Hi all... I have been trying to educate myself on some of the 3chip digital video cameras and I'm surprised how popular the Sony TVR900 is? On ebay they are going at a higher price being several years old vs. a brand new Panasonic GS70. They both seem to have comparable pixel rates on the chips so is the Sony that much better being 3 years old vs. a brand new Panasonic w/ a warranty? You can probably even upgrade to panasonic DV953 w/ much higher pixel rates per chip for about the price of a used sony? What gives?? <BR> <BR>thx for any help........ <BR> <BR>Levi

the pana gs70 is not a good cam. I "rented" one from circuit city (gotta love the 30 day no hassle) it hardly displayed the quality of a 3 chipper, the trv 900 is a skateboard work horse like the vx1000. I've heard mixed stuff about the 953. For best results get a used vx1000, worth every penny.

Levi - I've been using the TRV-900 for over 5 years to film everything from snowboarding &amp; wakeboarding to parties and friend's weddings. It's a great camera and work horse. If you’re really into filming skateboarding and snowboarding you may want to consider the vx1000 – 2100 because of the top handle that allows you to get great low angle shoots. <BR> <BR>Other than that the only thing that I noticed (maybe it's just an issue with my camera??) but the fire wire is really finicky and it only works about 20% of the time with no rhyme or reason. <BR>