I think this has been asked before, but I'm going to give it another (new) try. I figure software changes so rapidly and more people are learning how to use new stuff all the time, so maybe somebody will have a real solid answer.

I want to:

Take multiple pre-existing videos and add them to one dvd

I want to have a menu

I would like to be able to have my own music and/or picture(s) as part of the menu

Secondary:

I'm putting many hundreds of individual images to music, what do other people use for this process? I'm using Windows Movie Maker because I'm really comfortable with it. I've used other more complicated apps in the past, but I never loved them enough to use them exclusively.

I'm on a Windows PC, running Windows 7 with 8 GB of memory and some smokin' dual cores.

ConvertXtoDVD is the best! I use it all of the time

Tittypants said:

ConvertXtoDVD is the best! I use it all of the time

Thanks. Trying it right now.

I use convertxtodvd as well

Hmm, I wouldn't recommend Convertxtodvd. Isn't this program mainly used to convert various files like mpeg or divx to a Video_TS file? I think, it can creat a simple menu, but not chapter specific points in the movie for example. Personally, I used to use TMPGEnc Reauthor 3. It does what all the OP is asking for. It's not free, but I'm sure you can find a download link "somewhere".

http://tmpgenc.pegasys-in.../tda3.html

[Edited 12/14/11 12:31pm]

Well, truthfully, I kind of asked about two things at once.

I did actually need to convert multiple file types and in the process create a DVD with a menu.

Convertxtodvd actually does a pretty bang up job of this execpt for the fact that I can't make the menu music piece full-length without a to of effort. That and its pretty slow - two to three hours for each disc. However, I am asking it to take three and four hours of varying file types and burn them to a DVD5. So no real complaints there.

I haven't even gotten to creating the music/picture files yet. Not sure I will.

TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 is readily "available", but there seems to be a lot of issues with the exe and keygens not working with the OS I'm running. Probably have to wait on trying that just to avoid the frustration. Normally I would try anyway, but I'm a little short on time right now.

Other than the menu limitations (and those only exist if you want to make them highly customized) ConvertXtoDVD is a pretty impressive piece of software. Its taken every type of video I've thrown at it (mpeg, avi, mp4, mkv, wmv and a couple others) and made a functioning, good looking DVD out of them. Plus, I'm sometimes putting up to 6 GB and/or six (or more) hours worth of files on a single layer DVD. I have not complaints about it in that regard.

I'm still using Windows Video Maker for the other part of the equation (which has nothing to do with the last paragraph at this point). I'm going to upload all those videos to my YouTube channel when they're done. Probably start a thread here with them at that point.

I just asked this question, but at least I got an answer here

Posted a round of the videos I've been working on in the Happy Merry Chrismahannukwanzaakahmas thread over in Music Non-Prince.