Best DVD Menu Creation Software

[Zwhaler]

What is the consensus on the most powerful DVD Authoring applications available today? I want to be able to play an intro sequence before the main menu shows. I am asking users on this forum what they think out of the chosen applications in this list from Top 10 Reviews and wanted an opinion. Sony DVD Architect Studio sounds pretty good but I want to make sure it has the features that I need. Roxio looks solid as well, I'm leaning toward Roxio at this point.

[simsaladimbamba]

I have hardly heard of those applications, ever.
I prefer DVD Studio Pro, which would allow you what you want. But since it is part of the Final Cut Studio, it might be hard to get and still a bit expensive.

If it is a one time deal and you can do it in less than 30 days, look at the 30-day trial of Adobe Encore, which is a professional optical disc authoring application, though it is a bit complicated and overwhelming. But it is capable of what you want to do.

DVD Studio Pro is nicer and a bit easier though.

[cgbier]

You are aware that the software in the list you linked is Windows based?

I'd vouch for DVDSP too.
You can't build a DVD with the Encore trial version. From the Adobe page:

Trial limitations
Adobe Encore® CS5 is not available as a trial. Encore CS5 will be installed as part of the trial for Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5, Creative Suite® 5.5 Production Premium, and Creative Suite 5.5 Master Collection but will not be available for use until you purchase.

If you are fine with more or the less cheesy templates, you can look for iDVD from the iLife 11 box.

Roxio Toast can also do menus, but I don't know to what extend (I have never tested it).

[LethalWolfe]

Originally Posted by Zwhaler

What is the consensus on the most powerful DVD Authoring applications available today?

The most powerful DVD authoring app is probably Scenarist SD and it costs about $5000.


I agree with simsaladimbamba that DVD SP and Encore could be good places to start but would require putting in some time to learn the apps. Playing a movie first then going to the menu is pretty basic but I don't know if any of the apps on that list will do it.

Originally Posted by cgbier

Roxio Toast can also do menus, but I don't know to what extend (I have never tested it).

I quickly checked my copy of Toast Titanium and it doesn't appear to be able to play an intro video first and then go to the menu.


Lethal

[cgbier]

Originally Posted by LethalWolfe

Playing a movie first then going to the menu is pretty basic but I don't know if any of the apps on that list will do it.

Sony's DVD Architect is doing it for sure, but it's Windows only.

[Zwhaler]

Originally Posted by LethalWolfe

The most powerful DVD authoring app is probably Scenarist SD and it costs about $5000.

I will take note of that. I also like DVD SP but it costs about $450

Originally Posted by cgbier

You are aware that the software in the list you linked is Windows based?

It's ok if it's Windows only, but it would be nice to have the software on the same machine that I edit (Mac).

Are there any equivalents out there to Roxio MyDVD or Sony DVD Architect ... but for Mac? That is what I'm looking for but I'm not finding a whole lot of good ones in this price range.

[cgbier]

Roxio Toast would be your only choice, but it seems not to offer what you are looking for.

[Zwhaler]

I found this list with software for Mac. Any takers?

http://mac-movie-dvd-burning-softwar...enreviews.com/

[simsaladimbamba]

Look at that www address, it is just advertisement for the DVD Cloner app, which is why it is the winner of that comparison.

How big is the project, or will there be more projects?

PS: While this version is quite old and will only run on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and earlier due to its need of Rosetta, it is only 39 USD.

[ECUpirate44]

iDVD?

[Zwhaler]

Originally Posted by simsaladimbamba

Look at that www address, it is just advertisement for the DVD Cloner app, which is why it is the winner of that comparison.

How big is the project, or will there be more projects?

PS: While this version is quite old and will only run on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and earlier due to its need of Rosetta, it is only 39 USD.

Thanks for the eBay link. The project is a commercial DVD, so it can't be iDVD. All I need to be able to do is play an opening video clip so when it ends it goes to the menu, at which point you can press the button "Play Movie". That's really all I need it to do. Chapters would be nice but not required for this project.

Originally Posted by ECUpirate44

iDVD?

[simsaladimbamba]

Don't you know someone with Encore or DVD Studio Pro? The other applications you linked to are aimed at consumers, thus not that customisable.
Hell, I could help if I wasn't on the other side of the planet.

Your location is set to "Final Cut Pro", do you have FCP X or an earlier version?

[Zwhaler]

Originally Posted by simsaladimbamba

Don't you know someone with Encore or DVD Studio Pro? The other applications you linked to are aimed at consumers, thus not that customisable.
Hell, I could help if I wasn't on the other side of the planet.

Your location is set to "Final Cut Pro", do you have FCP X or an earlier version?

I only own FCP X, I bought my editing workstation after FCP 7 was phased out. The 2nd link is definitely not the software I'm looking for with the exception of 2 programs that do offer DVD authoring functionality, just not the features I want I've found. I'm looking to buy inexpensive software to perform the tasks I mentioned. It doesn't have to be high end software, but it looks like on the Mac side we're left essentially with those programs DVD SP and Encore in that price range

[simsaladimbamba]

Can the DVDSP 3.0 version work for you or are you already on Lion and have no way back to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard?

[Zwhaler]

I'm running 10.6.8. I'll try to find someone with copies of DVD SP and Encore. So there really isn't anything out there on the consumer level that can put intro sequence -> then main menu on DVDs? Pretty surprising but I guess it comes with the territory.

[CaptainChunk]

Originally Posted by Zwhaler

I'm running 10.6.8. I'll try to find someone with copies of DVD SP and Encore. So there really isn't anything out there on the consumer level that can put intro sequence -> then main menu on DVDs? Pretty surprising but I guess it comes with the territory.

