I may be wrong but a lot of people might not be that tech saavy or have
a fast enough computer to run video editing software well. I tend to
take my 400GB RAID and 2GB of ram for granted.

The Sony isn't the end all unit for video production but it will
connect directly to what ever video device you want and record directly
to DVD. Additionally It'll connect via USB2 to your computer for
backup use.

Most importantly, My parents could probably use it without calling me
for directions all the time. Well worth the extra few bucks!