Originally Posted by Gilbertoo:
“Do you know whether the picture quality is significantly different with AVC-HD? I've read that HDV is by far the best PQ but if the quality of AVC-HD is only marginally inferior, I'd probably prefer that instead of tape (for the reasons simonpearce mentions).”
I don't know about better - that probably depends more on the camera than the format. I do know HDV is a cheaper, slightly older format. AVCHD has less support and is heavier on computers.
Both formats give good enough HD for you to be pleasantly surprised and PQ will be similar.
HDD and flash memory based camcorders are the future but the technology is not yet mature. It is also more susceptible to data corruption and other problems. In a tape camcorder you replace the tape, in this one, you would have to repair/replace the entire unit.