14 DAY TRIAL // Remember how impressive the DVDs were at the beginning of their rise? Everybody was very enthusiastic when they saw all those menus, the features it included, not to mention that the quality was something totally new.
Time has passed, technology has evolved and now every computer user can create such menus for their DVDs. The list of softwares able to do that is extremely large and the user has lots of options to choose from.
The following software is designed to create menus for your DVDs. In fact, you can practically put your own stamp on the DVD. I know that sounds a lot like branding, but I swear it is the truth. And, above all it will also allow you to burn your creations. Speed DVD Creator is a product of Flyers Software and the price charged for the software is $29. The interface of the software is very nicely drawn and the handling is done with much ease. I am sure you will not have any problems working with it.
The options are aligned horizontally at the top of the application window. The first button in the row is Add and it will enable the user to bring the titles to the menu. This is the first step in creating the DVD menu. You can add MPEG, AVI and WMV files.
After all the titles have been added the user can move them around, until the desired order is achieved. Right clicking on them will give you the opportunity of accessing the Property menu which allows you to see the resolution of the video, its frame rate and its duration. You can also change its name to one you think more appropriate.
Next in line is the Menu option where you have displayed all the titles and you can bring additional data by enabling a header and footer line and setting the thumbnail style of the layout. Background can be customized by adding a background picture and setting the background color.
To make the menu more personal, the software makes available adding text to the header and footer. Of course, you can make changes for the font (size, style, and color) and you can set the alignment (left center or right). The text you enter can be set to have a shadow cast and the color of the shadow can be chosen from the palette available.
In the settings menu you get to set the temporary directory and choose the between converting or fixing the video files before authorizing, creating video DVD menu or deleting the temporary files so that your drive does not get full too quickly.
Run button enables the user to select the disc file system (ISO 9660 or UDF) and the format of the disc (PAL or NTSC). Burner button leads you to choosing the authorized video DVD image from your computer.
After all these settings are made all there is to do is burn away.
There is another thing I forgot to tell you about regarding this software. If you are not content with the looks of the interface then you can go to the Skin button and choose from the three options in there.
The Good
The software is easy to use and the menus can be created without banging your head to the walls. The results achieved with the software are pretty nice.
The Bad
Well, I must draw attention on the fact that the flexibility level of the software is not one of the greatest. First of all, I wanted to have more options when editing the menu. I wanted to move the titles by myself in the layout, or to be able to set the text in different parts of the window.
The Truth
The truth is that I liked working with Speed DVD Creator and I did it with ease. One of my greatest concerns was what picture should I put on the background.
I really hope that the developer will keep improving the software so that it will satisfy the highest standards.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
