I realize that the forum has a dedicated section for editing on the Mac but I just wanted to get some advice from users of this specific camera.
I'm hoping that some of you will be willing to help out a newbie. This is of course assuming that your using a Mac with the iLife Suite or Final Cut Studio Suite...

(1) Are you using Firewire or HDMI?
(2) What codec are you using when you import?
(3) When you export to Standard Def DVD - What codec/export options are you using?

I ask all this because I don't like the quality of the final product.
In the editing software (iMovie/Final Cut) everything looks gorgeous.
Something just seems "very VHS" about my final DVD.

Can someone please help me with "workflow"?
I'm doing some online training with Lynda.com but I wanted some feed back on what your workflow is with this specific camera.

Lets put it this way, all of your posted videos look better that my final DVD. Something just doesn't seem right.

Is it supposed to be this hard?


EDIT:
As a side note, should I be using the "Down Covert" Option in camera so that I'm working with Stand Def DV Video?

I use:

FireWire / HDV codec in Final Cut
sometimes I set the sequence to ProRes but usually I leave it in HDV.

Export using Compressor DVD settings

The DVDs always look good.

Not sure how you are getting "VHS" results, sounds like you are going into some codec that you shouldn't be. A friend of mine was exporting DVDs using Handbrake, importing the files into iMovie and then making DVDs. That looked like VHS since Handbrake was making h.264 files for the internet not full resolution DV files. He has since altered his editing workflow.