Originally Posted by mgillespie
Here's what I would recommend, based on my experience in professional video. Stay away from the Sony HDV (or any HDV) camera for right now...without getting into the technical details, it handles video much differently than conventional DV cameras do, and the professional editing software packages are just starting to work HDV into the mix. In addition, there's no real way to play back your footage in high-def yet...
I would go with the Sony PDX-10 camcorder...I've used one for a couple of years now, and it produces excellent quality video in an easy-to-use package. If you're hell-bent on switching to Macs, go ahead...but keep in mind that you're not the only one going nuts from using a Sony VAIO. The reputation isn't very good, and you'd be better off with a Dell or HP laptop if you want to stay in the PC world. Get the most memory and the biggest hard drive your laptop will hold...it will make the difference between editing your video easily and pulling your hair out waiting on the laptop...
Mark
The PDX-10 is the pro version of the TRV-950. It's a nice camera, but has poor low-light performance. If you need true 16 x 9, it's a way to go, but if you're shooting 4 x 3, you'll get better video and low light performance from the VX2100.