Need advice...video mixer, new camera? Switcher?

[EddieM]

Hi everyone, I am trying to pick a direction for our new video ministry.

We just had a sound, lighting and video install at my church, and started putting our pastor on the screen with a single Canon GL2, and using a Kramer Switcher Scaler vp-728 that we already had. I like the switcher ok, but it doesn't do a clean dissolve, instead using a 2 second black screen delay when switching between the video and the pastor's sermon images.

I tried solving this problem by going straight through the presentation software, but the delay is too distracting.

I am trying to determine what kind of mixer or switcher/scaler could give me that kind of clean transition that is around $1000. I haven't done much research on it, but the Roland V8 looked neat, and would allow us to build a little which I wouldn't be opposed to, but it was about $2000. I could see us going to multicamera someday, but that maybe a few years away.

Anyway, if I can find an alternative that is about the same price as the Kramer, that would be best. Any ideas? And while you're at it, we're going to be shopping for a new camera. We don't have HD projectors, but I should probably go ahead and look into an HD camera, yes?

Thanks in advance for your help!