Alternative to Vista's Windows DVD Maker

[gobbles414]

Hi all,

I recently used my Vista Ultimate (64-bit) PC to work on a project where I edited footage in Windows Movie Maker, and then burned it to DVD using Windows DVD Maker. It was VERY painful for me! ](*,) Here is a short list of some of the most annoying issues that I encountered during the project:

1. To boost the volume of any video clip in Movie Maker, I had to copy it to the audio section. This would double the volume of the clip. It shouldn't be that difficult to increase the volume of a clip!

2. Movie Maker LIED about the length of MP3 audio files! It would say that 4:00 songs were 15:00 minutes long! I had to use WAV files instead. This is 2008 people!

3. I couldn't create my own chapters in DVD Maker, and the automatically created ones were in really weird spots.

4. It was impossible for me to move or resize text for the DVD menus. Again, this is 2008 not 1988...

The only nice thing about Movie Maker and DVD Maker is that they integrate well with each other. I was able to import my Movie Maker projects directly into DVD Maker.

Anyway, I'm going to try using Avidemux_2.4.1 instead of Movie Maker. What FREE program do all of you recommend to substitute for DVD Maker? The new beta of DVD Flick (http://www.dvdflick.net/download.php) looks promising. But I'm anxious to receive other suggestions as well.

Thanks in advance!

[darrelljon]

Cinelerra
LiVES
Kino
Virtualdub

[gobbles414]

Cinelerra
LiVES
Kino
Virtualdub

Thanks for your reply. But, aren't all of your suggestions video editors? I'm more interested in a DVD authoring program. That's why I put "what FREE program do all of you recommend to substitute for DVD Maker" in bold. Also, isn't Kino only for Linux? Any other ideas...?

[gobbles414]

bump

[gobbles414]

Hi all,

Perhaps I was unclear in my original post. I am trying to find software for my Windows Vista machine that duplicates the functionality of Windows DVD Maker. I am not trying to find Linux software. Nor am I trying to find video editors. Thanks...

[gobbles414]

Bump II: The Second Bumping

[Foster Grant]

If you're not trying to find Linux software, why are you asking your question on a Linux forum?

Why not try www.bleepingcomputer.com or someplace like that instead?

[Jiraya]

If you're not trying to find Linux software, why are you asking your question on a Linux forum?

Why not try www.bleepingcomputer.com or someplace like that instead?

Foster, this is indeed a linux forum, but I think he posted on a "Windows Discussions" part of it, and the description of this part is: Discuss the Windows operating system here.

Ubuntu (http://www.linux-archive.org/ubuntu/)

[Foster Grant]

Foster, this is indeed a linux forum, but I think he posted on a "Windows Discussions" part of it, and the description of this part is: Discuss the Windows operating system here.

Ah ... didn't catch that. I was hunting something in Google and this post was part of the results.

Nothing to see there, folks! Just ignore me because I'm an idiot! :lol:

[gobbles414]

Jiraya is correct. I posted my question in the Windows section of the forum. I am looking for an alternative to Windows DVD Maker, to be used in Windows.

[wadelewis4]

Try Nero (ahead software). There's a part of the suite called Nero Vision. Allows you to create DVDs with menus and such.

Don't know if this helps but I hope it does.

[lswest]

i used DeepBurner for the longest time, it worked well, now i use Roxio occasionally when i have to be in windows, but i got that with my laptop. DeepBurner is freeware.

[gobbles414]

Hi all

Thanks to lswest and wadelewis4 for your replies. A quick search of the Nero website didn't reveal anything called Nero Vision. Could it have been renamed? Also, the free version of DeepBurner apparently doesn't support the creation of video DVDs. The professional version costs money.

I realize that I've been spoiled by Linux. But I'd really prefer a freeware option for making video DVDs, if possible.

[tadcan]

This is freeware for burning cds and dvds.

http://cdburnerxp.se/

[jrusso2]

DVDauthorgui is the front end for dvdauthor which is a command line program.

http://download.videohelp.com/liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl

Also there is DVDForger

http://download.videohelp.com/dvdforger/

And DVDStyler

http://www.dvdstyler.de/

[gobbles414]

Thanks tadcan and jrusso2 for your replies. As far as I can tell, CDBurnerXP is not for making video DVDs with menus. But, I think that I'll give DVDStyler a try -- especially since it works on Windows AND Linux.

[r76]

I think that I'll give DVDStyler a try -- especially since it works on Windows AND Linux.

+1 for DVDstyler (it's handy if you don't need to transcode - I archive DVB-T TV mpegs using it)
+1 for Nero (you asked about Nero Vision - it is a module for content creation within the full version of Nero), Nero 8 is one of my favourite programs in Vista.

[AndreiP1]

iMove, iDVD on a MAC.

[fiddledd]

This thread has only just got to the top of the threads, hence the late reply.
I've not found any free or open source DVD Author programs that will do all you need. The only programs that do what you want are not free, this may change soon (I hope). Anyway, in case you must have a replacement there's only really TMPGEnc DVD Author or DVDLab. Either should fit your requirements and are cheap, but not free.

[eexcellent]

lots of info on http://www.doom9.org/

[gobbles414]

Hi all,

I recently installed a copy of Nero 7 Essentials on my Vista laptop, and I notice that Nero Vision is indeed part of that suite. I'll test it ASAP and post my results.

[Yossarian]

Wow, Ubuntu forums, haven't been here in awhile...

You might try a program called DVD Flick. Its free to download and only runs on Windows. The homepage is http://www.dvdflick.net/.

When I looked around for a program to burn DVD movies a few years ago, this is the only free one I could find that was easy to use. It's very basic, and only the 1.3 Beta version allows you to create menus. Also, I've had randomly fail at the end and spit out a few pages of opaque error messages. Its handy, though, if you want to burn a DVD for free.

If what you're doing is important, you could probably do worse than buying Nero's software and getting on with your work. Given that I have a few more dollars today than I did when I first found it, I probably wouldn't bother with it today.

Good luck.
-Y

[mike1234]

Try Nero (ahead software). There's a part of the suite called Nero Vision. Allows you to create DVDs with menus and such.

Don't know if this helps but I hope it does.

+1 Nero in Windows is the best! Just my humble opinion. Please don't crucify me over it. :confused:

M.