Creating DVDs with menus

alanrowell

I have the .avi files, I have a DVD recorder on my PC, no all I want is software that will allow me to create DVDs complete with a menu that will play on any (well most) DVD players.

All the software should do is

1) Allow me to set up a menu
2) Convert the .avi files to DVD format

titewad_2

I used nero 7 to do this.

brummybloke

if you have windows xp it comes with a movie maker program which is simple enough to use. it works for what you want.

Kentish

Seeing as this is a moneysaving website, rather than pointing you in the direction of expensive software, here are some links showing you how to do it with a freeware package called DIKO. I've not tried it myself but it looks just the business for what you wanted to do.

Here is a description of what DIKO does.

Here is where you can download it from.

Here is a really good free step-by-step tutorial showing you how to do it.

And finally, this is where I originally found this info: www.videohelp.com, one of the best resources for doing stuff with video on a computer!

Ivrytwr3

Nero takes hours and hours and you are still not guarenteed the outcome that you want (bad burns, limited options etc)

I use Tmpgenc 2.5 to convert avi to mpg.

I then use Tmpgenc DVD author to add the mpg files to dvd and the prog also produces menus.

PM me if you want more details

wonderfullife_2

Ivrytwr3 wrote:

I use Tmpgenc 2.5 to convert avi to mpg. I then use Tmpgenc DVD author to add the mpg files to dvd and the prog also produces menus.

Exactly the same 2 programs that I use.
Tmpgenc 2.5 best encoder around, once you get use to it, don't be put off because it may seem a bit complicated, there are excellent guides on afterdawn.com
http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/tmpgenc_basic_guide.cfm

DVD Author then converts to vob files, and burns to disc.

Poppycat

DVD santa does the job but it isnt free just drag and drop and takes about 2 hours to do depending of movie and processor speed.

http://www.dvdsanta.com/

It wont do a menu just will convert mpeg4 to mpeg2 and plays on a standalone dvd player

alanrowell

Since I posted I have tried the following

DVI2DVD - which kept giving error messages when trying to take screen images for menus, had to be closed using ctrl alt del & the instructions are so vague that you can't work out if it's picked up one or more of your files

BIKO - where the tutorial is out of date & when you try the conversion process fails because of non-standard frame rates

Moviemaker takes a LONG time to do anything & then says thatyou have invalid codecs

I'll try Tmpgenc next

Viz_2

I use a program called VSO Convertxtodvd. It does everything in one hit.

alanrowell

So far VSO Convertxtodvd is the only one that has worked - also tried Video DVD maker & it also had problems with some of the files