DVD authoring newbie.

[eroy]

Hi All.

I just bought my first MiniDV comcoder (sony 39e) and I'm looking for the following:
1. A freeware for converting AVI files to DVD.
2. A DVD editing freeware.
3. A freeware that can add the a date on the final DVD.
4. Guides for begginerres on convert editing etc.
5. Freeware for slideshow in DVD.
I hope you can reccomend the best tools and guides.

Thanks.

[guns1inger]

You can find all of this by searching. A few suggestions to get you started

1. HCenc, Quenc, ConvertXtoDVD
2. DVD Author is the only free DVD authoring software that I know of. There are two GUIs for it - DVD Author GUI and GUI for DVD Author. Have a look and choose the one that suits you.
3. Look in the DV subsection of the Tools section and you will find a number of tools to add the date either as subtitles ot hard encoded into the video.
4. Guide section to your left, or the Guides forum
5. Slideshow Movie Maker, Microsoft Photostory 3 DVD Slideshow Maker

As a general rule, you will get more help here if you show you are putting in the effort. If you just ask for everything without actually trying yourself, people will stop answering.

[eroy]

O.K, sorry.
Thanks for the reply, I will try it out and hope to be act different
in the future.

[Bjs]

Well you want the whole thing , and not just a slice ...

Go to codec section , and grab dv codec's (handy)
Virtualdub (for slicing , filtering , and more)
Bbmpeg (convert's avi to mpeg , has many feature's) or
Quenc (not as powerfull as bbmpeg)
Batchdemux (demux's mpeg's into seperate video and audio stream's)
Besweet (convert's many audio format's , favourite is ac3)
Vobedit (various trick's for vob's)
Ifoedit (various trick's , check out my guide's)
Folder2iso (as it's name say's)
Dvddecrypter (burn's iso's of dvd's , and is the only one capabale of burning minidvd's to cd)
Dvdauthorgui (best , good feature's for freeware)
The gimp (menu's)
Visualsubsync (for those wanting to add subtitle's)
Subrip (grab subtitle's , and sub image's from menu's , use in your own menu's)
Avisynth (various trick's , including motion menu's)
Super (for avi to dvd in one easy go)
Slide show movie maker (as it say's , and I have a new guide online for it)
Dvdshrink (for title's that need a little bit of tinkering to trim to size)
Wax2 (grab the addon , many advanced feature's)
Dvdslideshowgui (similar to slideshowmovie maker)
Movies13 ... look for jansoft on web (has a few free tool's ... this one is avi to gif , gif to avi , and give creation)
Camstudio (flash to avi , avi to flash , screen recorder)
Mwsnap (the tool I use for all my guide's)
Gspot (handy for strange avi's , where you need to find out what is actually inside)

Not forgetting

Pgcedit ... without this program many newbie's would not understand dvd command's as easily .

That should cover tool's ... did I leave anything out ???

As for guide's :

There are many available ... some do have issue's ... like not using freeware first above all else ... I hate that stuff .

Check out my guide's will give you a better understanding as to how many of the above tool's are used .
Many of my guide's a based upon request's , and dont cover every feature you will come across , but it is a good starting point .

The one not well covered is framerate conversion's , and none have it perfect ...

Best to go to ebay , and grab ulead video studio se , either 7 , 8 or 9 version's cheap .
You get alot of benefit's for a cheap price ... frame rate conversion's ... most acurate , and much more .

Finally , that rule from guns1inger ... it dont exist .

Asking is only one method user's will learn , and a good point to avoid mistake's ... tinkering with the program's for one's self is another ...

After all , when I started out , I too spent learning all the various technique's from scratch , and many guide's were utter rubbish because they talked about commercial product's that most simply cannot either afford , or even get hold of ... a very poor method .

Should you have any question's regarding any of the above mentioned tool's ... just pm me , but please , when asking , be as specific as possible so I can understand what it is you are trying to do ...

After all , did someone not say once before "we are placed on this earth by god to help each other" ...