DVD Software Roundup - All the Software you need to Create, Burn, and Copy to DVD

DVD Burning Software

This type of software is usually considered the base for all other types of software for DVD. It is essentially the building block for all other functions found in the software developed today. Basic DVD burning will allow you to access your DVD drive on your computer and allow you to write data to it via software that has been configured to go between your data and the hardware. We have rated many different DVD burning software programs and we have listed them on our DVD Burning Software page.

The majority of DVD burning apps will convert the video you have from a camcorder into a DVD format which is then burned to the DVD. The resulting disc is playable on supporting DVD playback devices including the majority of DVD players as well as on your PC or mac.

DVD Copying Software

One of the more popular tasks that people use with their DVD burners is to copy DVD discs. Such DVD Copying software is a simple tool that allows you to copy from one source to the other, or in other words copy from an original disc to a blank DVD. Other functions of this type of software include the ability to copy the content from a disc and transfer it to your hard drive or other storage medium. There are also other types of software available that will allow you to copy from your VHS tapes to a DVD disc. But for the most part many are looking for an easy solution for copying DVD discs and our DVD Copy Software Review page has listed the most popular titles out right now.

DVD Ripper Software

DVD ripping is probably the main term used when referring to copying or backing up DVD movie discs. Ripping is essentially extracting the content from a disc and copying it to a hard disk thus removing any data encryption and preserving the original video content by not degrading any picture quality. Thus a bit for bit extraction is performed and you are free to do what you want with your video.

Popular tasks of working with ripped DVD video: you can then convert it into other formats like MP4, AVI, MPEG, etc... This is done because gadgets like the iPod and Android cell phones can play original DVD video, thus it must be converted into a portable format for correct playback. Our DVD Ripper Review points you in the right direction on what software would be best for your needs.

DVD Decoder Software

A DVD Decoder is a small piece of software code that is embedded into an existing software application that will allow you to playback DVD movies from your PC. The most popular decoder is one that works inside Windows Media Player. On Windows Vista and XP, WMP does not natively support the playback of DVD movies so a decoder is necessary for this software to properly understand the coding on the disc.

DVD Decoders are usually around $15 for a plug in for this type of software. There are free DVD decoders available including VLC media player, but this player has limited functions but will at least play the movie, so if that is all you are looking for then a free decoder may be right for you. We have also reviewed the best DVD decoders for you in case you want more functionality or if you want to play DVD's inside WMP.

DVD Player Software

DVD Players are not the same as a DVD decoder but yet they are similar. Full fledged DVD player software does contain a decoder already to allow the playback of movies on a PC. What makes these different and more expensive are the additional features that they provide to the user. For example an added benefit would include support for 5.1 Surround Sound, HD up scaling features, notebook battery saving features, player skins, online community interaction for each movie, etc....

We have a more comprehensive review of DVD Player software here.

DVD Authoring Software

This type of software includes the ability to create a DVD video structure by incorporating DVD menus, chapter controls, and other DVD functionality that you would find on an authored DVD movie in the stores. With basic and more professional authoring tools now available, anyone can easily create their own Hollywood type movie based on their existing camcorder video clips or other video they may have.

We have reviewed basic level and professional level DVD Authoring Software here. Be sure to see what is right for you if you are looking to be an expert home movie maker in your household.

DVD Creator Software

The process of creating DVD's can be tricky for most of us. More advanced software like DVD authoring are really for more experienced videophiles but what about the rest of us that are looking for a simple process. Well that is where DVD Creator software comes in. This type of software was developed for anyone that is looking for a simple way to take existing video clips and burning them onto a blank DVD disc thus creating a standard compliant DVD that will play back on regular DVD players.

We have reviews of DVD Creator software with more in-depth info here.

PowerPoint to DVD Software

Now this is probably one of the coolest software categories ever invented. How many times have you created a PowerPoint presentation and didn't have an easy way to present it to your audience? Wouldn't it be easier to burn the presentation to a DVD disc and play it that way? The best PowerPoint to DVD software titles will burn the presentation to a DVD and it will retain all the special features that you have added within the presentation such as the audio and video clips, transitions, animations, links, etc... You are also given more advanced tools where you can add menus, define the screen resolution, add voice narration, batch processing for multiple presentations, select the screen ratio, and more.

We have listed a few popular PowerPoint to DVD software title here.