Well, quick update after a month of ownership, and the summary is that the HV30 is a superb piece of kit, got two new batteries for it, a 1394 lead, and a shoulder strap, got to grip with all the controls. The playback through the HD TV is second to none, and its been really useful for dubbing some old non-HD DV footage down to DVD-RAM, bit of a pain to use the 1394 for editing (had to get a new S1155 1394 motehrboard) and also my Panny DVD recorder is non-HD so just watching capture through the HDMI, but overall really pleased with it, but to ensure longevity and not wishing to expose the camera to the elements thinking of getting a Panny SD90 for travelogue stuff, overall no regets in going back to tape