So with Canon and Sony recently releasing new HDV cameras, is there any word that Panasonic might be planning to release another HD camera as well, perhaps a less expensive brother to the HVX200? Or is this too much to hope for?

Panasonic rarely says anything until they are ready to introduce a new model. For consumer models, it is usually CES and pro models at NAB. We already know the pro models from NAB. What we don't yet know is the AVCHD models to compete with Sony. I would expect to see an announcement no later than January CES with delivery around March 2007 timeframe.

There have been two potential models discussed by Panasonic themselves. One a consumer vertical handheld, likely 2007, the other likely at least one prosumer for NAB 2007. The consumer is AVCHD inter frame, the prosumer H264 intra frame of around 50-100mb/s (for double compression quality of HVX200).

I wish they would release both now.

No announcements in the low-cost side of things yet, but they did announce an HPX2100 ($30,000 2/3" HD/P2 camera) during IBC.

On another forum a dealer in Canada wrote in to say that he'd been told the DVC30 had been discontinued and if anyone wanted one they'd better grab it now.

The way I see it, if the're discontinuing the DVC30, there's probably a replacement due to be announced very soon.