I'm pretty sure that all DVD burners produce the same video quality; the only things that separate them are special features and speed. An example of a "special feature" is demonstrated in Lite-On's LDW-411S: to increase compatility with older DVD players/readers, it burns the +R format as a DVD-ROM.

IIRC, current Record-once speeds for DVD players at 2X, 4X, and 8X, with 12X burners literally out in days from now. Rewrite speeds are 1X, 2.4X, and 4X. 1X in DVD = 9X in CD. So, an 8X DVD burner is (8 x 9) writes at the same speed as a 72X CD burner would.

Your DVD burner should come with some basic software. However, I'd recommend that you upgrade. For $80-100, you can get Ulead's DVD Movie Studio 3.0. It's loaded with great features and has tons of templates for DVD menus. I use DVD Movie Studio 2.5, and I think it's wonderful.

Plenty of burners are available for less than $100. For any optical drive, I recommend Lite-On. Lite-On's aforementioned LDW-411S, a 4X burner, now sells for $70-80. The newer 8X model, LDW-811S, sells for $90-100.

If you've got SATA, though, new DVD burners are just around the corner that have SATA interface and amazing burn speeds.

Now, as for the camcorder...

If you're willing to lay down a lot of cash for an excellent camera that'll last you years, you should get Canon's XM2/GL2 (XM2 is the PAL version; GL2 is the NTSC version). It's lightweight, has 3 CCDs, uses the MiniDV format, and gives superb image quality. This will cost $1800-$2000.

If you're more conservative with your money, a good Sony Handycam will do. Though I've never used it myself, I've heard that the DCR-TRV70 is a superb model. It retails for $1300.

Finally, if you're just looking to shoot home movies and the like, you can get a Canon ZR80/85/90. They are all sub-$1000 camcorders and deliver decent image quality.