Those are some good points. I'm going to check out that TBC software link, thanks.

An HDMI capture device alone might be within my budget. But then adding a modern multi-system DVD recorder with HDMI output, won't be. That would be a very interesting solution, though, if I could confirm there's such a recorder with a TBC as good or better than the older Panasonic models. But, as you state, it will open up a new can of worms. Not least of which is that my only desktop computer is an old Mac G4. Works great with the DV card, but I'm guessing not so much with capturing lossless from an HDMI card. Think I'll just have to live with the limitations of an extra analog conversion and DV capturing. Even a DV ouput on a DVD recorder would help me keep a fully digital path, but all models I've seen with DV are input-only.

My research has pretty much landed me on trying to acquire a European model Panasonic DMR-ES10. Price, even when adding overseas shipping looks to be within my budget, but it'll be a matter of finding a UK seller to ship one to the US. For inquires into other models (before I settled on this one), I was 1 out of 4 in sellers agreeing to ship to US.