Look at the BIG RED for example.
Quailty is a STRANGE item since it's digital. One copy shall be like the next!
Making DVDs involves a computer most of the time so the HDD would speed that up.
Bob
Out of mini dv,hard disk and memory card/stick (the media available today) which is the best medium for recording videos, HD as well as normal, from quality point of view and and then ease of trasfer to PC for making dvds

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