Tools for my TV series

[saturndude]

Hello all,

I'm new to conversion. I would like to use my All-In-Wonder 9200 to convert VHS to digital. I've been reading this site and others, but I still have a couple of questions:

1a. Should I author with one menu button for each episode PLUS one button for opening credits and one for ending credits? I think I've seen this, for example, in the 21 Jump Street region 1 US boxed set (seasons 2 and 3 at least).

1b. Does your opinion change if I convert one-hour dramas instead of 30-minute comedy shows?

2. I would need a second level of menus to do avoid 3 times as many buttons (and a crowded opening screen, right? Can I do this without leaving the $100 price range? I was thinking about the $90 Womble authoring product or Tsunami Disc Author (TDA). I cannot afford the $250 to $500 products (and I saw the free sourceforge project, sorry, I'm not interested). I don't know what feature my authoring software needs to do this -- multiple VTS, or some other feature.

3. Can I have one menu button for each episode, and then push the 'chapter forward' button on the remote to skip the opening credits? (I think the boxed sets of CHEERS does this).

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[FulciLives]

I would go with TMPGEnc DVD Author 2.0

It will do what you want to do plus it is easy-to-use and very "stable" unlike some other programs. It is also within your price range.

Here is a link ---> CLICK HERE

As for chapters ... I've never experienced a DVD authoring program that makes setting chapters as easy as TMPGEnc DVD Author. You can (very easily) manually put chapters where you want them or you can put "X" number of chapters per program or put one chapter every "X" number of minutes etc.

It is definitely a product I whole heartedly recommend. However I should point out one thing ... a new 3.0 version is out in Japan (the company that makes the product is a Japanese company) and since the Japanese 3.0 is out now it is only a matter of time before the English language 3.0 version comes out. It is probably just around the bend. So you might want to wait if you can.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman