easiest AVI to DVD authoring tool?

[jcsdmd]

I have looked through several posts on AVI to DVD conversion and have yet to form an opinion on what the concensus is for the best tool. I would like to take an AVI file generated through a slideshow program I have and burn it to a DVD. A menu would be nice but not mandatory. Any ideas what I should be looking at?

[redwudz]

Converting a AVI to a MPEG-2 for DVD is 'encoding'. But for an authoring program, you can't go wrong with TMPGEnc DVD Author. It's simple to use and relatively inexpensive.

For more advanced authoring tools, DVD-lab Pro is popular. There are others in 'Tools' to the left. <<<<

[mikiem]

"have yet to form an opinion on what the concensus is for the best tool. "

Like politics, or chevy vs ford, perhaps you'll never find a real consensus. Best bet IMHO is to read the guides, check out the software, and try some stuff.

My own opinion is that if all you want is to put your slideshow on DVD, check the prog. developed just for that -- a full featured authoring prog. might not just be overkill, but make what you want to do more difficult as you'll have to sort thru added options.

[mats.hogberg]

vso divx2dvd?

/Mats

[andre477]

I have looked through several posts on AVI to DVD conversion and have yet to form an opinion on what the concensus is for the best tool. I would like to take an AVI file generated through a slideshow program I have and burn it to a DVD. A menu would be nice but not mandatory. Any ideas what I should be looking at?

Are you adding images to your slideshow aswell with that video? Here's what I do. It may be a few steps but it's easy after your first time and the DVD comes out very good.

1.) Use TMPGEnc Xpress to convert your avi files to mpg to avoid really long encoding in step 3.

2.) Skip this step if you don't want to use images. Use ProShow Producer to create the image slideshow that you will import to step 3. Don't try creating the image slideshow in step 3 because it does not come out as well. Once you create your slideshow, export the project to a mpg video file.

3.) Use Ulead Video Studio 9. Really easy to use and you make your menus here. Click Share > Create disc. Right click in the grey area towards and insert video. Select all your converted mpg files including your image slideshow mpg. Click "Add/Edit Chapter" Then choose auto then close when finished. At the bottom click the picture with the bolt "Project Settings." Uncheck under Navigation Controls "Auto repeat when disc playback ends" and select Back to menu below it. Last option to change. Click "Change MPEG settings" then chose customize. Click the compression tab and move the quality slider from 70 to 100.

Then click next and choose from all sorts of templates they have their and make your DVD .

That's starting from scratch, from what you have already you would just need to follow steps 1 and 3.

[guns1inger]

DivxtoDVD to convert, TDA for menus. As simple as it gets. Apparently the latest payware version of DivxtoDVD also creates menus for multi-title discs, but I suspect you have little freedom over the design of them.