Using images (even animated images) is very easy in DVDA...but you might actually need to read the manual : )
Randy

I don't think DVD-A is lacking that much in features, for a first release. Rather in my opinion it is what you have to go through to get the job done. That's what disappointed me. In some respects DVD-A is well thought out, other areas it is clumsy, at least in my opinion, which is the only one I can give. Your mileage may vary. That isn't to say other DVD Authoring applications aren't pretty clumsy too, some costing a lot more. I wonder why that this. I really do.

In reading other comments is seems most agree that at a minimal level, DVD-A as-is, is pretty good. Very good even. In starts to fail as you try to do more complex things which as a professional application, which DVD-A is marketed as should be able to handle simpler with less user hand holding. Again not so much it what it can or can't do, rather it is the doing which can grow to be almost painful sometimes.

Maybe its just a pet peeve, but every time I got to resize and move a thumbnail which is CONSTANTLY I wonder to myself, why do I need to be doing this? If DVD-A can remeber how many thumnails you tell it to put on a menu page it should be able to remember the size and location. As it is now, it don't even give you a chance to specify either.

"...it should be able to remember the size and location"

You're right BB, that would make things a lot easier and efficient...maybe next update?
Randy

I got my fingers crossed. <wink>

I have checked out this application and find it exactly what I need to put together very professional DVDs.

The function for using images instead of text is a click away (even using animated images). Just 'playing' around with the application I found that out. A good run through the manual would probably help.

For now - this application offers more than what I have seen with a couple other "DVD" apps. Kudo's SoFo.

It never ceases to amaze me how poor the market is for DVD Authoring applications.

The high end apps cost $$$$$$ one step down from there and you will struggle to find the killer DVD app. IMHO

Try the market out and you will probably end up coming back to DVDA for now (even though there are some serious shortcomings). If DVDA took a few ideas from DVD-Lab such connection builder, menu transitions and implemented them with their usual quality we would have the DVD app of choice. Some of these things can be done but not easily. As I say IMHO.

PAW

i used to use impression dvd pro because of it's feature set- multi audio, multi angle, etc however the software is most outdated and very buggy. the lack of widescreen menus is most annoying when you are producing widescreen products. DVDA is excellent in that you can have true colour animated 16:9 menus. i show clients my work on projectors and it blows them away. the introduction media option is great to show off a trailer, but it would be nice to have a "before main feature" option so that we can put in dolby trailers. anyways, impression is as close to having the kind of feature set as something like sonic scenarist but practically DVDA is great

I think sonic scenarist pro is of professional grade.
However, DVD-A is more in my price range.
I found Scenarist Pro (? I think it was originally a Daikin product?) and Intec listed at $30k ea but these are probably old prices. The entry level versions of both listed at $8k but they were missing lots of features that the pro versions have.

Try using Vegas - Here's an example:

For a concert at a Vineyard, I took a still of a bottle of wine and two glasses on a wooden table, then put that still into vegas.
Using track motion and cookie cutter, I had part of the concert video playing in an ellipse on the label of the wine bottle, with links to other menus etc down one side.
The whole 15 sec sequence was then rendered to a DVDA compliant MPEG2 and input as the Menu Background.

Everyone who sees it is blown away - initially they just think it's a still, then notice that music they are hearing is coming from the label...