Need suggestion on HD cam purchase for Premiere / web video project

[willcheck]

I'm putting together an editing station for a video content-based website, and I need suggestions on an HD camera purchase.

Budget
Probably around $1,000, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Purpose
The online video content will probably be 640x360 (resolution in pixels). Depending on demand, an HD resolution may be offered in the future - either online or on DVD, therefore the footage needs to be captured in HD (not SD).

The web videos will be 2-3 minute interviews with people in their work environments. Probably no sports or anything requiring high shutter speeds. Probably no big need for low-light situations, although it would be nice. I'll be using a custom Flash player, and expecting Premiere to be able to export a ready-to-go 640x360 format.

The camera will need to have an option for an external mic - either lav or boom.

Hardware / Software
The editing station will be a PC (as powerful as needed) with Premiere Pro CS4 and Vista 64-bit. I'm a PC / Adobe product guy, but I'm open-minded to other options.

Rumors
AVCHD sounds nice, but I've been reading horror stories online about trying to use Premiere Pro CS4 to edit AVCHD - supposedly really choppy playback regardless of system power.

The Canon HF-10 looks cool too, but, again - AVCHD fears.


So, if anyone has any camera purchase opinions or questions on this setup, let me know!

[Soopafresh]

HV30 or HV40. Just do a search on vimeo for example footage. The HDV vs AVCHD debate won't be settled for years.

For $130 you could convert your AVCHD to Cineform AVI, making it much easier for your PC to handle. NeoScene is the app.