On Sat, 6 Apr 2002 14:52:33 +0800, "Gary PoIIard" wrote:

>From another source:
>
>Hole Accumulation Diode CCD reduces noise in the video signal to improve
>signal-to-noise ratio by up to 6dB (2x better than a standard CCD).
>Particularly effective when shooting in dark situations.
>
>The picture MIGHT be better than we expect.

Sony has been using a variation on these for all recent
models but the TRV900. There is an expected gain in
low-light ability (and color quality, but with some
down-side effects, too, like bright-light vertical
propagation), all else being equal, but the chip size
went down and the pixel count went up, likely more than
cancelling the "HAD" gains in sensitivity. The first
report gave a lux rating of 15, really poor, if true,
but even if 7 is true (relative to other Sony models),
this places it with the TRV30/PC120, which has relatively
poor low-light range. (See:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder--comparison.htm
for how various Sony imaging types handle in low light.)
Again, even if 7-lux is correct, this is not good enough
for shooting well in most moderately low illumination-level
situations - and the TRV30, BTW, shows considerable
color noise even in bright light in smooth-tone areas.
This does not make me eager to buy a TRV950 - but it is
best to get one "in hand" before coming to firm
conclusions...