 | Not one of these three programs — iMovie 4, iDVD 4, and Premiere Pro — counts as true disc-recording software. Instead, they're programs for digital video editing, disc design, and the creation of special effects that just happen to have recording features built-in. (As you can tell, these programs cross a number of boundaries when it comes to genre.) |
iMovie was a groundbreaking arrival for both Apple and the world of digital video. iMovie marked a revolution where practically anyone who could connect a FireWire cable, drag and drop video clips, and select a transition or two could develop their own professional-looking movies. For the first time, you didn't need several hundred dollars to spend just on editing software. The software has been shipping free with iMacs since the program was first introduced. iMovie was simple enough to appeal to novices, who definitely didn't want to spend hours understanding the basics of a more powerful, traditional editor. Unfortunately for Windows folks, iMovie 4 runs on only Mac OS X. However, Windows Movie Maker is very much like it.
iDVD 4 is the big brother to iMovie 4. With iDVD, you can master your own DVD-ROM titles, complete with basic menu and submenu interaction. For example, viewers can select a video clip to watch or view a slideshow of digital photographs. While designing your disc, you can use a prepared theme to automatically set the appearance of your buttons and background, or you can add your own. Finally, iDVD allows you to preview your work and burn the DVD within the program itself.
 | The excellent Adobe digital video editor Premiere Pro is available for both Windows and Mac OS. Premiere is much more powerful than either iMovie 4 or iDVD 4, offering professional special effects, better control over audio and timing, output as streaming Web video, storyboarding, and the ability to handle more formats of digital video. However, it's not anywhere near as simple to use as iMovie or iDVD. Because it's a commercial program, it can be pretty expensive. Premiere Pro is the right choice for those folks who know that they're in digital video to stay, want to grow into a professional package, and want its tight integration with other Adobe products, like After Effects. |
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