Top 10 Tips for Mastering RZ DVD Author Projects

RZ DVD Author Review — Features, Pros & ConsRZ DVD Author is a lightweight DVD-authoring tool aimed at users who need a straightforward way to turn video files into playable DVDs with menus, chapters, and basic customization. In this review I’ll cover the main features, workflow, strengths, weaknesses, and the kinds of users who will get the most value from the software.

What RZ DVD Author does well

• Simple, focused authoring: RZ DVD Author provides an uncomplicated interface for importing video files, arranging them into titles, adding chapters, and building a menu. It’s designed for users who want to create standard, playable DVDs without wrestling with a lot of advanced settings.
• Supports common input formats: The program accepts popular formats such as MP4, AVI, MKV, and WMV, converting them into DVD-compliant MPEG-2 streams during the authoring process.
• Menu templates and customization: It includes prebuilt menu templates and simple options to add background images, text, and select button styles. This makes it quick to create a usable DVD menu.
• Batch processing and project saving: Projects can be saved and reopened later; batch processing allows multiple titles to be prepared for a multi-disc workflow.
• Light system requirements: RZ DVD Author runs on modest hardware and is suitable for older machines that might struggle with heavier video-editing suites.

Key features (detailed)

• Input format handling: Accepts MP4, AVI, MKV, WMV, MOV and others; automatically handles the necessary conversion to appropriate DVD video format.
• Menu creation: Several editable templates, customizable backgrounds, button placement, and text overlays.
• Chapters and titles: Manual chapter creation and automatic chapter splitting by time; titles table editing.
• Audio track support: Allows multiple audio tracks per title (e.g., different languages or director commentary).
• Subtitles: Basic subtitle importing and placement (usually SRT support).
• Preview and burn: On-screen preview of menus and titles; integrated burning to DVD-R/RW media or output to ISO/folder.
• Project save/load: Save authoring projects for future edits or additional discs.
• Logging and basic error reporting: Simple logs for troubleshooting conversion or burning errors.

Pros

• Easy to learn — minimal learning curve for beginners.
• Fast on modest hardware — good performance on older or low-end systems.
• Covers the essentials — menus, chapters, multiple audio tracks, subtitle support.
• Project-based workflow — convenient to revisit or batch process multiple discs.
• Affordable — typically cheaper than full-featured DVD studio software.

Cons

• Limited advanced features — lacks advanced menu scripting, complex transitions, or motion menus found in professional tools.
• Basic subtitle handling — limited styling and positioning options compared with dedicated authoring suites.
• Conversion quality depends on encoder — video quality can vary; relies on included encoder settings which offer fewer manual tweaks.
• Occasional compatibility quirks — some uncommon source codecs or variable-framerate files may need pre-conversion.
• No Blu-ray support — DVD-only, which limits use as discs and high-resolution needs shift to Blu-ray or digital distribution.

Workflow overview (typical steps)

1. Create a new project and set disc type (DVD-5/DVD-9) and aspect ratio (4:⁄₁₆:9).
2. Import video files into titles; arrange order and set chapter points manually or automatically.
3. Add audio tracks and subtitles to each title if needed.
4. Choose or customize a menu template: background, button labels, and thumbnail assignment.
5. Preview the project; test navigation and playback.
6. Burn to disc or export an ISO/folder for later burning.

Who should use RZ DVD Author

• Casual users who want to make DVDs from home videos, event footage, or compiled media without a steep learning curve.
• Users with older hardware needing a lightweight tool.
• Anyone needing a low-cost option to produce standard DVD discs for distribution or archiving.

Alternatives to consider

• For more advanced authoring: TMPGEnc Authoring Works, Adobe Encore (deprecated but still used), and DVD Architect.
• For Blu-ray or higher-quality output: Sony BD/DVD Architect (when available) or specialized Blu-ray authoring tools.
• For simple disc burning without menus: ImgBurn or CDBurnerXP paired with a separate video converter.

Verdict

RZ DVD Author fills a useful niche: a compact, approachable DVD authoring tool that covers the essentials without overwhelming features. It’s a practical choice for beginners, users on older systems, and anyone whose needs are limited to standard DVD creation. If you require professional-level menu scripting, high-control encoders, or Blu-ray output, look to more powerful (and more expensive) alternatives.

If you want, I can include screenshots of the interface, step-by-step instructions for a sample project, or a short comparison table against one or two alternative programs.