Program to make a DVD menu with links that are text only

[mattscholey]

Hi,

I want to put my edited holiday video on DVD using my new DVD+R burner, along with the photos from the holiday. I would like a menu to allow the viewer to choose between 'video' and 'photos'. And I have made a collage of some of my holiday photos to display as the background image. So far, this has been no problem.

My problem is with the buttons on the menu. Every program I've tried (various Ulead's and Cyberlink PowerProducer2) has put an image above the writing for the link, and this image is of a frame/photo from the film/photos. I don't want this image. I just want a neat bit of writing, at the bottom of the screen saying:

1. Video
2. Photos

And a background image.
Nothing more. Nothing less.

Surely this isn't too much to ask for. I am willing to spend money on a DVD Authoring program which will do this (provided I can try it out with a free trial first). My maximum budget would be around £30 or $50.

Can you suggest a program which can do this, and any info on doing it with this program. Obviously the cheaper the better.

Many thanks,
Matt

[BeachNut]

DVD workshop - costs more than your budget BUT use the FREE trial version for 30 days.

[sacajaweeda]

DVDLab

[magicmycote]

The list of programs that cannot do this is much shorter than the list that can....this is the most basic way to make a menu, and I truly can't think of one program I've ever used that cannot do it. Just close your eyes and pick one from the tools page and you'll find one that can do it.

If you are looking for the easiest program to use to do this, well Ulead Moviefactory or DVD Workshop are both very easy to learn as well as TMPGENC DVD Author.

[mattscholey]

Can these programs allow you to place the text link anywhere on the screen, by just dragging and dropping it, or do you have to choose the position from a set of templates?

Thanks for all your replies so far,

Matt

[mattscholey]

The list of programs that cannot do this is much shorter than the list that can

That's really not true. EVERY program I've used (with the exception of DVD Lab with which I'm having problems with playback), has wanted to place some picture on top of the text link, proving to the reader, that this is not a pro DVD.

Any more ideas,
Matt

[BobK]

It's no problem with TMPGEnc DVD Author- you just have to select one of the text-only menu themes.

[j1d10t]

DVDLab

DVD-Lab is great, and pretty easy to use.

You can put any text, in any font, in any size anywhere on the screen you want.

And it also has a 30 trail.

[mattscholey]

DVD Lab is great, but unfortunately my free 30 days will have run out by now, and I'm having problems with playback of the burnt DVD (see https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=761368#761368).

I'll try the TMGEnc one.

Matt

[MYoung]

DVDLab is by far the best authoring software available for the price. Most of the other programs hold your hand and force what I call a homogenized, "cookie cutter" style of authoring which makes me want to vomit. It's amazing how little freedom you get with such programs. And even the ones that give you SOME degree of freedom and VERY buggy, graphically over-glitzy, and VERY expensive (Ulead's products come to mind here). Try DVDLab. It will take some time to use it effectively, but it's not too difficult. Without any doubt, it has one of the best user interfaces -- excellent layout and organization -- and is pretty stable. It's also free to use for 30 days and if you want to keep it, it's $100 price tag is really an AMAZING deal for what it can do, compared with the total garbage that are the other authoring apps!

[mattscholey]

I think DVD lab is great too, but I'm having problems with DVD playback on it. My 30 trial has now expired, so if I want to try and fix the playback problem, then my only choice is to pay £100 for it, possibly only to find I can't fix the playback problem. See https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=197444&highlight= for more info on the problem.

Matt