Quote: Hi, So you have say 5 edited mpeg4 files created in PD12, what is the best way to create a DVD with a stunning menu? From what I have read the PD built in create disk option is not easily customisable enough. So what 3rd party software is the best? And how do you prevent the files being compressed again. I just want a front end that looks really good and plays the mpeg4 files.

Where did you read that about create disc not being customization? I find it the best of the three I own. Have you tried it?

Why are you working with mpeg4 files? Is that the native format? You can just bring in those 5 projects to :make a disc" You can select the output to DVD and select a menu. You can replace the menu with an image or video.; you can modify the navigation You can make other changes. tell us what you want to customize but can't; keep in mind that there are industry standards.

If you are not making a high definition disc but are making a standards DVD, then those mpeg4 files have to be re-encoded (rendered ) to mpg2 files, That is the industry standard for DVDs. If you are making a blu ray disc then that is different.

I usually make a folder set so I can preview it in the free VLC player. If it looks good then I use Power 2 Go or the free IMGBurn to burn it to a disc (mostly ImgBurn)

To sum it up. What menu tweaks do you want to do. Let us know if you are making a standard DVD or a blu ray disc. How long in time are the 5 mpeg4 files in total?

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BoilerPlate: To posters who ask for help -- it is nice to thank the volunteers who try to answer your questions !
Anything I post unless stated with a reference is my personal opinion.

this is where I got the idea create disk is not ideal

http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/31853.page

there is also another link saying more of less the same thing, pity there is no search forum option?

But your post has helped and made me feel I should try and see how far I can get with the built in option create disk.

Quote: this is where I got the idea create disk is not ideal

http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/31853.page

there is also another link saying more of less the same thing, pity there is no search forum option?

But your post has helped and made me feel I should try and see how far I can get with the built in option create disk.

You didn't tell us what menu tweaks you want.

There is a first run movie which will play after inserting a DVD. This is what it is a movie and there are no available controls. You can however use a video as a background instead of an image. This first menu will have two buttons only. There is no work around for that. Here is where the semantics are screwed up. The play button plays all the video in order. The scenes button is really a title button. It will take you to the individual movies you added. If you have chapters in that movie, you can select where to start but then the movie runs to the end (industry standard).

I used or have used several video editing and disc making prorams. The only one that was fully customizable was DVDIt. It is no longer available. The original cost was close to $400 ! I could never get it to work right but I really didn't need it.

There is a search function at the top of this page. First icon on the left. .
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BoilerPlate: To posters who ask for help -- it is nice to thank the volunteers who try to answer your questions !
Anything I post unless stated with a reference is my personal opinion.

Hi Red000,
I have made my own DVD menus from scratch ( never use the included templates) in both 3d and standard DVD format with good results.
The only drawback (my own words) is you need graphic drawing program to created the material for incorporating into the Menu system the background, chapter buttons etc. I us a program Called Xara Designer Pro 9 for all my stuff then export as an appropriate format for PD 12. I have created backgrounds that are the 4K dimensions then imported to Pd 12 as with my own Chapter buttons.
So it can be done with some work beforehand.
Jim
I have some stuff on my You tube channel that will give an idea of the first things I created.
if you want to look.
Jim
p.s.My channel should be in my signature, select the "video' from the icons. Intel i7-2600@3.4Gz Geforce 560ti-1GB Graphic accelerator, windows 7 Premium 12GB memory

Visit GranPapa64's channel for your YouTube experience of the day!

Would you say that Power Producer is better at producing DVDs, more options, more customisation etc than the built in Create Disc in PD12 ?

Quote: Would you say that Power Producer is better at producing DVDs, more options, more customisation etc than the built in Create Disc in PD12 ?

Again, (third time). What changes do you want for your menu and why?

I'm going to be criticized for this: Power Producer? You mean Power Director lite? If you want something easy but slightly limited in comparison, then the 14 menus, the ability to slightly modify them and Director's Zone offerings are all you need. You can save some money.

Just a comment. Except for special cases, people are more interested in the content rather than the menu. Why are you so interested in having a super special menu? What is in your project that you need an extra special menu and who is your audience.

Why don't you download the trials and play with them.? .
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BoilerPlate: To posters who ask for help -- it is nice to thank the volunteers who try to answer your questions !
Anything I post unless stated with a reference is my personal opinion.

Thats what I must do, play with PD12 create disc and if I do want my own buttons background etc then find out how to customise them. I do have Photoshop CC really all I want is something of my own design rather than a template used by everybody else. Only doing this for a friend actually who has Adobe Premier and Adobe Encore and is not especially happy with it. I have converted him to PD from Premier and looking for a way for him to make DVDs.