Even though DVDs have lost popularity as a storage medium, and the combination of USB drives, Smart TVs and streaming has taken over movie playback, there are still many users out there interested in creating custom DVD menus. Regardless of what the web can offer, our first choice remains DVDStyler, a free, open source program compatible with the major operating systems on the market.
The process comes down to loading the movie onto a USB drive, plugging it into one of your TV's USB ports (which, by the way, does not need to be a Smart TV), entering the menu, searching for the movie, and pressing OK to start playback. Now, that's simple between us. But when it comes time to share videos and short clips, some people prefer a more direct method and still rely on more traditional formats, with DVD at the forefront.
There's also an economic detail: a pack of 10 DVDs ready to burn costs less than seven euros, and their compatibility lets them be played on almost anything with an optical drive. The problem is that the discs need to be customized with special elements to simplify navigation, which means sooner or later you'll need to know how to create a menu for your DVD. Fortunately, we have the answer.
How to Create a DVD Menu with DVDStyler
The first step is to download a copy of DVDStyler. The latest stable version 3.0.4 works very well, but Windows users have the option to experiment with a 3.1 beta. The most effective way to create a DVD menu is to use one of the templates the program offers when starting a new project.
As you progress, you can replace the background, change the fonts and color of items, their position, and even the size (click on the object to select it, then right-click and go to Properties).
At the bottom, DVDStyler reports the available space on the disc (about 130 minutes on average), and when it comes time to burn a DVD, we recommend first creating an ISO image to verify the content and not waste blank discs.
The good news is that the DVDStyler story doesn't end there. On the web you'll find dozens of tutorials dedicated to this program that focus on advanced menu creation, but even in the worst case it won't take you more than 20 or 30 minutes to master it completely.
In short, DVDStyler has the ability to clear up any doubt about how to create a menu for your homemade DVD, and to impress your friends and family with solid edits.
