I wanted to note a Caution -- during setup you're given the option of installing the K-Lite codec pack -- don't without backing up or at the least creating a restore point in win7, & if you can get away without the codec pack so much the better. It may work fine or it may break video handling in Windows, so if you install the codec pack make sure to test media players, video apps etc. thoroughly so you can put things back if needed while the backup or restore point is still fresh. Note that like several other files that are included, a newer version is available [ http://www.videohelp.com/tools/K-Lite-Codec-Pack ].
In XP Leawo Blu-Ray Creator adds a driver to read Blu-Ray format discs [thdudf.sys] which can sometimes cause problems -- Google for removal instructions, e.g. "remove thdudf.sys" [without quotes].
The Xvid codec is added along with a FLV splitter -- this is probably OK but wanted to note the possibility of breaking other installed video apps &/or an existing Xvid codec install -- if that happens you can usually fix things by re-installing either Xvid itself or the video app that's not working properly.
Installation added a Beta version of Microsoft C/C++ runtimes, leaving the following leftover files in C:\
C:\eula.1028.txt, C:\eula.1031.txt, C:\eula.1033.txt, C:\eula.1036.txt, C:\eula.1040.txt, C:\eula.1041.txt, C:\eula.1042.txt, C:\eula.2052.txt, C:\eula.3082.txt, C:\globdata.ini, C:\install.exe, C:\install.ini, C:\install.res.1028.dll, C:\install.res.1031.dll, C:\install.res.1033.dll, C:\install.res.1036.dll, C:\install.res.1040.dll, C:\install.res.1041.dll, C:\install.res.1042.dll, C:\install.res.2052.dll, C:\install.res.3082.dll, C:\vcredist.bmp, C:\VC_RED.cab, C:\VC_RED.MSI
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On DVD &/or Blu-Ray creation software...
AFAIK the only free DVD authoring app or code is DVD Author, a *nix app that every freeware app I've seen, & quite a few paid ones like Leawo Blu-Ray Creator rely on. The critical, free app for Blu-Ray is tsMuxeR, also included in both free ware & paid apps like Leawo Blu-Ray Creator. Ffmpeg is used for most encoding decoding, Starburn for disc burning, & as is common nowadays, QT [Not Quick Time] is used for part of the app's code, making it faster. Menus on retail Blu-Ray discs are coded in Java -- you can code the menus in Java yourself but you won't find a Blu-Ray authoring app that can use Java for less than thousands of dollars... without Java Blu-Ray menus work much like those on video DVDs.
Leawo Blu-Ray Creator itself strikes me as workable if you like the app but there's better, & it's clearly not designed for DVD or Blu-Ray spec content you already have -- that means if you have a better encoder you can't use it, which is the deal breaker for me. There are several alternatives -- the one's I'm most familiar with are Nero, Roxio, Sony, & multiAVCHD.
Nero is easy to use, can be a bit doggy importing video [especially HD], & usually gets the total duration of the video slightly wrong if/when importing AVC/H.264. It's got a decent enough video editor, has loads of audio capabilities, encodes video with high quality, & the premium version includes a nice enough Blu-Ray player. Their trial is too limited to be much good determining if Nero is for you or not. In the US it can sometimes be found on sale for $0 after MIR -- however if you pick up & register one of the OEM or Lite versions they frequently have very good special upgrade pricing, e.g. this weekend it's a $20 upgrade for the regular version. The Nero suite is very large, taking up loads of disk space with lots & lots of registry entries.
Roxio is easiest to use, but may have a bit uncertain future as they were just bought by Corel, who already has a line of video apps from Ulead. It's faster than Nero, has a slight bit lower quality encoding, can't match Nero's audio handling, & your output formats & settings are a lot more limited. Roxio doesn't normally have trials, promoting a money back guarantee instead. Upgrade sales are rare, & very occasionally you'll see it for a good price after MIR in the US. Roxio installation is terrible -- back up 1st, not just in case you don't like it, but because you may have to restore that backup & go through the install again if/when activation fails.
Sony sells their video editor & DVD/Blu-Ray authoring app bundled together, but you won't get a suite of apps like you do with Nero & Roxio. They've got several feature limited versions of their top end apps, Vegas Pro & DVD Author, which are available as time-limited but full function trials. In the US sale pricing on the home versions is often $0 after MIR, & Sony traditionally has good upgrade pricing for the 1st month after a new version comes out. Sony's video editor, Vegas is top notch, though it no longer competes head to head with Adobe Premiere Pro -- do try before you buy as it can be a bit buggy for some people on some systems. Compared to Nero & Roxio Vegas will also import fewer video formats, so you may find yourself needing to use another app or tool just to get the video into a compatible format or container. DVD Author is a bit odd compared to other, intermediate to pro level tools, & it really hasn't been updated for several years. It will however let you do pretty much anything you want in the way of DVD creation, & like Nero & Roxio will do Blu-Ray, though again with regular menus -- not with Java. You're not going to create [semi] pro work using menu templates & such -- if you're willing, don't mind putting in the extra work creating your own menus, Sony software will let you achieve that higher level, providing the most bang for your buck IMHO.
multiAVCHD is a free front end for several freeware & open source apps that lets you create Blu-Ray, the very similar AVCHD, & DVD discs. Using it is a bit more technical, e.g. it is not as easy as Nero, Roxio, or Sony when it comes to creating menus, but it will let you create Blu-Ray pop-ups, which none of those 3 will do. It's very highly thought of, even in pro circles, but it's also no longer actively developed. It will also let you perform some limited editing on some existing Blu-Ray layouts.
