Making nice (& simple) DVDs

[disco_al]

Hi there everybody!

I'm about to build/buy a new system to edit using Avid Xpress DV, and once I've made my movies, I want to be able to make them into DVDs which can be viewed on any domestic player. I don't think the Avid software i'm getting comes with any DVD authoring software, so could anybody out there reccomend any?

All i want is to be able to make fairly simple DVDs, with basic menus, chapter stops, and hopefully an image for the menu background (or even video!?). The DVDs will be of clients weddings and so will be about 1 hour in main program duration. Any suggestions?

I'm also interested in getting a lightscribe DVD burner so i can make classy looking discs. Does anybody know anything about Lightscribe or ever used it? Or do you know of any alternatives? (lightscribe drives laser-etch a design onto the blank top-surface of the disc, which should look pretty classy)

I thank you for your time and help with this,
regards,
Disco

[disco_al]

Hello again!
Since the above post i've found out a couple of things:

1. Lightscribe uses discs that aren't as compatible as regular burnt DVDs (and are also more expensive and harder to find). Can anyone back this up?

Because of this i would like to get a DVD label printer, and one that makes as proffesional looking discs as possible, without costing a fortune! Does anyone out there have any suggestions?

2. I have heard that getting a video edited on Avid, and then burnt to DVD for playback on domestic DVD players is tricky and complicated? Does anybody have any experience of this, or can anyone give me some advice about this?

Thanks for reading & (hopefully) replying to this post, only 3 days before i buy my new system!! AAAAAAAHHHH! Hope i get the right stuff!!!!

Many regards,
disco_al

[shaftbond]

Hey man, exciting time (getting a system and what not) :).

Hopefully others will chime in, but here are my 2 cents:

1) I've never tried these guys, but I plan on it. Good reviews and what not:
http://www.jewelboxing.com/index.php

2) As for burning DVDs from Avid, it's not the EASIEST, but the whole DVD burning process has never been that easy (in my experience). Once you finish your movie, you can output a QT reference file to open in Canopus Procoder or whatever compression software you have, and compress to MPEG2 there, referencing the original material. For authoring, I liked Adobe Encore for being user-friendly, but I found the DVD's I made weren't not compatible with every set-top DVD player out there. I currently use Sonic ReelDVD (one step up from MyDVD, but alot cheaper than Sonic Scenarist) and it seems to work pretty well. It plays on everything I've tried to play it on, except my mom's Panasonic (but my sister's Panasonic plays it perfectly)...Good luck! Sorry I couldn't be more help.