I think I have mastered the "What camera should I buy" issue.

Question

I have been doing research for months now on which camera is best.
I have looked at every model, every brand, read their specs and checked their features.
Things could change, but for now:
ONLY CAMERAS WITH A FIRE WIRE PORT AND A MINIDV TAPE WILL WORK WITH iMOVIE directly with EASE OF USE, BEST QUALITY and LEAST AMOUNT OF COMPRESSION ISSUES.
Two choices:
1. High Definition cameras:
Conclusion: They all suck. It is a question of which one ***** the least. In my opinion it is the Canon HV20 ($1099.99). It has the best features (I love the 24p mode) for the money. I think Apple agrees with me, they sell it in the Apple Store. If only it had a decent 3CCD lens that worked well in low light, it would be perfect. If you are only going to shoot in good light, no problem.
Why I think they suck? NONE of the HD consumer level cameras have inputs for analogue and high definition video for recording from older equipment like VCRs and new equipment like cable boxes that output HD TV. This means you cannot record your favorite HD TV program OR MOVIE and make a HD DVD (Blue-ray or HD-DVD) with no loss of quality.
NOTE: The upper end cameras like the Sony HDR-FX1 ($3699,99) and the Canon XL-H1 (7,999.99) are the only cameras that don't suck, but the prices do.
WARNING ABOUT HD
YOU WILL NEED A POWERFUL COMPUTER LIKE THE NEW MAC PROS WITH 2 GIG OF RAM AND HUGE HUGE AMOUT OF HARD DRIVE STORAGE and Final Cut Pro TO BE HAPPY WORKING WITH HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO.
2. SD Cameras.
I like the Sony DCR-HC96. ($649.99) It has Analog-to-Digital Converter (with Pass Through) and Analog Audio/Video Input(s) (Multi A/V)
This camera is perfect for any Mac user with older machines like the dual G4's and older G5's.

Answer 1

I guess we can agree to disagree.
From your post:
<ONLY CAMERAS WITH A FIRE WIRE PORT AND A MINIDV TAPE WILL WORK WITH iMOVIE directly with EASE OF USE, BEST QUALITY and LEAST AMOUNT OF COMPRESSION ISSUES.
<div class="jive-quote">That is not really correct. HDV camcorders do employ MiniDV tapes and connect via firewire, but do have compression issues due to the MPEG-2 recording format.
I said "The LEAST amount of compression issues" I did not say they do not have compression. SO YOU DID NOT UNDERSTAND.
The you said:
<YOU WILL NEED A POWERFUL COMPUTER LIKE THE NEW MAC PROS WITH 2 GIG OF RAM AND HUGE HUGE AMOUT OF HARD DRIVE STORAGE and Final Cut Pro TO BE HAPPY WORKING WITH HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO.
<div class="jive-quote">Incorrect again. My iBook G4, 1.25 Ghz, 512 RAM handles HDV just fine (apart from the slow capture speed) and if your final output is an SD DVD, there's always the possibility to let the camera do the downconversion and edit in SD.
I said "To be happy working with high definition video". It should have been clear to you that I am saying NO SLOW CAPTURE, and CREATING AN HD MOVIE FROM START TO FINISH. FINISH meaning Blu-ray or HD-DVD (with software from the future) in less than 6 hours. Your little G4 with 512 RAM will NOT be able to handle that when it becomes available. I hate how slow my MDD dual G4 which I upgraded to 1.5 Gig of RAM performs when working with SD video. I would cry if I had to go your speed. (Ergo NOT HAPPY) You said "If your output is SD" I did not say SD, I was referring to HD so,,,YOUR WRONG AGAIN.
My point is that HD cameras are just not fully compatible with the Mac, and most (as normal) support Windowz with USB2 more than OSX.
We cannot make full use of HD on our Macs until we can make HD DVDs.
Do you get it now?