Quick clarification question...
 

The GR-HD1U is the same camera as the HY-HD10U, except for the XLR inputs, right? Same image and capture? I ask because Circuit City and Best Buy have very liberal return policies with equipment testing (really! check it out!) and if they get that camera, I'm buying it, the D-VHS and an HDTV tube and going crazy! Of course, if it's all special order, they may get angry if I return it...The D-VHS is officially special order.

heath

You get XLR mic jacks, better handle, 200K instead of 100K viewfinder, and manual sound level adjustment in addition to automatic, I think. Video should be 100% identical.

<<<-- Video should be 100% identical. -->>>

Okay, that's what I wanted to know; if Circuit City or Best Buy gets that camera, I'm going to test it. I can't get a test nailed down anytime after the JY-HD10U comes out, probably because it's such an inexpensive camera. Of course, it's a nightmare getting a demo of the Varicam....But that's a different story.

heath
www.mpsdigital.com

<<<-- Video should be 100% identical. -->>>

I'm not so sure of this. On April 10 in the Report from NAB thread here, Ken Freed of JVC said, "The HD10 isn't done yet. Specifically the part that isn't done is the IMAGE. The mathmatics aren't complete."
At the time he posted this, the HD1 consumer model had already gone on sale in Japan, so that seems to suggest that JVC's pro video division is tweeking the camera's electronics firmware for their HD10 version. And there are no assurances that any improvements made to the pro model will find their way into the consumer model.
Another point to consider when trying to decide between the two models: aside from the other differences pointed out here, the two cameras will have different warranties and will be serviced by different divisions of JVC USA, with the JVC Pro Video division probably offering the better warranty and service turnaround. This might be of importance to some users.

Bob