Hard drive or flash memory, what is better? -----------AVCHD

Have you ever want to buy a high definition camcorder. But you don't want to use a tape. You are looking for a camera with memory. But what is the difference in a hard drive, and a flash memory?

Flash Is KingAbout Hard-Drive-Based Camcorders

On-board hard drives offer a lot more storage capacity than flash, but for most users the trade-offs aren't worth the extra space. You can't swap disk drives in and out, so a hard-drive-based camcorder is less convenient for shuttling video files from the camera to your PC or Mac than a camcorder with removable storage.

About Flash-Drive-Based Camcorders

For the smallest, lightest, and lowest-cost models--pocket camcorders in particular--an internal, fixed flash drive may be the camcorder's only storage option. In the case of pocket camcorders, storage space may top out at 4GB or 8GB, which is just enough space for an hour or two of footage. A flash drive is generally more durable than a hard drive due to its solid-state nature, but a fixed flash drive has the same limitations as a hard-drive-based camcorder: You can't remove the drive, so it's not the most convenient option for transferring your files to a PC or Mac.

Higher-end camcorders offer a combination of embedded and removable flash memory, which greatly expands your video-recording time without adding much heft to the device. Even on less capacious models, embedded memory is very useful in a pinch, in case you lose your storage card or fill it up.