Looking for decent DVD authoring software...

[Xorcist]

Anyone have any preferences? Making really nice animated menus and such is a big requirement for me.

[burninfool]

MyDVD or DVDLab.
www.sonic.com/products/mydvd/default.asp
www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/

[NoSmartz]

Sonic MyDVD 5 is a great one.
Ulead DVDWorkshop
Nero's isn't as sophisticated as others but it's OK.
Pinnacle Studio 8

E

[Ian]

Ulead DVDWorkshop

If DVDWorkshop is too expensive (and it is) try Ulead's DVD MovieFactory. I believe it will do animated menus. Anyway, Ulead has demos of both on their website.

Will MyDVD make animated menus? I didn't think it could.

[MonteLDS]

Ulead DVD Workshops

HANDS DOWN if you are just taking your 1st steps.

although Sonic DVDit is pretty good.

But even better is Adobe Encore!

if you can learn it teach me!

note: Ulead DVD Workshop when you go chapter to chapter kind of does this half pause cough, so sometimes it looks crummy. But that might only be true if you have multi. videos you are pluging in, instead of one long video you cut up in DVD Workshop for the chapter change...

need any help give me a PM

[hoxlund]

Pinnacle Studio 8

[Bighousie]

What to say about TMPGEnc DVD Author?

[burninfool]

"Will MyDVD make animated menus? I didn't think it could."

I have MyDVD 4 and it can,I assume 5 can also.MyDVD 5 Deluxe outputs to 2ch. AC3,4 only outputs to LPCM(uncompressed).

[thegdog]

What to say about TMPGEnc DVD Author?

It appears to have nice integration with their TMPGEnc encoder, though I found the program to be woefully underpowered. Menu creation was limited to pre-made templates (that were pretty ugly) though I think you can edit templates now to make your own. And the later versions do support motion menus.

I personally found DVDlab to be a much better choice - more features, better interface, easier to use.