With a DVD burner & authoring software, can you make your own interactive menus like a retail DVD?

[Hoeboy]

I just bought a Pioneer A04 burner and am thinking of ways I can make money from it since not many people have one yet. One of the ideas I have is to sell authoring services. Like for example if someone wants to put their wedding video on DVD, I can offer to do that for a fee. What I was wondering though is if I'm able to create a really cool DVD like they have on DVD movies you buy/rent. Is there any limit to what I can do in terms of interactive menus and such given I have the correct DVD authoring software?

 

[pulse8]

I think it's all dependent on the software you use. If you have high end authoring software, you can make menus just like those found on retail DVDs.

 

[Hoeboy]

Really? Some of the features I'd love to be able to use is animated background, text highlighting, chapters, photo slide shows, etc. If anyone can suggest some software that can do all of that, please let me know!

 

[Codewiz]

Software called MyDVD can do that. Most decent authoring software can do most of what you want.

 

[gopunk]

some of the features i would like to see is the ability to copy a store-bought dvd.

 

[Hoeboy]

CodeWiz, anymore authoring software you can name off the top of your head? I'll probably tinker with a few to see what I like.

gopunk, i think copying a store bought dvd is a hardware limitation, not a software one. if the DVD is 4.7gb, then a dvd-to-dvd copy should be no problem. the problem lies in the fact that most DVDs now are dual layered. no burner can burn dual layer DVDs yet. I don't think there's even a dual layered media.

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: gopunk
some of the features i would like to see is the ability to copy a store-bought dvd.

Well that won't happen because of the storage needed. You can copy them now but you would have to split the dvd up onto two dvd-r

Which would involved editing the chapters and such. The only reason I wish I could is because my friends are careless with my dvds and I have to yell at them all the time.

 

[ViRGE]

Hoeboy, there's also the issue of the CSS key. Current burners(or is it media) are specifically designed to be unable to write a CSS key; and since the media is scrambled, you can't use it without the key. Just another one of those things the MPAA thought would help the "fledgling artist" who wants secure CDs, but doesn't have the money to pay for a mass-pressing...

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: Hoeboy
CodeWiz, anymore authoring software you can name off the top of your head? I'll probably tinker with a few to see what I like.

gopunk, i think copying a store bought dvd is a hardware limitation, not a software one. if the DVD is 4.7gb, then a dvd-to-dvd copy should be no problem. the problem lies in the fact that most DVDs now are dual layered. no burner can burn dual layer DVDs yet. I don't think there's even a dual layered media.

Truthfully Hoeboy if you had asked me about 8 months ago I could help you out but I forget what I used. I know it was made by Ulead but I don't remember the name. MyDVD isn't very good but it got the job done. Look on Ulead's site. I was during a lot of stuff for my bosses home videos about 9 months ago and got pretty good at making awesome menus and stuff.

I would definately check out Ulead's product line. One of their products is awesome.

EDIT: Ulead Dvd Workshop is what I used. It does a great job. Especially on re-encoding stuff. I had a lot of camcorder material that it encoded nicely.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: Hoeboy
CodeWiz, anymore authoring software you can name off the top of your head? I'll probably tinker with a few to see what I like.

gopunk, i think copying a store bought dvd is a hardware limitation, not a software one. if the DVD is 4.7gb, then a dvd-to-dvd copy should be no problem. the problem lies in the fact that most DVDs now are dual layered. no burner can burn dual layer DVDs yet. I don't think there's even a dual layered media.

yea i know (sorry if the discussion was just about software, i just felt like ranting ) as somebody who has a 120 gb hd, and no digital video equipment, a dvd burner would be useless to me unless it could copy movies. wish they would come out with a dual layer burner, that would be sweet

 

[RGN]

Originally posted by: gopunk

Originally posted by: Hoeboy
CodeWiz, anymore authoring software you can name off the top of your head? I'll probably tinker with a few to see what I like.

gopunk, i think copying a store bought dvd is a hardware limitation, not a software one. if the DVD is 4.7gb, then a dvd-to-dvd copy should be no problem. the problem lies in the fact that most DVDs now are dual layered. no burner can burn dual layer DVDs yet. I don't think there's even a dual layered media.

yea i know (sorry if the discussion was just about software, i just felt like ranting ) as somebody who has a 120 gb hd, and no digital video equipment, a dvd burner would be useless to me unless it could copy movies. wish they would come out with a dual layer burner, that would be sweet

j00==n00b

Been there done that.

 

[Hoeboy]

gopunk, Yes it would be sweet. Maybe they release a CloneDVD and we would all be set They do sell dual layer DVD media though. But it's not dual layered on one side. It's just a DVD-R that can be written on both sides.

Codewiz, thanks, I'll check it out! So that Ulead software will allow me to do everything (i.e. taking in the source, encoding the material, etc)? I have an ATi AIW 7500 and I plan to use that to record/encode videos.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

There's a software called Sonic DVDit! . Its pretty easy to use..more for newbies, but itworks well. I had problems using the Ulead dvd authoring software (it was a trial version) personally. It wouldn't accept my MPEG files while DVDit! did accept them.

 

[Hoeboy]

maDd, do you mean Sonic ReelDVD?

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: Hoeboy
maDd, do you mean Sonic ReelDVD?

No. The software is called Sonic DVDit!

Link