Hey - My ears were burning!
The first basement podcast went online yesterday. It was about whether you should DIY or not. Next week is about is your basement a good candidate, after that its permits and inspectors. After that we will cover material choices (we haven't recorded that yet)
Mike - My preference for DIYers is wood studs. I have used both and personally I find wood easier to work with. (I do woodworking and furniture building as a hobby so I may be biased). I build the stud wall out from the masonry an inch or so. I do that for a couple of reasons. First is the masonry may not be plumb, secondarily my insulation wont be in contact with the masonry and would be less likely to wick moisture.
As for the podcasts - We may be interested in interviewing someone who has DIYed their basement or is considering it or is in the middle of it. Any takers just let me know via the contact info found on the site in my sig.