Can you take footage shot on HDV, use a firewire to another HDV deck or camera and transfer the data without any loss like you can DV to DV transfers? Is the information EXACTLY the same on the new tape? or does it go through another MPEG reduction?

Bit for bit, exactly the same. In fact, the Z1 can control the other/external HDV device.

Thanks DSE!

I'm glad to finally find that out, it was one of the only bits of info I didn't remember seeing in your excellent book "HDV: What you need to know", maybe it was in there and I missed it, as I like to skip around when I'm reading things like that!