The hard drive camcorders record in MPEG-2 format which is meant to be the final format you convert to for DVD, not the format you begin your recordings with.
MiniDV requires real time transfer of the footage but it offers the advantage of having a physical copy of your footage that will last for a long time. MiniDV offers a relatively low level of compression and the footage is extremely easy to edit and manipulate with little or no quality loss. Right now the advantages of sticking with MiniDV still outweigh the disadvantages in my mind and many others.
That Sony camera listed above is a nice camera but is not available new anymore. The PV-GS320 is still in production and can be found new anywhere. Go to camcorderinfo.com and search for PV-GS320. The review page will have links to the best prices from legitimate dealers. Don't trust any resutls you find with Google.