I'm ready for a sanity check.

[Barky]

I think I'm caught in the software loop.

What I want.: Import pictures and video, edit, burn to DVD with chapters and menues. Keyframing and being able to rotate, zoom, pan on photos.

What I have:
1) Ulead Video Studio 6.0 - Pretty much does everything I want, but, the editing is limited.

2) Sonic Video Factory 2.0 - Nice editor. considering upgrade to Vegas Video 3.0 for advanced editing options ($199). Neither program creates menues, chapters or burns to disk. Would need another product to take care of the menues and chapters. Tried editing in Video Factory and burning from Video Studio, quality of titles was questionable.

3) Nero 5.5.9.1.7, Nero Express, Nero Express Vision - No editing etc. Vision might do menues etc,,,, requires the purchase of an mpeg 2 codec.


Options I am considering:

1) Upgrading my Video Factory to Vegas Video for $199 and finding something else to do the authoring.

2) Buying the codec for Nero Express Vision hoping it will do what I want.

3) ??????

[djethan]

When you start to need that level of control, it makes sense to get a real video editing software package. Something like Premiere or Aftereffects would let you do anything you could conceivably imagine. The problem is that these are expensive unless you can get a free "trial" version on some P2P network somewhere.

I'm not familiar with cheaper alternatives, but I'm sure if you just researched video editing software, you'd come up with something affordable.

The idea would be to make your movie in a video editor, and then import it to a DVD authoring program to create the menus, chapters and burn the disc.