Is iDVD EOL'd?

Chauncey Dupree
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January 28, 2009
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As far as we can tell, Apple hasn't done a thing to iDVD '09 to differentiate it from iDVD '08.  Not even a few fresh templates.   In fact, they left the 'iDVD' off of the side of the box, like it didn't exist anymore.  Is it EOL'd?

We know Apple doesn't care much for the bag o' hurt that is Blu Ray disks.  In fact, a DVD player doesn't even grace the AppleTV or MacBook Air.  Optical is definitely on the decline in Cupertino.  

As a side note, Apple had also removed iTunes from the iLife package as of iLife '08.

Comments (18)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 28, 2009 - 2:48pm

Funny, I once used iDVD quite a bit, but I find myself using YouTube exclusively these days.

The kid's birthday party, the vacation, the home movies ... they're all on YouTube. Burning a disc for all 12 kids that attended my son's most recent birthday party is now just a painful memory.

Thank God.

I'd much rather have Apple improve iMovie then enhancing iDVD with new crazy features. iDVD is good enough as-is. And Video Pros that distribute DVDs to broadcasters, etc, aren't going to use iDVD anyway.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 28, 2009 - 3:35pm

iDVD was also missing from the giant iLife '09 banner at MacWorld.

I do think we'll see Apple supporting Blu-Ray, with a corresponding iDVD. That might come after the next DVD Studio Pro update though, so iDVD doesn't steal its thunder.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 28, 2009 - 4:30pm

I though apple called Blu-Ray a bag of hurt. But i think apple has it write, more and more people will stop using disks and go towards the apple tv direction.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 6:58am

Yeah but they need to open up their format and stop being so controlling! trying to convert all of my videos so they will play on apple TV is just a pain and i have lost interest... until then its just a book end for me... ps yeah i know about boxee, but dont care for it

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 7:15am

The AppleTV format is H.264, an open format. It's already open. It's not Apple's fault that your downloaded porn is in DivX format.

fede | January 28, 2009 - 5:05pm

sorry for my doub, but what is EOL?

they want that we use flash drives, starting in 8gb,16gb,32gb..... so apple add another usb on the macbooks!!

 
9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 28, 2009 - 5:07pm

@fede

End Of Life

fede | January 29, 2009 - 8:07am

thanks

Jensonb (not verified) | January 28, 2009 - 5:09pm

EOL means End Of Life. It's a business term meaning out of production.

fede | January 29, 2009 - 8:07am

thanks Jensonb

Dan Birchall (not verified) | January 28, 2009 - 7:01pm

Seems like the functionality of iDVD is basic enough that it could be merged into iMovie HD. Just a thought.

Walttu (not verified) | January 28, 2009 - 10:31pm

There will be no Blu-Ray drives for consumer Macs and absolutely no "iBlue-Ray" software from Apple. Why does everyone scream for Blu-Ray on Macs? Do you REALLY need the discs (=piece of plastic) or do you just need the content?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 28, 2009 - 11:49pm

iDVD may not have changed, but iMovie '09 once again supports creating DVD chapter markers, that can be transferred to iDVD. This was possible in iMovie HD '06, but had been left out of iMovie '08.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 1:31am

I think Apple is done with DVD's in general. I've believed that iDVD and DVD Studio Pro were both going to be EOL soon. I've believed this for at least the last year after watching Apple's decisions on what to include with new machines. As well as what kind of media to sell. Even Final Cut Studio 2 didn't get a DVD Studio Pro 4 major upgrade. That was your first clue. This iDVD '09 thingy is your second indicator.

The most important thing to note is that Apple is not just a manufacturer. They're a major retailer as well. And as a retailer pushing their products (ie: iTMS movie downloads), their interests in supporting a competitors medium has to be slim to none. DVD is dead. And Apple is still chewing on the idea of adding Blu-Ray. They could add it, I guess. But the question is why? How would that "help them as a whole," as I'm sure they ask themselves.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 4:02am

DVD Studio Pro dead?!?! LOL. You say DVD is dead... LOL. From what planet are you coming from? Regarding the DVD's that are sold by the retailers, you think they just magically appear on the store shelves...

macsoftwarelist.com (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 6:09am

DVD's are far from dead. Apple thinks people are using their iPods for movie viewing. You can hook them to your TV. and your MacBook will output to your TV as well.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 12:38pm

That's like saying in 1998, "ha, floppy disks dead?!?!? Floppy disks are still heavily used. They're far from dead." Apple has strategically discontinued products far before the mainstream is ready. You say people to watch movies on their iPods? I say people to watch movies through their AppleTV's and whatever else Apple plans to release in the consumer market.

Look, I'm down in the Hollywood, CA area. I'm friends with people inside the LAFCPUG, in which most feel that Apple is going to do away with DVD "incentives" soon. That's not saying that Apple will shun DVD completely. Sure it'll read them. And you'll probably still be able to burn with 3rd party apps. But Apple probably sees no point any longer in producing products for a 14 year old technology. Sure, DVD's still sell in large numbers. But does Apple see any extra pennies from those DVD sales in their competitors houses? No.

My prediction is that Final Cut Studio 3 will be Final Cut Pro 7, Color 2, "Motion/Skake" fusion app v.1, Soundtrack Pro 3, & Compressor 4. No more DVD Studio Pro. The writing is on the wall. If you don't see it, go back to using MS Windows machines with floppy drives. They've missed you terribly.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 12:50pm

Oh yeah, and run out to pick me up a pack of those Apple DVD-R's. What? They've discontinued those too? Damn.