I want to place videos in AVI form onto a DVD and able to be read in normal DVD players
Impossible? At least if you don't go into more detail. AVI isn't a format, it's a container. AVI can contain XviD, h.264, mpeg2, mpeg1, DivX, Indeo and a whole ton of other video codecs, as well was AAC or MP3 or MP2 etc and so on for audio. AVI isn't a format. Only some DVD players MIGHT be able to play them IF you have the right formats inside the avi, just like only some will let you browse around a disc full of MP3s and play them.
but the only program I can find is Nero, which I don't want.
Why? My nero can do it perfectly. Some DVD players support (supposedly) XviD, though there is no official support or anything from the xvid developers; the dvd player makers can do so simply because of the license xvid is released under.
Just make a normal DVD to be able to play it on a normal DVD player =x. Nero can do it perfectly. Just use an older, non-bloated version; I use nero 6 =)