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Creating DVDs from video files requires creation of a menu and chapter list. DVDStyler for Mac gives users options for setting up custom menus, but its software bugs make it a questionable option.
Available as freeware with no purchase required, the download, while slightly longer than typical, completed without issues. DVDStyler for Mac did not contain any instructions, which, in light of the complicated menus and options, would have been helpful. There did appear to be support for program updates.
Buttons along the program's top row are easy to identify for disc creation and file selection. The other menus are more difficult to interpret, including functions for menu and title creation. Dividing full video files into chapters proved problematic and difficult to figure out. Templates are available to help you set up menus, although the options may be confusing for some. In terms of functioning, the program locked up after a menu was selected, which forced a program shutdown. After restarting, the program performed the requested function. The output options, while comprehensive, would only be useful to those with extensive video creation experience. Despite problems subdividing chapters, the menus came out well in the finished product.
While functional for creating custom menus, DVDStyler for Mac's bugs and lack of instructions make it a less desirable choice for video DVD creation.
Publisher's Description
From Alex Thuering:
DVDStyler is a free DVD authoring application for the creation of professional-looking DVDs. It allows not only burning of video files on DVD that can be played practically on any standalone DVD player, but also creation of own-designed DVD menus. The main DVDStyler features are: creation and burning DVD video with interactive menus, support of AVI, MPEG and other file formats, support of MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, Xvid, MP2, MP3, AC-3 and other audio and video formats, support of multi-core processor, allows using MPEG and VOB files without reencoding, see FAQ, allows put files with different audio/video format on one DVD (support of titleset), user-friendly interface with support of drag & drop, flexible menu creation on the basis of scalable vector graphic, import of image file for background, placing of buttons, text, images and other graphic objects anywhere on the menu screen, changing the font/color and other parameters of buttons and graphic object, scaling of buttons and graphic objects, coping of any menu object or whole menu, dvd scripting.
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Results 1-10 of 10
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"Mac version does not work"
Version: DVDStyler 2.3.5
Pros
It's free
Get version 2.2Cons
Fails or crashes
Summary
DVDStyler 2.3.5
The developer of this app has a very spotty record of building a version that works properly under OS X. The Windows version of DVDStyler 2.3.5 came out about four weeks ago and it took until now for him to release a Mac version. And guess what, the Mac version doesn't work. (If you want to try this app out, look for version 2.2. It was released in the spring of 2012, and it DOES work.)
I tried running this app on two very different Macs. In an old 32-bit iMac running Snow Leopard, the app goes through its paces, and fails when it tries to write its .iso file. (Two tries, two failures.)
On a fairly new 64-bit iMac running Mountain Lion, the app just plain crashes when I try to add a second video file to the menu.
Being built for multiple hardware platforms, the user interface tends to be pretty non-Mac-like, but one can eventually get used to it. It's one of the few DVD creator apps I've found that can actually produce a 16x9 aspect ratio DVD that will play properly on a stand-alone DVD player. And it's free, to boot.
But I repeat. This version does not work. Find version 2.2. -
"DVDStyler offers much and does the job!"
Version: DVDStyler 1.8.3
Pros
Flexible environment for creating DVD menus.
1. Can modify colors, add backgrounds and more.
2. Can determine the path to what happens pre and post for a movie.
3. Can add text, change fonts and colors.Cons
1. Currently Ver 2.2 is the only on that have found which works on LION OS/X. I do nor know about Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion at this time.
2. The bitrate you chose for videos if using VLC can be an issue with adding the video and the size of the DVD.
3. The preview doesn't work if you don'y have Xine and Xine is not supported for Lion but VLC is so you have to change the code in preferences.
4. My testing and use has seen some crashed but solely due to errors encountered with things like button location, or attempting to go beyong the DVD capacity. Once you are in the requirements it runs like a charm.Summary
I tested this application and made several DVD's with great success. The keys to doing this are:
1. Make sure your buttons are centered and not out of the view which will trigger a coordinate error.
2. Ensure that all videos are recognized by the image you seen on the thumbnail. If there is no image, chances are that it will err out.
3. Burn without preview and not to DVD to test the processing out first then burn.
4.Use short audio for menus as this adds time to the burn.
5.Save your work routinely as a precaution before you test the burn. For the most part I have not lost my work but one crash is all it can take.
All in all this is a great app! -
"DVDStyler v2.2 for Mac"
Version: DVDStyler 2.3
Pros
Burns nicely but V2.3 doesn't work right while v2.2 does.
Cons
Can't burn silent movies as it looks for a codec which doesn't exist
Also, sine xine won't work in LION you cannot preview.Summary
I like it but it is challenging.
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"Found an unsatisfactory workaround"
Version: DVDStyler 2.3
Pros
After a couple of fails to author a DVD directly I used DVD Styler to make an ISO and then burned that ISO to DVD using Mac OSX Disk Utility. Worked!
Cons
Workaround requires the additional process of burning the ISO after DVD styler makes it.... hassle!
Summary
Will continue to look for a working DVD authoring app
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"Can do one thing right if you can keep it from crashing"
Version: DVDStyler 2.1.1
Pros
Can produce a DVD where the menus display properly when played through a regular DVD player, something the Chinese clones-of-each-other at the App Store can't seem to manage.
Cons
What everyone else said? I can add no more.
Summary
If you can keep this application from crashing, and you must be very gentle with it for that to happen, you can produce a DVD whose menus will display properly on a normal DVD player. I've had trouble with any DVD creator besides iDVD being able to do this simple task. I'm looking for a replacement for iDVD, which is getting creakier and creakier as time passes. This app isn't it.
As a sanity check I loaded up the Linux version of this app, and it crashes a lot more than the Mac Version -
"Crashes as soon as you try to open a file!"
Version: DVDStyler 2.1
Pros
Can't open to find out.
Cons
Crashes immediately.
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"again, crashing under 10.6.8"
Version: DVDStyler 2.0.1
Pros
nothing to report
Cons
like the previous versions (since 1.8.3) crash when adding a video file. Again, I go back to the 1.8.2.1 version.
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"Instant crash"
Version: DVDStyler 2.0.1
Pros
Nothing positive to report.
Cons
Tried to run it, but got an instant crash. Dev website doesn't even say what OS's it works under.
Won't run under 10.5.8, that's for sure! -
"Doesn't work at all"
Version: DVDStyler 1.8.3
Pros
there is no advantage to using this at all, if U have mac OS 10.4.11 it doesn't work at all
Cons
Tried everything I know to get it to wrk and even downloaded 3 different times. Since there is no one to contact I can't use it at all so as far as I'm concerned it's useless
Summary
wasted alot of time for nothing
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"crash (snow leopard)"
Version: DVDStyler 1.8.3
Pros
very simple to use, but...
Cons
... crash when adding video files with 'plus' button. The 1.8.2.1 version didn't. I go back to this version
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