Why Use DVD Authoring Software?

We all know the painful event that is watching home videos. To find that one special clip of Jimmy eating the candles on his first birthday cake you’d dig through piles of dust covered cassettes to find that one tape, DV, VHS or otherwise. After you succeed in the tape finding mission, you need to fast forward the tape to the right place, and by the time all is said and done, no one really cares about Jimmy’s cute candle capers.

Many of us have loved memories hiding on DV tapes, VHS cassettes and minidiscs that we’d love to transfer to easier to use DVDs, but few of us have the time, or the inclination to meticulously sit and edit all our home videos with expensive, exhaustive video editing software. DVD Authoring software is your best alternative.

The main purpose of DVD authoring software is to transfer those home videos to DVDs with good-looking, easy navigation menus. With DVD authoring software you can split your videos into chapters, add music to your menus or cut scenes you don’t want with minimal effort. You can also use DVD authoring software in conjunction with your favorite video editing software. Simply edit and save your video to your hard drive then import it into your DVD authoring software to create a menu.

In this site, you’ll find articles related to DVD authoring software, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which DVD authoring program is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

What to Look for in DVD Authoring Software

Shopping for video or multimedia software can be confusing. There are many different kinds of products on the market promising the biggest and best and it’s not uncommon for people to be duped into buying an expensive, complicated product they’ll never use.

The best DVD authoring software combines an easy to use interface with powerful menu creation tools to give the user the customized look and feel they want. Menu features should include templates, animated thumbnails, full motion menus and the ability to change background images and music.

In addition to a versatile feature set the best DVD authoring software creates excellent DVDs. All the features in the world are useless if your DVD menu and navigation doesn’t look great or work properly.

The following is the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate DVD Authoring software:

Menu Creation
All DVD authoring software can create DVDs with menus, but not all menu creation is created equal. Menu creation options should include background and button templates; the ability to chapter your videos; add background images, text and music; animate thumbnails and more.

Features
Most DVD authoring software include additional functionality aside from menu creation like minor video editing features, a built-in DVD burner and built-in DVD player. Some DVD authoring software also includes the ability to capture your video directly from your camcorder or VCR.

Ease of Use
The best DVD authoring software has a powerful; yet, easy to use interface that novices and experienced users alike can use and understand.

Quality of Copy
All the features in the world are useless if your DVD and created menu look awful and don’t work properly. The best DVD Authoring software not only gives you creative control but produces an excellent DVD.

Ease of Installation/ Stability
DVD authoring software is computer system intensive and program shut downs are not uncommon. We looked for software that crashed less frequently and still created great DVD videos.

Help/Support
DVD authoring software can be complicated, especially for new users. The best DVD authoring software includes a comprehensive built-in user guide, tutorials, user forums and responsive email support. 

For the best, easiest, most versitial DVD authoring software we could find see, DVD MovieFactory.