While media may have shifted a lot towards streaming and the cloud, burning to DVD is still a lot more useful sometimes. If you use the right programs, you can create DVDs that play on almost any DVD player. You can create video DVDs using free programs on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Windows
Step 1. Download and install WinX DVD Author
It is a free program that supports almost all video formats and can easily burn DVDs that can be played on any DVD player.
You can download it for free from winxdvd.com/dvd-author/. This installer does not contain any adware
Step 2. Run WinX DVD Author
You will be greeted with the main menu window.
Step 3. Select "Video DVD Author"
This will launch a tool that you can use to select any video file to convert and burn to a blank DVD-R.
Step 4. Click the "+" button and select the first video file that you want to include in the DVD
Change the filetype settings to "All Files" if you can't find the video file. You may need to add an.mkv file
Step 5. Repeat for other types of videos you want to add
If you add episodes of a TV show, you may be able to add multiple episodes to the DVD. The remaining space will be displayed at the bottom of the WinX DVD Author window.
Once the clips are added, you can change their order by right-clicking a clip and selecting "Move Up" or "Move Down"
Step 6. Add subtitles/subtitle files (optional)
If you want to add subtitles to the video, click the "Subtitle" button next to the clip in the list. Then you can select the translated text file you want to use.
Step 7. Click the Wrench button at the bottom of the window
This allows you to adjust some of the settings before proceeding.
- Change the "DVD Language" menu to English, or the language of your choice. Note that this will not affect the audio or subtitles.
- Select your DVD type. Most blank DVD-R's are DVD5s, which are single-layer discs measuring 4.37 GB. The DVD9 disc is a 7.95 GB dual-layer disc.
Step 8. Start the conversion process by clicking the ">>" button
If you add a video file that isn't originally supported, such as.mkv, it will be converted before you can continue. This may take a little time to complete.
Step 9. Create your menu
Once the conversion process is complete, a menu creation tool will appear. You can choose from a wide variety of presets, or you can add your own background image and create your own button layout. You can create a title menu, which is the main menu on the DVD, as well as a chapter menu. This is especially useful for DVDs containing multiple episodes.
- When creating a button layout, make sure not to place any buttons along the edges of the menu. Sometimes the edges of the menu will be cut off by some DVD players or TVs, making the buttons invisible.
- Once you have finished setting up the menu, click the ">>" button to set your burning options.
Step 10. Set your burning options
Make sure a blank DVD-R is inserted before you open this window, or the correct options will not be available.
- Set "Write Speed" at a low number, between 2X and 4X. While a higher write speed means a faster burning process, it can cause problems reading the disc, especially in older disc players. A low write speed will help ensure that your DVD can be played anywhere.
- You can change the settings of your encoder for higher quality - with longer conversion times, or lower quality with faster conversion times.
- DVD-R discs are the best format for burning video discs. DVD-RW discs can be used for re-burning, but they cannot be played on all DVD players.
Step 11. Click the "Start" button to start converting and burning your movie
Any files that are not.vob will now be converted before burning based on the quality setting you selected.
This process can take a long time, especially if you are burning a full-length movie
Method 2 of 3: Mac
Step 1. Download and install the Burn app
It's a free, open-source burning program that's the best way to create video DVDs on Mac now, that iDVD is no longer being released. You can download Burn for free from burn-osx.sourceforge.net/Pages/English/home.html.
Step 2. Run the Burn utility
You will be greeted by a thin window.
Step 3. Select the "Video" tab
Give your DVD a title, and select "DVD" from the menu that appears.
Step 4. Drag your first video file into the list
You can also click the "+" button and browse the movie files on your computer.
Step 5. Click
Yes when prompted to convert the file.
If the file isn't an.mpg file, Burn will automatically convert it for you. This may take a little while, depending on the size of the file and the speed of your computer. Make sure you select "NTSC" from the menu that appears in the conversion window if you are in the US; if you are in Europe, select "PAL".
- DRM-protected QuickTime files may not be convertible.
- If the file doesn't convert, you may have to convert the file using a program such as Handbrake, which is specially designed for converting video files.
Step 6. Click the "Gear" button and select "Use DVD theme"
This will create a basic menu for your video file.
Step 7. Insert a blank DVD-R
This is the best format for burning DVD videos. DVD-RW discs can be used for re-burning, but they cannot be played on all DVD players.
If OS X opens a window asking what you want to do with the blank DVD, click Ignore
Step 8. Click the button
Burn.
This will start burning the video file to DVD. You won't be able to create multiple menus, but you can play them on almost any DVD player.
Method 3 of 3: Linux
Step 1. Download and install DeVeDe
This is a powerful DVD maker free program for Linux. You can install it from Terminal by typing sudo apt-get install devede.
Step 2. Run DeVeDe
After installing DeVeDe, you can run it from the Linux menu. It'll be in the "Sound & Video" section, or you can search for it.
Step 3. Select "DVD Video" from the menu
This will start a new DVD video project.
Step 4. Click the "Add" button under the empty "Files" list
You can use this to browse your computer for video files that you want to add to your project.
Step 5. Select "PAL" or "NTSC" depending on your location
If you are in the US, choose NTSC. If you are in Europe, choose PAL.
Step 6. Set advanced options for the video file (optional)
If you know what you're doing, you can use the Advanced options to adjust the audio and video quality settings for the file conversion process. Most users can leave it by default.
One of the main settings you may want to use in the "Advanced options" section is the "Split file into chapters" option on the "General" tab. This will add chapter markers to the video file at intervals you specify, allowing you to quickly skip through parts of the film. This is especially useful for full-length movies
Step 7. Edit the title for the video you added
After adding the video file, you must adjust the Title settings for the video. Select "Title 1" from the "Title" list and click "Properties". This allows you to rename the Title and modify the behavior of the Title button if you wish.
Step 8. Add more files
The amount of space available on the DVD will be shown in the bar under "Disc usage".
Step 9. Create your menu
DeVeDe will create a very basic menu for your DVD by default, which you can preview by clicking "Preview menu". Clicking the "Menu options" button will allow you to create your own custom menu using your own images and music.
Step 10. Make sure that the "default format" is set correctly
Just like the video format, you must select NTSC or PAL for your disc format.
Step 11. Click "Forward" when you are ready to finish the project
Once you are satisfied with the file and the video menu, you can click the "Forward" button to start the ISO creation process.
- You will be asked to choose where you want to save your ISO file. DeVeDe doesn't actually burn the project to disc, but creates an image that you can burn with other utilities.
- Once you've selected the location you want to use to save the ISO, DeVeDe will start converting the video and creating the ISO file.
Step 12. Insert a blank DVD-R
This is the best format for burning DVD videos. DVD-RW discs can be used for re-burning, but they cannot be played on all DVD players.
Step 13. Right-click the ISO file and select "Open with BurningApp"
Most Linux distributions come with a burning application installed, but the actual application will vary depending on the distribution you are using.
Step 14. Burn the ISO file
Use your burning application to burn the ISO file to a blank DVD. Once the burning process is complete, your DVD video is ready to play using any DVD player.
