Windows Vista Security: Praxisorientierte Sicherheit für Profis

334

|

Chapter 10: Making Video DVDs and Movies

Creating Video DVDs with Windows DVD Maker

Windows DVD Maker helps you create videos and complete DVDs with minimal

fuss. That’s why it’s my favorite of the two video makers included with the Win-

dows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions.

Getting Started with Windows DVD Maker

You can start and use Windows DVD Maker in several ways. When you are working

with Windows Photo Gallery, you can select the initial pictures and videos you want

to work with and then click Burn

➝ Video DVD to open Windows DVD Maker with

these items selected. Otherwise, you can start Windows DVD Maker by clicking

Start

➝ All Programs ➝ Windows DVD Maker.

As Table 10-1 shows, Windows DVD Maker works with a wide variety of image,

sound, and video formats. This list is different from the formats supported by Win-

dows Photo Gallery and Windows Media Maker. The most notable changes are that

Windows DVD Maker supports GIF images but does not support the AIFF or AU

sound format. Also of note is that Windows DVD Maker supports the Microsoft Digi-

tal Video Recorder format, allowing you to create video DVDs with recorded TV.

Table 10-1. File formats supported by Windows DVD Maker

File format/type File extensions

Bitmap image .bmp

DIB image .dib

GIF image .gif

JPEG image .jpg, .jpe, .jpeg, .jfif

PNG image .png

TIFF image .tif, .tiff

Word Perfect image .wdp

Windows Meta File .wmf, .emf

Sound formats

MP3 audio .mp3, .m3u

WAV audio .wav

Windows Media Audio .wma

Video formats

AVI video .avi

DVD video .mpa, .m1v, .m2v, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpv2, .mp2v

MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 video .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg

Creating Video DVDs with Windows DVD Maker

|

335

When working with digital pictures, digital videos, and sounds, it is also important to

note that Windows DVD Maker works with files that are already in the proper for-

mats, and doesn’t include features for converting formats. Additionally, all the files

you want to use must be on your computer’s disk drive, on a data disc you’ve inserted

into your CD/DVD drive, or on a device with removable storage connected to your

computer. Although Windows DVD Maker can read music and other sound files from

a data disc, it doesn’t include features for ripping raw CD audio files from audio discs.

When you start working with Windows DVD Maker, you may notice that the program

works more like an extended wizard than a standalone program, and that’s because it’s

designed to help you through the steps involved in video production. The first time you

start Windows DVD Maker, you’ll see the page shown in Figure 10-1. This page intro-

duces Windows DVD Maker. Once you click “Choose Photos and Videos” to con-

tinue, you won’t see this page again unless you are using a new user account.

Windows DVD Maker has two main pages. The first page you see in Windows DVD

Maker is the “Add pictures and video to the DVD” page shown in Figure 10-2. You’ll

use this page to add items, set the play order, and configure the DVD burning and

playback options.

When you click Next, you’ll see the “Ready to burn disc” page, which is shown in

Figure 10-3. On this page, you can customize the DVD menu style and text, as well

as set up your picture slide show and add an audio soundtrack. You can also pre-

view and burn your video from this page.

Using the options provided on these two pages, you create video DVDs by following

a series of prescribed steps. The basic steps are as follows:

1. Add your pictures and videos, and then set the play order.

2. Set the DVD burning and playback options.

3. Customize the DVD menu style and text.

4. Set up your picture slide show and add an audio soundtrack.

5. Preview and save your video project.

6. Burn your video.

I discuss tasks related to each step in the sections that follow.

Audio/Video format

Windows Media Audio/Video Professional .asf, .wm, .wmv

Recorded TV format

Microsoft Digital Video Recorder .dvr-ms

Table 10-1. File formats supported by Windows DVD Maker (continued)

File format/type File extensions

336

|

Chapter 10: Making Video DVDs and Movies

Figure 10-1. Getting started with Windows DVD Maker

Figure 10-2. The “Add pictures and video to the DVD page”