DVD Burning software advice please!

So as we all know everyone on a google search has an opinion...A lot of the times it's an opinion that they have no education or background or familiarity on what is being asked, but they just need to give thier 2 cents to hear themselves speak. Well 2 cents didn't get me to the bottom of the first google page before I was done. So since we all at least have some interests in PC's however it may be and I trust that everyone on here isn't just blowing thier days by and just commenting on things they know nothing about (plus I don't think I have ever had a bad bit of info come my way from this site, I love it here!) I'm going to ask this question in a place that I at least have faith in my peers!

I have been using ConvertXtoDVD for the last century it seems. Is it the best, probably not even close. For what I was doing and teaching myself how to achive the end result of putting movies onto a playable DVD for a home DVD player so my 4 year old son could watch them, the program worked flawlessly...for me mind you. Time has went by, I have advanced some here and there getting movies, games, making back ups of my hard copies etc... and since I first started using this program there have been new file formats added to this world of media. I had a problem burning MP4 videos to dvd. It said it burned it but wouldn't play on home dvd player blah blah blah. So after wasting 5 discs and THEN deciding it wasn't going to fix it's self I decided after all these years to hit the update button. Pandora's box. I got the newest version, need my old serial Key to unlock the new updated version, in order to do that I have to give my registered email...Like I said it's been a century since I first installed it, Knowing the email I was using 10 years ago is beyond me! So now I'm stuck with new version on a "trial" limited features basis. Hence...it will leave watermarks in everything I burn. or use old one which isn't working that's why I'm in this mess. Did a google for (and please mind what this consists of being it's me and I'm just a basic DVD burning home ec taught dad) I want a similar program (preferably free, without limitations. if not no sence in going that route, I'll buy but then inexpensive) that is a basic user friendly GUI, once your preferences are set initially your good, put a couple cheap o titles on the menu screen, maybe a cheap o background image, WILL DE-ENCODE AND RE-ENCODE AND BURN TO DISC WITH THE CLICK OF ONE BUTTON, FROM THIS ONE PROGRAM! I don't want to mess with this program to de-encode or convert to a certain file from original file before I can burn etc....that was the main reason I like ConvertXtoDVD so much, no matter the file extention be it MPEG, .avi, WMA etc....I could click and drag it into the GUI hit convert and for a short wait it would spit me out a playable dvd for a home dvd player. If anyone has some Software they are high on and would like to educate me I would appriciate it! Or if they know how to fix my current problem with current burner. I already went as far as a keygen for a new product key (got past my morals since I originally did do it the "right" way years ago) but....Can get a key for every version of ConvertXtoDVD except the version I was updated to by default which is 5.0 something something.

THANK YOU!!!!

STOP!

No piracy or discussion of piracy allowed at all. Such as software, music, videos and other intellectual property violations (e.g. downloading youtube videos locally etc).

Instead of asking for them, why don't you give Handbrake a try and see what you think.

Windows 7 Home Premium (and higher) comes with Windows DVD Maker which is simpler to use, but if you need any help with it, here's a tutorial on it.

Of course, if you want to go open source and have more control of what goes on your DVDs, then there's these:
http://www.dvdflick.net/index.php
http://dvdstyler.org/en/

Some new DVD Super-Multi drives and Blu-ray ReWriter drives usually ship with some software, usually Nero is preferred.

And we were debating whether we'd want to keep using ImgBurn as a preferred choice for burning *.ISO files, but as of this point, all signs point to NO. You might have to use the Windows built-in burner.
See the discussion thread covering this.

That's all I have on this matter. Just don't want to see someone booted off of here in a hurry.

For the record, and understanding what your saying as well. I DIDN'T PIRATE ANYTHING! To my credit I paid for this software years ago! I have a working, paid key for my original program, I only tried a keygen to see if it would give me one, in order to get further into the program features and tech support to find out how I go about using my old key for the new update is what I gathered from the so so instructions. If I remembered what email I was using 10 years ago I guess I would have no issue as that is what they ask of clients. And once again to be clear IF I remembered that email and password I could log onto it where I know I have a folder set up for online reciepts and activations from anything I have from online activity. haha. I know what ya mean though and appreiciate your concern to not get me kicked off! Thanks. Also thanks for the info on what I was actually trying to get at! I tried that DVDflick thing as I read up on it from another forum blurb i came accross but upon downloading it or maybe the means to go about getting it (links provided) my anti virus went crazy as did malwarebytes. Scared to let the file finish so that was that. Maybe I'll look more into a actual source webpage for that company or its products! Does the windows 7 program you mentioned that was included with home premium actually convert, de-encode, etc...and actually burn a playable dvd. If so...my search is over cause it's probably good enough for me as I said I'm a novice and am happy with simple bare working software.

JigsawPMB said:

For the record, and understanding what your saying as well. I DIDN'T PIRATE ANYTHING! To my credit I paid for this software years ago! I have a working, paid key for my original program, I only tried a keygen to see if it would give me one, in order to get further into the program features and tech support to find out how I go about using my old key for the new update is what I gathered from the so so instructions. If I remembered what email I was using 10 years ago I guess I would have no issue as that is what they ask of clients. And once again to be clear IF I remembered that email and password I could log onto it where I know I have a folder set up for online reciepts and activations from anything I have from online activity. haha. I know what ya mean though and appreiciate your concern to not get me kicked off! Thanks. Also thanks for the info on what I was actually trying to get at! I tried that DVDflick thing as I read up on it from another forum blurb i came accross but upon downloading it or maybe the means to go about getting it (links provided) my anti virus went crazy as did malwarebytes. Scared to let the file finish so that was that. Maybe I'll look more into a actual source webpage for that company or its products! Does the windows 7 program you mentioned that was included with home premium actually convert, de-encode, etc...and actually burn a playable dvd. If so...my search is over cause it's probably good enough for me as I said I'm a novice and am happy with simple bare working software.

Have you tried simply emailing the customer service department for your software? I had a similar experience a few months ago with the racing game rFactor--I was reinstalling it onto a different computer, but could not remember the email address I used when I bought it to complete the registration. I emailed their customer service and explained the situation, and got my registration information within a day. Just a suggestion. :)

What type TV do you have? If it is HDTV you may be better off to get a set top box. That spares you converting to standard DVD. If the content is already HD it doesn't get downsized. If it is standard NTSC or PAL many will upconvert to HD over an HDMI cable. Also some HDTVs will upconvert.

I had a Western Digital HDTV for USB player. It had its quirks but it would even play HD avi files, mp4, mkv etc.. Also there is a program MakeMKV that will extract standard DVD to mkv files. No worries about scratched discs.

Check out all the set top box players. The various makes have different stregths and weeknesses.

my anti virus went crazy as did malwarebytes

Right, I already checked DVDFlick for you with Avast! Antivirus, Microsoft Security Essentials, and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2, and they all report all clean. Perhaps something else got into your PC. Unfortunately we can't tell which anti-virus you're using. The least you can do is follow these instructions to get one.

@JigsawPMB
I still use Imgburn (v2.5.8.0) as my favourite burning software. Once installed it scans clean even though the installer registers a pup. It is also still linked in the forum
FREE Great Programs for Windows 7 [2]
Like any software install at your own risk.