EDIT: NEW PROBLEM - See my later posts below...

I'm trying to figure out which programs and processes are needed to create
a professional video dvd. Of course I realise there will be a limit to how
close I will be able to get it to store bought dvd, because I assume they
use specialised equipment, but for a person who works on a PC,
and is making video files, what programs can people recommend to
turn my video files, into finished, burned, dvds.

I've already tried several lower grade, or cheaper software, such as
Smart DVD Creator Pro, which had very few settings, and did a lot
automatically. However I find the dvds that are created, even if they
can play on most dvd players, there were some they couldn't(even if it was a very few).

So I would like to find out exactly what are the standards when it comes to
dvd authoring/burning programs. Which ones are considered the best,
and are most widely used by professionals.

Take a look at the following software

1) Adobe Encore - http://www.adobe.com/products/encore/main.html
Create DVDs that reflect your best work. Packed with a rich set of creative tools, Adobe® Encore® DVD 2.0 software helps you create striking DVD titles for film, business, training, events, and more. With unmatched Adobe Photoshop® software integration and a flexible and intelligent workflow, Encore DVD 2.0 is the right choice for easy production of full-featured, menu-driven DVDs.

2) DVD Architect - part of the Vegas package - http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/pro...ct.asp?pid=967
Nothing beats DVD Architect software for professional DVD authoring. Its clean, drag-and-drop interface and powerful layout and authoring tools make it easy to develop dynamic menu-based DVDs, movies, picture slideshows, and music compilations. DVD Architect software works seamlessly with the Vegas environment. More about DVD Architect software

3) DVDlab - http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/
DVD-lab is the answer to all your advanced DVD authoring needs. Too many DVD authoring packages on the market are restrictive, forcing the user to use pre-set DVD templates which might not suit a variety of situations. Ease of use and a wide array of options is the hallmark of DVD-lab, placing it above and beyond the competition.

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Thank you Marc, I'll look into those software.

I've been trying out Adobe Encore and DVD Lab Pro.
They seem to both eliminate the problem of the dvds I burn not playing
on some players. I'm guessing that perhaps the other program which I was
using didn't close the session when burning the dvds, and perhaps that's why
they didn't load properly on some players.

NEW PROBLEM!

All the dvds I burn have a problem with stuttering when viewed with a
certain dvd player(Logitech) on television. It's not extremely bad,
just sometimes during certain sections in the timeline, for the most part, the rest of the dvd plays smoothly.
They play completely fine on computer, and on most players(even x-box and Ps2) I've tested them on.
it's just one dvd player in particular which is giving me headaches.
Sometimes, at first, the dvds I make play entirely smoothly the first time
I played them, but then stuttered a bit afterwards when replayed.
One of the dvds we got burned at a professional studio actually played,
better than the ones I've been trying to make, nearly playing without
stuttering at all. Though one time I played it, it did stutter, but a lot less
than my burned ones.

I was wondering if I was perhaps outputting my video at too high a data rate.
I'm using PCM for my audio, and CBR for my video(since it's a short video 1.5 minute long),
at a datarate of 7991kbps (under the 9800kbps mentioned in the sticky).
I'm also burning on Imation DVD-R disks.

Is there something else I should check, or know about that could be causing
the random, ocassional stutter when I play them on TV?
Like I said on most players they play fine (even x-box and PS2),
and play perfectly on PCs.

Try a different brand of media and perhaps as you say reduce the bitrate.

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