[8.6] When should I use the directToStage property with my QT movies?

DirectToStage quicktime bypasses Director's offscreen buffering and draws the quicktime movie's graphics tracks directly into the stage window. This makes for somewhat better performance, but prevents Director from applying any of its own graphic effects. Ink effects and colorization are obviously out, but so is front-to-back ordering of sprites. Like sprites with the trails effect, directToStage quicktime is effectively drawn on top of everything already present.

Using directToStage is therefore a matter of what results you want. On the one hand better playback, on the other, no Director manipulation. The choice is yours.

At least, unless you are using Windows, or are planning to port your Macintosh movie. Director for Windows can only play Quicktime movies directToStage (whether this is a limitation of DfW or QTW I don't know), so the choice doesn't exist. Even if you are working on the Mac, therefore, if you are planning to port use directToStage for consistency.