks the replies. Can you still use the volume curve adjustment and extract audio? That was a nice addition over the single slider when they added it (how many times is the shooter screaming right next to the mic!)

You can always continue to use iMovie 6 if you want. Apple made it available since so many iLife users complained about iMovie 8.

Interesting. So upgrading will keep 6 intact which will work export to iDVD 8? If so I could use the benefits of each?

As for iDVD encoding...

See movies and slideshows in superb quality. The new professional-quality option in iDVD uses advanced encoding technology to maintain the highest possible quality for DVDs that are near or at the disc’s capacity.​

But isn't that exactly how 6 is suppose to work -- keep the content under 1hr for the best quality, but if you go over the quality starts to decrease (that is how I understand it). Apple claimed "professional quality" ever since iDVD came out and up 'til 6 it's no where near IMO. "Professional quality" is an obscure term. How close will the encoding look to original SD miniDV footage? Is the final product closer to what you'll get from Final Cut Pro (ah.... if only I had $1300 to burn)?