NEW TO HD. . .Canon HV10 for ME? (Semi-Urgent)

[Carlton Rahmani]

I'm considering buying a used Canon HV10, which, at $450 seems to be a good price (if it is in good working shape). I'm a complete noob--my present digicam was a walmart purchase for $50--so please be patient if I seem too stupid:

--First, the camera uses digital tape. Can I reuse/record over used tape without losing quality, or does this work, essentially, like analog magnetic tapes, which degrade with every use?

--Second, I'm currently using MAGIX MOVIE EDIT PRO (not the 'plus' edition, note) and wonder if it can, firstly, import from the camera; and, secondly, can it handle stuff in the HD mode? I thought that even it has trouble, I can just tune it down to SD and hopefully it'll be alright.

--Last, my only computer is a laptop, which seems to be alright for the relatively amateurish stuff I'm doing now. Is it a practical idea for me to assume that there's much I can do between it and the kind of data the HV10 generates?

 

I guess that last question is probably the most pertinent one, overall.

 

Sorry if these seem like dumb questions. After reading some of the posts, I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I'm using stuff like MAGIX, etc. Regardless, trying to take a few steps up without spending much more time or money on lower grade materials.

 

Thanks.