noob help with dvd burning software

[lordmajax]

Hello,

I am completely new to dvd burning. I have a couple of vhs clips that I want to convert to one dvd. I would love to have still pictures, video pictures, animated menus, and chapter selection. Could someone recommend a software program that allows for alot of options on creating a great looking menu? Also, I wanted to take two still images from my vhs tapes that will be converted on my pc (not sure how) and combine them and create a label to place on the dvd, including the title a made up title of both clips. Is there any software out there?

[reboot]

DVDLab Pro will do most of it, if you already have the clips in mpeg-2, dvd compliant files on your hard drive.
Start reading some guides. There are multiple methods and software to do what you want.

[rumplestiltskin]

The only "difficult" part is bringing in the VHS. The Hauppauge series of products for analog capture work pretty well. I use the PVR-250 although some are happy with the PVR-150. There's also a USB2-connectable version of this (as opposed to PCI cards). At that point, the PVR converts the analog to mpeg-2 for DVD (although other compressions are available but let's stick with "2-hour" DVD for this discussion). I would recommend TMPG DVD Author for the creation of the DVDs. It will permit you to create menus (templates provided but you may create new ones as you require). It's an extremely easy program and works very well. It will also burn the result to DVD (and that also works well).

If you have a PC with FireWire and a DV camcorder with analog pass-through, you may connect the VCR to the camcorder and use Windows Movie Maker (if I remember the name correctly) to convert the analog footage to digital. However, you'll want to first check at the TMPG website to see what kind of digital format TMPG DVD Author requires. There's another app they sell called TMPG Express that will convert all sorts of formats to the format you need for DVD. Both apps are sold in a package deal if you wish to consider it. (No, I don't work for them.)

As for still images from the footage that will become the label, there's always a screen shot and editing the result in some graphics app. There's also an app called Discus (I use it on my Mac and I think it may be available for the PC) that does disc labels very well.

Let us know your progress.

[lordmajax]

I don't have a dv camcorder. I need software that would come with whatever is used to print the labels that are put onto dvds.

[ybeard]

I wouldn't exactly recommend putting labels on your DVD's that you burn. It's become quite common to see people developing read problems on their DVD's after they do so. I don't know if it is that the glue dries unevenly or what, but the labels tend to make the DVD flutter in the drive and putzes up the reads frequently.

[rumplestiltskin]

re: labels
Never use a disc with a paper label in a slot-loading drive. While I'm sure there will be lots of folks who will telt you they've never had a problem, I can assure you that the problem can and does occur; if the disc heats up (as it will more likely do in a slot-loader than a drawer-loader), the sticky back gets soft and, when you eject the disc, the label may stay in the drive. Say sayonara to the drive. I've seen it happen and was lucky enough to have the label accessible through the slot where I was just able to grab it with a tweezers to extricate it from the drive. It took a lot of scrubbing of the "fuzzy" stuff with alcohol to remove the gunk that would have glommed onto the bottom of the disc where it probably would have spread its nastiness around the internals of the drive.

Frankly, a Sharpie is less dangerous.

[slacker]

And a Lightscribe enabled burner even better!

[rumplestiltskin]

I don't have a dv camcorder. I need software that would come with whatever is used to print the labels that are put onto dvds.

You're talking about two different things.

1. Capture the analog and edit/author to DVD.

2. Print a label for the DVD.

Don't get stuck on having both in one package; use what will work.