I will also post this on the computer help page but am looking into buying either a new digital camera with HD video capabilities or something like a kodak Z18 hd videocam, but i cannot seem to figure out how and where these videos are stored after taking them. The description mentions that with a cord you can watch them on your HD TV, but I am assuming you must be able to load them up to your computer and then make a DVD or blu ray disc or something with them? Of not, then i don't get what is the point of having them at all? I tried to google this question and i got some stuff about using a software called pinnacle, but i didn't understand one iota of anything else.

Can you just upload them and store them right on the hard drive? If so does this take up a huge amount of space? I am not interested in storing anything on a portable hard drive because i hear of them failing all the time, and i guarantee i would lose it.. So what are my options? I am wondering if i should just stick with my regular videocamera that has DV tapes. Thanks for any info you can offer

Also, with the camera such as the kodak Z18 which i understand is basically kodak's version of the Flip,,is it mainly aimed at people who want to do video for Youtube etc..and not really for home videos that you want to preserve forever, because my reasons for wanting a new camera are for home videos and i am not sure what i should be looking for. I have a very expensive movie maker digital videocamera that uses mini dv's but the camera is being a pain and even though i bought a new battery neither of my 2 batteries stay charged more that 15 minutes.. i have never figured out how to upload the videos to my computer so i have 9 years of videos all on tapes that we have never even watched... i am trying to simplify my life... but i will post this problem into a new post... thanks