Whether you're interested in recording seasonal holidays, birthdays or vacations, it's a perfect time to invest in a camcorder to capture those once-in-a-lifetime get-togethers with family and friends.

Sure, a digital camera can do the trick to immortalize precious moments, but why settle for a still and lifeless image when you can shoot video and record audio for future generations to enjoy, be it of young children ripping open presents, a birthday toast at the dinner table given by grandma and grandpa or a baby's first steps on a beach?

Today's camcorders - which have gone digital, just like your camera -- are ultra-compact and can record in stunning video clarity. And, thanks to the power of modern computers, it's a cinch to edit your movie, burn a DVD or post the footage to a website such as YouTube or Facebook.

If you're in the market for a new camcorder, the following are a few features to "shoot" for.

Recordable Media

A couple of years ago you'd likely buy a MiniDV tape- or DVD-based camcorder, but today you might opt for one of two newer (and more convenient) storage formats: Flash memory and hard drive.

Flash memory-based players utilize those postage stamp-sized memory cards typically used in your digital camera. These camcorders are smaller and lighter than their hard drive counterparts, and you can easily transfer video to your PC (for editing, sharing or archiving) by popping the card into your PC or v memory card reader.

While they cost a little more, hard drive-based camcorders can store a lot more video than Flash memory camcorders (many dozens of hours, in fact) and without the need to replace tapes, DVDs or memory cards. A USB cable is required (and included) to transfer video from the camcorder to a computer.

Both types of camcorders also let you take still photographs, too.

Video Quality

Digital video camcorders record footage through a "CCD" (Charge Coupled Device), which is made up of a number of little dots known as "pixels" -- not unlike your digital still camera. While there are other factors that come into play, the general rule of thumb is the higher the number of pixels, the more detailed the video image will be.

To future-proof your investment, be sure to pick up a high-definition camcorder - which are available in both Flash memory and hard drive varieties - as they'll look (and sound) spectacular on an HDTV. These camcorders also shoot in widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) presentation, like a feature film, so you'll be able to fit more of your memories on the screen too.

Zooming and Image Stabilization

Most camcorders will have auto-focus (important for novices) capabilities and both optical and digital zoom. Remember, optical zoom is the "true" zoom as the lens will physically get closer to the object, while digital zoom merely attempts to simulate close-up viewing by adding more pixels to the image. The higher the optical zoom rating, the better. Usually, camcorders offer between 10X and 32X optical zoom, which is more than enough for most users. Another important feature to look for is "image stabilization" to prevent the image from looking shaky when you're zooming in on a subject from afar.

Assorted Tips

* Many consumer camcorders employ one CCD sensor to capture the three color channels (red, blue and green), while others offer a 3-CCD system, or three separate charge-coupled devices, each one taking a separate measurement of red, green, and blue information. While there are other factors to consider (quality and size of the sensor, for example), a 3-CCD camcorder should yield a better picture than a 1-CCD camcorder.

* If taking still photos with your camcorder is important to you, be sure to look for at least a 5-megapixel still camera feature (to ensure that a 4x6 print won't look grainy) and make sure that the camcorder has a built-in flash. Most camcorders write the still photos to a memory card, which you can then pop out and insert into a port on your PC, printer or external memory card reader.

* Pocket-sized "Net cams" are also growing in popularity. These relatively inexpensive, small and easy-to-use video recorders store an hour or two of video (sometimes of high-definition quality) onto built-in or removable Flash memory cards. And thanks to a handy flip-out USB connector, they're a cinch to connect to a PC. In fact, these products - including the Flip Mino, Creative Vado, Kodak Zi6, Aiptek HDV21X and DXG 506V/DXG 567V - also house built-in software that lets you edit, save or share your handiwork with the world via YouTube, Viddler and other sites.