They live in Europe. NTSC/PAL will be an issue for sure and i will have to find a compromise. :(

I am more concerned about the "ease of use" part when it comes to transfering from HD video camera to a PC and then burn a DVD.

What would be my best choice?
What brand of HD cameras are considered most friendly and reliable? (does not need to be the latest model)
Type of prefered inputs/outputs? USB or firewire?
HD Video Camera must be Hard Drive equipped, i'm guessing? Or there is a better, easier option?

As far as their PC ... what are the minimum hardware requirements? What's a good software to use for video transfer? The PC they have is a 2yr old "home built" machine.

Thank you for any advice and tips.