Sony TR33 and Hitachi MV430

[andypandy]

Here's a question. I currently own a TR33 and have transferred footage from the cam onto a PC and then onto DVD (using DVD Movie factory).
There is much hype about being digital and NO LOSS transfers. The loss or drop in quality happens when converting in to MPEG2. Now I've tried TMPGENC (various settings) and all that guesswork didn't really make that much more improvement over Ulead's product (viewing on a CRT 36" TV).
finally the question - would I be better off getting the Hitachi that writes directly to DVD even though the CCD is smaller.
I remember with the HI8 and those other tapes you could put directly into an adpator VHS tape. The quality was far better with the adaptor tapes because by the time you tranferred the HI8 image onto VHS there was such a loss.

To view old tapes, whether HI8 or digital , you don't want to keep digging out the cam and all the cables to view them on TV hence always the need to transfer them. Granted the image is far grater on HI8 and miniDV when playing directly from the cam.

I wonder if I could rent one out ?

[andypandy]

Forgot to add,to capture a DV 60 minute film would take about 12GB and look perfect on a PC/TV screen. Bear in mind a DVD-r will hold about 4.2GB - that's about 66% picture degreadation ?