Programs to Create DVD Menus

Converting a video to DVD format is simple. Making a menu for that video with buttons and custom backgrounds? Not so much. Fortunately, the same tools that convert and burn our videos to physical media also offer options that let us shape a much more attractive menu than the classic "press Enter to begin". Today we'll look at four of these tools: DVD Flick, DVDStyler, WinX DVD Author, and Videos to DVD Converter. All are relatively easy to use and, as if that wasn't enough, free.

The DVD format is on its way out, if not already gone. Personally, it's been a long time since I last burned a disc, but DVD distribution remains as strong as ever, and I can't deny that there are many people out there who feel more comfortable putting a disc in their player to watch movies. Nor should we forget creating home DVDs. From a sweet sixteen birthday to the latest vacation, any reason is valid to preserve good moments on video.

One of the most frequent user requirements is to design custom menus. Although it's almost impossible to achieve the level of professionalism seen in original movies with free tools, the four options we present today are much more robust than they appear.

DVD Flick

DVD Flick is a classic when it comes to burning DVDs, and anyone wanting a stable program with several years on the market would do well to choose it. Its menu section is what you might call basic, offering only six different designs. That might be enough for some users, but the more adventurous will find tutorials aimed at creating additional options or modifying existing ones.

DVDStyler

The web insists that DVDStyler is the number one program for creating custom DVD menus without paying a cent. After using it for a good while and evaluating the available parameters, I have to agree. DVDStyler lets you add extra screens to each menu, alter the position of text (as well as its font and size), insert buttons, and of course change backgrounds using external images.

WinX DVD Author

The free program that closes this list is WinX DVD Author. Its interface (which supports Spanish) tries to take the best points from its competitors, and although the end result makes it a bit less intuitive than the rest, it includes a very interesting detail: adding music to the menu. With a little patience, anyone interested will master it completely.

And the fourth tool on our list is Videos to DVD Converter.

Those who want to go beyond these programs will surely find much more advanced commercial alternatives, but they demand a certain amount of money. Most of those alternatives offer trials, however, if the plan is to stick to freeware, I think we have a good starting point with the programs we've mentioned. Good luck!