Space Hogs
Having recently gotten into the HD video game with my acquisition of a Canon VIXIA HFS 100 (amazing little camera, when you think about everything it can do), I'll say this to everyone making the leap from standard def to HD: get ready for some MASSIVE files to wrangle getting your video online or onto a DVD.
Since then - after many conversations with other video editors, looking all over the Internet, etc., I've figured out some things on my own, plus stumbled upon some "trailer park" workarounds you won't find with an online search, all because of one thing: Anyone shooting "serious" video right now who isn't using HD is pretty much producing obsolete content. Although I'm a big believer that it's all about what's happening onscreen - great is great and lame is lame, regardless of the production value - standard def will be looking mighty rough indeed in the coming years, compared to all the HD stuff; Shooting HD now ensures at least a little longevity for that footage to look good.
