How to Use Aimersoft DVD Creator to Burn DVDs Step-by-StepBurning videos to a physical DVD is still useful for archiving, sharing with people who prefer discs, or playing on older DVD players. Aimersoft DVD Creator is a user-friendly program that guides you from importing files to burning a finished disc with menus and chapters. This step-by-step guide walks you through every stage, from preparation and file formats to advanced menu customization and troubleshooting.
What you’ll need before you start
- A Windows PC or Mac with Aimersoft DVD Creator installed.
- A blank writable DVD (DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, or DVD+RW) compatible with your burner.
- A DVD burner drive.
- Video files you want to burn (common formats: MP4, AVI, MOV, WMV, MKV, FLV).
- Optional: DVD-compatible audio files (MP3, WAV) and image files for menus or slideshows.
Step 1 — Install and launch Aimersoft DVD Creator
- Download the installer from Aimersoft’s official site and run it.
- Follow the installer prompts, agree to terms, and choose installation folder.
- Open Aimersoft DVD Creator after installation. On first launch you’ll see a clean interface with buttons like “Create DVD Disc”, “Create DVD Folder”, and “Create ISO File”.
Step 2 — Choose the DVD project type
Aimersoft lets you create:
- DVD Disc — burns directly to a blank DVD in your drive.
- DVD Folder — saves VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders to your hard drive (useful if you want to burn later).
- ISO File — creates a single ISO image file that can be mounted or burned later.
Select “Create DVD Disc” if you have a blank DVD inserted and want to burn immediately. Choose the other options for flexibility.
Step 3 — Import your video files
- Click the “Import” or “Add Files” button.
- Browse and select the videos, images, or audio files you want on the disc. You can add multiple files.
- Imported files appear in the timeline/preview list. Use drag-and-drop to reorder titles; the order determines the DVD menu listing and playback sequence.
Tips:
- If you have long videos, consider splitting into chapters for easier navigation.
- Check the total disc capacity indicator (usually shows whether the content fits on DVD-5 4.7GB or DVD-9 8.5GB).
Step 4 — Edit videos (trim, crop, effects)
Aimersoft includes basic editing tools:
- Trim: remove unwanted start/end segments.
- Crop: remove black bars or change aspect ratio.
- Rotate: fix sideways footage.
- Effects: adjust brightness/contrast or apply filters.
- Subtitle and watermark: add external SRT subtitles or a logo overlay.
To edit, select a video and click the “Edit” icon. Make changes and preview them in the built-in player. Save edits before proceeding.
Step 5 — Create chapters and set titles
- Many DVD players support chapter navigation. To add chapters, select a title and use the “Add Chapter” button or set automatic chapter intervals (e.g., every 5 minutes).
- Rename titles for clear menu display (e.g., “Vacation Day 1”, “Wedding Ceremony”).
Step 6 — Design DVD menus
A good menu improves user experience. Aimersoft offers templates and customization:
- Click the “Menu” tab.
- Choose a template category (Travel, Holiday, Classic, etc.). Templates usually include background images, button styles, and music.
- Customize: change background image/video, replace or mute background music, edit text (title, font, size, color), and rearrange buttons.
- Preview the menu and test buttons (Play, Chapters, Scene selections).
If you prefer no menu, select the “No Menu” option so the disc plays the first title immediately.
Step 7 — Select DVD settings (format, quality, aspect ratio)
Before burning, configure these settings:
- Disk type: DVD-R/DVD+R/DVD-RW/DVD+RW. Choose the one matching your blank disc.
- Playback standard: NTSC (North America, Japan) or PAL (Europe, Australia). Select based on the region or target DVD player.
- Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9 depending on your source video and TV.
- Video quality: options like “Fit to Disc” (re-encode to fit) or set higher quality (larger file size). If content exceeds capacity, you’ll be prompted to lower quality or remove files.
Step 8 — Preview the project
Use the built-in preview to simulate real DVD playback:
- Test menu navigation, button links, chapter jumps, and video playback.
- Fix any broken links (e.g., ensure each menu button points to the correct title).
Previewing avoids wasting discs.
Step 9 — Burn to DVD
- Insert a blank DVD into your burner.
- Click the “Burn” button.
- Choose destination (DVD drive), label the disc (volume label), and set burn speed (slower speeds are often more reliable).
- Confirm and start. Burning may take from several minutes to over an hour depending on file sizes and burn speed.
After burning completes, the software will usually verify the disc (if the verification option is enabled). Once finished, test the disc in a DVD player.
Troubleshooting common problems
- Disc not recognized: ensure drive firmware is up-to-date and disc type is compatible (some players prefer DVD-R over DVD+R).
- Files exceed disc capacity: remove files, create two discs, or choose higher compression/shorter quality.
- Poor video quality after burning: use a higher output quality setting, lower compression, or burn to a dual-layer (DVD-9) disc for more space.
- Menus/buttons not working: re-check links in menu editor and re-burn after testing in preview mode.
Advanced tips
- For archival quality, burn DVDs at lower speeds (4x–8x) and use high-quality brand discs.
- Create an ISO or DVD folder as a backup before burning multiple discs.
- If targeting modern players that support MP4 playback, consider copying files to a USB drive as an alternative for better quality and convenience.
- Keep source video codecs simple (H.264 MP4) to reduce re-encoding artifacts.
Final checklist before burning
- Video order and titles set.
- Chapters created and tested.
- Menu customized and previewed.
- Correct DVD standard (NTSC/PAL) and aspect ratio selected.
- Blank DVD inserted and burn speed chosen.
Using Aimersoft DVD Creator, burning a polished DVD is a matter of following these steps: import, edit, design menus, set options, preview, and burn. With the preview and menu tools, you can produce discs that play reliably in a wide range of DVD players.
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