Hi -
Let me preface with a newbie disclaimer.
There.
I am thinking about purchasing a 'prosumer' grade camcorder. After reading numerous forum posts online (of the 'what should I buy' variety), I now have an eye for the Canon XH-A1 or one of the Sony HVR series (after ruling out the Canon GL2 and XL2 because of the 'you shouldn't buy something without HD and an LCD screen' arguments). Note: I am aware that my current requirements do not necessitate one of these two camcorders.

My requirements:
-Shoot in 24p
-transfer easily to PC
-XLR mic input (really a preference more than a requirement)
-LCD screen display

What other people's suggestions have made me 'NEED':
-HD
-MiniDV (as opposed to HDD)
*Note: I don't really need these things

Now:
I've also read that it is generally a bad idea to use the camera for playback (which would be required in order to transfer to PC unless one is in possession of a somewhat costly VTR).

Questions:

1.) Recommendation for camcorder
2.) Is it bad to use camcorder for playback (transfer to PC)?
3.) If I purchase an HD camcorder, can I use a standard camcorder (run of the mill mini DV) to playback the tapes and maintain the quality in the transfer to PC? Will I otherwise sacrifice quality if I use an inferior mini DV camcorder to playback tapes to PC?

Thank you all.