Re: A bit of a survey� Is anyone still�

We just came across a project like this. It was being authored in Director, to act like essentially a DVD. Project had been stalled for a long time before we got it handed to us, and we think part of it was because finding somebody who is really qualified and experienced in Director these days is hard, and getting somebody GOOD at it is expensive.

Director was out there just as laser disk was waning and DVD had not yet really taken off, so it was kind of a bridge media, and THE way to do this kind of work until DVD matured. Now I think though that most customers would approach the job with a less intimidating platform, using HTML and Java and the like, or DVD authoring, or powerpoint type presentation programs. (You can actually do a lot more with powerpoint in terms of interactivity than you might suspect if all you've seen are slide shows)

I asked why the project could not be done as a simpler DVD. Their target audience had legacy computers that were old and slow and most did not have DVD-read-capable drives, or accompanying software, and few had net access and even fewer had fast, high data rate net access, but COULD play a CD-Rom that was entirely self-contained.

The project was a little more detailed and complicated than powerpoint should be asked to handle, though that was going to be my backup plan. I'm glad though we went another way.

We also looked at authoring as a DVD then converting the DVD to a CD-DVD, a Chinese format that crams an hour or more of somewhat lower-quality video into a CD form factor. Again though, we hit the wall of the legacy apps and gear the audience was using: we couldn't guarantee each machine in the audience had all the drivers and plug-ins to play the hybrid format, and the audience was not going to mess around installing all manner of stuff just to play this training piece.

Bottom line is, the audience and what technology they have and are comfortable with drives the format you use to reach them. And that legacy standard may not be cutting-edge.

We actually looked at what it would cost to just BUY each site an office DVD player at around $30, and author the project as a conventional DVD, ship out a player with each disk. It might have actually worked out financially, but the procurement red tape would have taken too long. Though we got points for thinking outside the box on that one.

I guess for something to still *require* being authored in Director, it would have to be something pretty esoteric or exotic, because you have a lot more choices now. Director isn't bad at all.... unless you're new and see that manual for the first time, thick as a New York telephone directory... yikes!