You may also consider looking around for a cheap copy of FCS 1, which would include DVDSP 4. DVDSP hasn't had a single major version update since 2005 (FCS 2 and 3 include the exact same version of DVDSP). As long as you stay on Snow Leopard, its installer would work fine (PPC installer for FCS 1/2, Intel installer for FCS 3, IIRC).

Encore would be another alternative, but Adobe doesn't sell it as a standalone app - it's bundled with Premiere Pro.

[floh]

Not sure if those applications can do it, but if you really only want a video playing and then a menu, nothing fancy like scripts and many audio tracks, I wanna throw the two Open Source software projects out there that I know of:

'Q' DVD Author and
DVD Styler

While they are both nothing too shiny, they are capable of doing some weird things. That's always the case with Open Source stuff: There is no out-of-the-box fancy template, but you can pretty much adjust anything you want manually.

They are not perfect, but maybe give it a try, they cost nothing. A first shot at google gave me some pages where people were doing what you are looking for.

[Dave Braine]

I want to be able to play an intro sequence before the main menu shows.

If you have it, iDVD will do that for you.

[Zwhaler]

Problem solved, found Final Cut Studio full install (plus a whole bunch of other goodies included) on Craigslist for $100! Anyone in the Bay Area who wants a referral hit me up. DVD Studio Pro 4 is definitely what I was going for so thanks for the help & feedback.

[mBox]

Wait Im confused?
Are you looking for authoring software or Menu Creation software?
DVDSP and Encore along with Photoshop and a great knowledge of Illustrator (design elements) and After Effects (motion menu) would be best.
Now for BD I use Encore since DVDSP stops at DVD.

[floh]

Originally Posted by Zwhaler

Problem solved, found Final Cut Studio full install (plus a whole bunch of other goodies included) on Craigslist for $100! Anyone in the Bay Area who wants a referral hit me up. DVD Studio Pro 4 is definitely what I was going for so thanks for the help & feedback.

Wow, you are lucky! Never seen it in Germany for anything close to that price!

Careful though, I have heard (never tried myself, but heard) that the installer for the old FCS need Rosetta and won't work on Lion! That may just be a rumour, and there may also be workarounds, but if you run into installation problems, that might be the reason!

[CaptainChunk]

Problem solved, found Final Cut Studio full install (plus a whole bunch of other goodies included) on Craigslist for $100! Anyone in the Bay Area who wants a referral hit me up. DVD Studio Pro 4 is definitely what I was going for so thanks for the help & feedback.

Cool beans, man! Glad you were able to get what you were looking for.

Careful though, I have heard (never tried myself, but heard) that the installer for the old FCS need Rosetta and won't work on Lion! That may just be a rumour, and there may also be workarounds, but if you run into installation problems, that might be the reason!

This would definitely be the case with the FCS 1/2 installers, which were PPC (and thus require Rosetta on Intel machines, which is officially gone with Lion). But the FCS 3 installer is Intel. Zwhaler didn't really specify which version of FCS he actually got.

[floh]

Originally Posted by CaptainChunk

Zwhaler didn't really specify which version of FCS he actually got.

If he got FCS3 for 100 bucks, I would be really angry at him! I guess Zwhaler will have to look for the workaround, which still seems like a good idea considering how many awesome programs he'll get that Apple doesn't feature anymore (there is also Color, Livetype and Soundtrack attached to FCS, and even if the versions are a little older, it's better than not having them at all...)!

[Zwhaler]

Originally Posted by mBox

Wait Im confused?
Are you looking for authoring software or Menu Creation software?
DVDSP and Encore along with Photoshop and a great knowledge of Illustrator (design elements) and After Effects (motion menu) would be best.
Now for BD I use Encore since DVDSP stops at DVD.

Authoring software, really. But limited menu creation and customizing is important too, luckily DVD Studio Pro 4 does what I need.

Originally Posted by floh

Careful though, I have heard (never tried myself, but heard) that the installer for the old FCS need Rosetta and won't work on Lion! That may just be a rumour, and there may also be workarounds, but if you run into installation problems, that might be the reason!

I'm running 10.6.8 everything installed with no problems.

Originally Posted by CaptainChunk

This would definitely be the case with the FCS 1/2 installers, which were PPC (and thus require Rosetta on Intel machines, which is officially gone with Lion). But the FCS 3 installer is Intel. Zwhaler didn't really specify which version of FCS he actually got.

The package was Final Cut Studio 3 with the latest legacy software including Color, Final Cut Pro 7, Soundtrack (already have) DVD SP, Motion (already have Motion 5), etc

Originally Posted by floh

If he got FCS3 for 100 bucks, I would be really angry at him! I guess Zwhaler will have to look for the workaround, which still seems like a good idea considering how many awesome programs he'll get that Apple doesn't feature anymore (there is also Color, Livetype and Soundtrack attached to FCS, and even if the versions are a little older, it's better than not having them at all...)!

Yup it was FCS3! I jumped on the price when I saw it.

Here is the ad: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/sys/2898552513.html
I emailed him and he said the price was $100. Everything was legit and I already managed to burn a DVD using DVD SP using the loop track function. I have yet to play around with the other features but I've barely had it a day. The above link will expire in a couple of weeks so anybody in the area should jump on it he has extra copies. He included a whole bunch of goodies along with it that I won't name but made the purchase very well worth it.

[CaptainChunk]

Yup it was FCS3! I jumped on the price when I saw it.

Hot damn!

That's even a lot less than what I paid to upgrade from FCS 2 to FCS 3. And all software was completely legit with a clean license key? Even used/open copies of FCS 3 still fetch fairly good money on eBay.