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Free DVD Menu authoring software, is there such a thing?

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Hirudin:
I've been looking for a program that can make a DVD menu out of a couple BMPs/PNGs/JPGs/WHATEVERs for hours.......... I don't know anything about DVD menus, but I know I hate them! They should be like html, instead they're more like... bad furnature assembly instructions.


Do any of y'all know of a halfway decient (I'll take a quarter decient) program that can create a DVD menu? All I ask is that it takes less than 50 steps, involves less than 4 programs, and produces files I can import into DVD ReMake Pro (VOBs, IFOs, BUPs... standard DVD files).

This should be easy. They seem to be a grand total of 2 images (or if you're really fancy; a video clip and an image) and a few rectangle areas designated as buttons.


Super mini review of DVD ReMake Pro: Hollywood DVDs have the most convoluted file structures I've ever seen. DRMP seems to work well for what it has to work with, but it isn't exactly mature yet. Example: some components can be deleted by hitting the del key, other components you have to right click and choose delete.

Carol Haynes:
Not free and I haven't tried it but this looks cheap and might do what you want

http://www.svcd2dvd.com/

You can try the demo version.

There is also Microsoft's Photo Story 3 (you'll find it in the Windows XP downloads on MS's website - sorry haven't got the link). This will produce slide shows from graphics files and if I remember correctly burn them to DVD with menus. You don't have control over the menus though.

Sorry I can't be more help but I haven't found anything free and ended up shelling out for something.

It is worth saying I think that with DVD Authoring you tend to get what you pay for - there seems to be little out there related to MPEG encoding to DVD (which is what you are looking for though it doesn't seem like it) which is better than junk.

Another program (a bit more expensive but does work well) is ULEADs CD and DVD Picture Show. You can build entire CDs and DVDs of slide shows, and add animation, graphics etc. and use templates to produce menus.

There are very few programs (even at expensive prices) that give full control of menu building for DVDs as it is sucha complex business. Most are based on some sort of template system. The best I have found at a reasonable price is TSUNAMI-MPEG DVD Author, but it isn't cheap and is still based on templates. Sony's DVD Architect (formerly Sonic Foundry's product) is very flexible but a silly price.

nudone:
how about downloading a trial verion of adobe encore or something similar (the ones Carol mentions above) - i don't honestly know if there are any restrictions with encore but i would guess that there isn't - it isn't the most intuitive of programs to use though. a 30 day trial may be enough for you to do what you need to do.

elpresi:
AFAIK, you have DVDStyler DVDAuthor GUI, both free:
http://www.videohelp.com/tools?s=2#2

The video clips must be mpeg2 dvd-compliant. If not convert them 1st to dvd-mpeg2
(you have a few free mpeg2 encoders here: http://www.videohelp.com/tools?s=40#40 )

Hirudin:
Thanks Carol and elpresi! I'll check out SVCD2DVD, DVDStyler and DVDAuthor GUI ASAP!

I think I can do everything I need to do menu wise with DVD ReMake Pro except link a background image with a sub image. I hope one of the 3 programs above can do it.

I've considered encore, but I hate Adobe so much I don't want another of their viruses programs on my computer.

[edit]Dangit, DVD Author looks like what I need, but I can only find the source (which I can't do anything with). Could someone here compile it for me? I have Windows 2000 and 32bit AMD Athalon...[/edit]

[edit2]Oh wait, I think the GUIs include the binaries... never mind   :)[/edit2]

[edit3]added edit tags[/edit3]

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