XL H2 timeline predictions...
 

Does anybody on this forum have any educated guesses or information on when Canon might release an XL H2?

Look at the history of XL development... specifically, the amount of time in between each model (XL1, XL1S, XL2, etc.). This information is readily available through some simple online research. That will give you your best clue as to when to expect a replacement for the XL H1.

A betting man would say Canon usually has a 3 year cycle for updating XL cameras. The H1 kinda broke that pattern.

1998 = XL1
2001 = XL1S
2004 = XL2
2005 = XLH1 (this one broke the trend...however Canons hand was forced as HD was really taking off and they couldn't jump in the game too late.)

There is a firmware upgrade for the XL-H1:

http://www.photoethnography.com/blog...on_xlh1_1.html

Firmware sticky thread here:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=73850

Timeline will naturally accelerate
 

With the advent of other, more powerful HD cameras, most notably the Red, the timeline for newer, better cameras will naturally increase. Remember, not everyone buys, many people (especially indie filmmakers) rent. That curbs the cost difference factor. I believe XDCAM will also cut into Canon's market. My Astronomy professor in college told us that technological advance is like a snowball. At one point in our society, technology doubled every ten years. Then every five. In 1999, it was closer to 3 years. By now it is probably around 1 1/2, although that is a guess. Canon will have to keep, I believe, a minimum of a 2 year schedule for major release updates just to keep up. If not, they risk severe market losses from which they may not be able to recover.

However there is the belief that the human consumer factor will reach an overstimulated buying effect at some point soon. That is to say that the rather small -compared to the vast consumer population- of people out there like us that purchase this level of equipment, will reach a point where they will not be as willing to buy the next model A, B, or C every 18 to 24 months.

This type of marketing is the same as used on consumers in the early years of vehicles, to trade in their cars every year. " You've gotta have this years model," " you don't want to be seen with that old H1 do ya?"