I am new to the forums but heard this is the place to get answers. I have just purchsed a Panasonic TH-50PZ750U Plasma and Toshiba A2 HD DVD Player ($99 at walmart WOOT !) after reading and studying reviews here at AVS Forums. I am completely satisfied with my purchases. I am about to get married and need to be able to capture all of our upcoming events with a camcorder.

I know I want a HD Camcorder but am clueless at this point about what is what and what I should be looking for. I am a MAC user and would love it to play nicely with my MACBook. I am what you would call an average user, nothing professional just home movies and want the best quality for my money.

What should I be looking for? Suggestions, Tips, Things to keep in mind?

I am also interested in HD camcorders lately. You should check out camcorderinfo.com to help you decide which cam is good for you. I personally would like to purchase to Canon HV20. One of, if not the best consumer HD camcorders around right now. Just waiting for another CC deal to get on board. I think right now it's wise to stay away from AVCHD as the format hasn't matured yet and stay with HDV.

Even though Apple added support for AVCHD in the latest versions of their editing apps, I'd stick with HDV for the time being. The AVCHD editing feels a little clunky (does on Windows as well). The Canon HV20 works well with Mac apps and you can record direct to hard disk via FireWire if you want or capture from tape.