How do you like it?

What software do you use to transfer your video to a computer?

I have one, haven't used it much, though.  Just a little playing around with it, the hi-def looks great.  Haven't gotten any software yet.  

Anyone else??

I had an HDR-FX1. Which was excellent. However, I played with an HC1 and thought it was a bit grainy.

Also, you need a blazing fast PC to edit HDV. Its no joke. Also you can only use a few editors to edit HDV, such as Sony Vegas ($500) or Adobe Premire ($1300), and you HAVE to buy ConnectHD to transfer your video. ($150)

What is steering you towards the HC1 anyways?

Check out dvinfo.net for more info on DV/HDV cameras, its like ARFCOM for DV.

I used to have an HC1, but decided to return it and get a FX1 instead.  The output of the HC1 do not match my Z1U (pro version of the FX1), so I cannot use it as a second camera.

As for output to computer, I thought the latest version of the Windows XP and Apple will support the MPEG2 HDV files, I might be wrong.  For editing, you will need at least dual Xenon, 2 G of Ram plus large capacity hard drive to edit.  Dual core game/consummer base processors are not recommended because of the long randering time HDV requires.  Files are large, and only a few editing software can handle the files, plus, until there are HD-DVD or Blu-Ray burners, the only way you can share HD files is using the computer.

Now the advantage, both HDV 1080i and 720p look so much better than the SD 480i or 480p.  All one have to do is to look at the pictures.  I have shot multiple videos using HDV, and the output are so much better.  All my clients, once they seen the footage directly off my editing computer, are willing to pay extra for their HD footage once the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray burners are out.

Note:  Sony have discoutinue the HC1 production, and have released the HC3 (smaller camera with HDMI output).  Consumers can output their HDV footage directly to their HD (1080i or 1080p) television.

So far, there are only limited comsummer level camcorders and decks in HDV, but the standard is only 3 years old.  All the primary players (Canon, JVC, Panasonic) are now into HDV, but are limiting their products to professional and pro-summer levels.

Some HDV footage can be seen when you watch the American Chopper on Discovery HD, their England travel was mostly shot using the Z1U and the rest Sony HDCam.  Another stunning show is The Watch Maker, also shown on Discovery, which was filmed using a Canon H1.

tag because INHD2 looks awesome on my HDTV and want to learn more about HD camcorders!

Saw a rumor that HD cams may make it to the $799 level by late 2006/early2007
LINKONE
LINKTWO

HD is like looking thru a window, everything else is just 'watching TV'

Good article

LINK

Making Movies Richard Baguley reviews camcorders and other multimedia equipment--and shows you how to use it to create your own digital video and audio.  HD Camcorders: Not Ready for Prime Time? Here's what you need to know if you're thinking of buying a high-definition video camera. Richard Baguley, special to PC World Wednesday, January 25, 2006 I was at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, and it seemed that everything there was about high-definition video: Vendors were showing huge HDTVs, high-end HD camcorders, and high-definition satellite TV services. Pretty much the only thing that wasn't high-definition was the coffee in the press room, which was distinctly lacking the sharpness and clarity that most HD video systems offer. Anyway, all of this might make you think that it's the right time for the home-movie maker to think about getting on the bandwagon. But making HD movies is rather different than watching them, and there are several good reasons why it might still be too soon to go high def for your home movies.    Advertisement         The Sony HDR-HC1 has been a big seller since it was launched in July 2005. If you're planning on buying a new camcorder, you're probably considering it, even though it's expensive ($1600 to $2000, depending on where you buy). It shoots video in the same high-definition 1080i resolution that you get from an HD cable or satellite TV service. It records that video using a new format called High Definition Video, or HDV, which can store video at up to 1080i resolution on the same MiniDV tapes that standard-definition MiniDV camcorders use. Normally I'm all in favor of embracing new technologies, but HD video is, if you'll excuse the pun, part of a bigger picture. Going from a standard-definition camcorder to a high-definition model involves some factors that you should understand before you take the plunge. I'm not saying that you shouldn't buy an HD camcorder, but you need to know that making HD home movies involves more than just buying a fancy new video camera. Equipment Costs HD video is still a new technology, and the camcorders that shoot it aren't cheap. The Sony HDR-HC1 is the least expensive, but that's not saying a whole lot. If you want to go pro, you could invest $9000 in a Canon XL H1, a high-end camcorder that offers the sort of features that professionals use, like variable frame rates, a huge range of shooting modes, and much more control over how the image is recorded than you get from a consumer camcorder. Those prices look even higher when you consider that you can pick up a decent standard-definition MiniDV camcorder like the Canon Elura 80 for well under $500. Editing HD Video Working with the video that camcorders like the Sony HDR-HC1 produce can be a serious business: HD video contains four times the number of pixels that standard-definition video does, and it's much more heavily compressed. You need a powerful computer with plenty of memory to deal with this extra data and compression. For example, Pinnacle recommends a minimum of 512MB of system memory and a graphics card with 128MB of RAM for standard-resolution video, but that goes up to 1GB of system memory and a 256MB graphics card for working with 1080i HD video. That's a minimum requirement--the more memory, the merrier. And you'll need a speedy PC to edit HD video: I wouldn't touch it on anything less than a 2-GHz or faster machine, and the new dual-core chips from Advanced Micro Devices and Intel make a big difference. There is plenty of software that supports editing high-def video, though. For example, the latest versions of Pinnacle Studio and Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8 can both import and edit files in HDV format. (Adobe's consumer-level video editing app Premiere Elements does not support editing HD video at the moment.) But, to be fair, the HDR-HC1 can convert the footage you record from high definition to standard definition when you play it back, so if your computer can't handle HD video, you can record it in HD on the camcorder, then capture and edit it at standard definition, preserving the high-definition version for the future when you have a computer that's fast enough to work with it. Playback Time Although the high-definition video that these camcorders produce looks great when you play it back on an HDTV, at present there is no way to store HD video on a DVD. The only way to store HD video for playback is on your PC or on the same media that you used in your HD camcorder. A new generation of high-definition optical media formats are coming soon. Products based on the HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats are very expensive, however, and will remain so for the near future. HD-DVD players were announced at CES that will cost $499 and up; they'll be available in March. But you'll also need a new rewritable HD-DVD drive to write to the discs, which will cost you as much again. The story is the same with Blu-ray Disc: The players and recorders are going to be expensive for the time being. There is one other option, though: KiSS recently announced a DVD player (the DP-600) that can play back high-definition files that have been compressed to Microsoft's Windows Media 9 format, so that could at least provide a stop-gap until the price of the HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc players and writers fall to a reasonable level. And you can always play back the recorded video through the camcorder itself: Just don't expect to be able to write it out to disc with current equipment and preserve its quality. The Bottom Line HD camcorders are still cutting-edge technology: Some of the pieces of the puzzle are not yet in place. And making HD movies is about more than just pointing an HDV camcorder at your subject and shouting "action!" It involves big changes to the way you shoot, edit, and play back videos, and you should understand these before you start shooting.

Thanks for the information guys.  I can now square myself away . . .