For my own use, I have been very happy using iMovie with the Apple Intermediate Codec. I can import the HD1 clips more or less in realtime, edit, and then render in Quicktime, also more or less in real time. This file can also be imported into iDVD. The Quicktime movies look great on the HDTV, though the files are fairly large.

My problem is how to get them to play on my laptop, which is a PC. I have read that the Apple Intermediate Codec doesn't work on Windows; when I try, I only get audio. I have tried converting these files to other formats, such as H.264, but the process takes forever -- 20 to 30 times real time. Any suggestions?

If you go to www dot afreecodec dot com, you will have access to the largest individual codec source I've ever found on the net. You might get traction there and be able to locate the codec that you would need.

You could also install "The Playa" or the software player that came afterwards to analyze the video. When it hits a video stream it can't reproduce, it presents the decompressor index code so you can search for the necessary codec. These codes are unique to the format, so when you've got the code, you're half-way solved. Just search for the code using "codec" and the numeric decompressor index code on a search engine. I've always had success finding a functional codec when using this technique.