Erin writes, “How do I get video from my digital camera to play on a DVD. I am using Kodak EasyShare software to burn the videos to a DVD-R. It seems they are burned but I cannot play them unless I click on each mov file in my computer HELP?”
Kodak EasyShare burns movie files to DVD as a data disk. This is great for creating a backup of your movies to store on DVD, but doesn’t create a DVD playable in your set top DVD player. To create a DVD for playback in something like a set top DVD player, you need to use DVD authoring software when making the disk.
Before buying any DVD authoring software, you might check the software that came with your DVD burner. Chances are, one of the applications is designed to create movie DVDs playable virtually anywhere.
I use Sonic MyDVD for all my own DVD authoring because it is both simple and flexible. MyDVD handles virtually every video file format, so you won’t be stuck converting your movie files before you start creating the DVD. It includes a simple interface for making the on screen menu for navigating DVD contents. MyDVD also offers one of the best interfaces for including chapter points in your DVD movies.
MyDVD may be purchased in one of two sets of features, or as MyDVD Express in the Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 suite. If you think you might ever want to do things like convert video files for iPod playback, edit your movies, make music CDs, or any of the million other options included in Easy Media Creator, buying that package will give you the biggest bang for your buck.
See also: my tutorial on making DVDs with MyDVD.