Video Camcorder Advice

[Toro]

My wife wants to get a Dvd video camcorder, for less than $500 hopefully, for our daughter for xmas as she just blessed us with our first grandchild. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

[astroglide]

what do you mean by "dvd" video camcorder?

[Toro]

Really showing my ignorance and the reason I really need help. I guess one that after you record you can play it on your DVD player.

[Popinjay]

I think he means the kind that can write to a dvd. They look kind of fruity with their big circular thing in the middle for the disc

[Popinjay]

dont know much about camcorders but I hear you should avoid canon if you are going to shoot a lot in low-light (indoors). shop around at newegg.com

[astroglide]

i would be surprised if you could get one that will directly record to dvd under that price, and i would think editing would be a want/issue. is she capable of editing movies and then recording them to dvd from a pc herself? you could get an entire setup for under $500 with a decent minidv cam (my sister just got a jvc for around 300) but it would require recording to tape, transferring to the pc, editing, and then burning using an installed dvd burner.

[Toro]

So the standard VCR camcorders aren't yet passe?

[astroglide]

minidv is miniature digital video. a cassette, but not an analog vcr one. hit www.cnet.com (http://www.cnet.com), they probably have some decent laydowns on the fundamentals that will help you understand the situation better.

[Toro]

Tks