TMPGEnc DVD Author and Nero Vision chapters/menus question.

[reboot]

Just starting out in the world of dvd authoring, having done a fair bit in (S)VCD.
For my first few tries, I have used Nero Vision Express, with associated quality issues, so now I'm trying TMPGEnc DVD Author.
I've been through 3 guides, and managed to burn two successful dvdr's, however, the chapters menu, and selections don't work, unless I hit the Menu button on my remote. That is, the movie just starts playing, with no title or chapter screen/menu.
I would ultimately like NO title screen, as there's only one movie per dvdr, and go right into the chapters menu, with a 15 sec delay, then start playing the movie from the beginning, or one could hit the corresponding number, and have it start playing from that chapter point.
I have my menu set up, edited the background picture, font, chapters, with corresponding thumbnails, and selected Only Track Menu from the options.
My problem is the selections in the menu generating screen...
1.) Firstplay action.
Should this be Display Main Menu, even though there isn't one?
Should this be Play All Tracks, even though there's only one?
Should this be Play Only First Track, even though there is only the one.
Wouldn't ALL of these bypass my chapters menu?
2.) Action to take after each track has been played.
There's only one track. Is this relevant?
I managed also to burn one that displayed the chapters menu, but would do nothing after that

Nero Vision Express has made life easy, at least for chapters/menus generation, however...
I have several avi's encoded to dvd in tmpgenc or Mainconcept. They are all slightly less than 4mb.
Every time I load one into NVE, it promptly informs me that it's WAY too big, and do I want to lower quality to have it fit. Clicking OK, simply informs me that it can't do it, and I can do it manually.
OK, I figure I'll do it manually, go into the options, select Custom, lower the bitrate to fit. The ONLY thing it's happy with, is setting it to less than 2500 and sometimes even much lower at 1691 (S/VCD quality, YUK!) at HAlfD1.
WTF? Is half D1 as good as full D1, or 720x480(CCIR-601) whatever that is ?
Why can't I get a 3.7gig mpeg authored with chapters and menus in less than 6 gig, nevermind getting it in less than 4.whatever to fit on one dvdr???
At least in NVE my menus and chapters work, but I have the feeling I'm missing out on some serious quality.
Please set me up with some hints, or some authoring software I can actually use. I've tried Ulead's demo stuff, yuk. I've tried dvdlab, too confusing for me yet, even tried dvdauthor very briefly, but didn't have a demuxed source.

[MysticE]

I have several avi's encoded to dvd in tmpgenc or Mainconcept. They are all slightly less than 4mb.
Every time I load one into NVE, it promptly informs me that it's WAY too big,

What are you showing as audio? If it's LPCM change it to Dolby 2 and it may fit.

[reboot]

I have encoded with both LPCM and MP2, even lowering the bitrate to 128kbps audio.
Example:
Avi is 01:56:07 DivX3 Low Motion codec, 352x240.
Audio is mpeg2, layer 3.
Avi plays perfectly, high quality at around 445 meg in size. (Gspot reports it at 462 kb/s.
Encode in either Mainconcept or TMPGEnc, and finished mpeg is 3.55 GB (3,817,979,904 bytes), so I figure I have LOTS of room for menus/chapters.
Any clues from that?

[MysticE]

When you have added the file to NVE go to More-> Video Options-> DVD Video. Under Audio Format what does it Show? LPCM or Dolby 2? The full retail version will usually default to Dolby 2 (192) and can be changed to LPCM. The LPCM option is very large and will add quite a bit to your file's size. The Nero OEM versions (which usually read as SE) do not offer the much smaller sized Dolby option.

[reboot]

It's LPCM
Things are starting to become more clear
Now, is there a way to update/upgrade to get the other option(s)?

[reboot]

Bump ^
Still no reply to my tmpgenc question, and IS there any way to get AC3 or MP* into NVE?

[MysticE]

With the latest updates to Nero 6 Ultra they seem to have have found a way to stem the use of 'unoficial' serials. Many have complained of now needing the DVD-Video and Multi-Channel Audio Plugins. They are part of the Suite but are not available, due to Nero not liking the serial used.

On the plus side though I've found the LPCM audio to be much richer sounding than Nero's Dolby 2, low bitrate, audio. Unfortunately you will have to re-encode the video to a lower bitrate to make up for the large LPCM file.

[reboot]

I wasn't asking about "unofficial" serials
I don't care if it cost money, I just wanted to be able to use AC3 or MP* in my authoring, but it's turned into a moot point, as I have spent the last 2 days reading tutorials/guides and mucking about in DVDLab, to the point where I have actually grown to like the absolutley confusing, cluttered interface enough to produce a great dvd
Now on to motion menus and transition links...