Replying to Camera Advice (Video or SLR with HD, not sure)

DISCLAIMER: Total video noob.


I've been looking for a camera of my own for a little while now, done a little research, haven't come to many conclusions. I've been using my friend's Nikon D5000 (18-55mm lens), and I've fallen in love with it. The manual focus, something I've never used before, is AMAZING. Really makes shots loom impressive/professional-looking, and it takes nice HD video as well. (Or is HD a necessity? Thoughts?)

I'm looking for something that I can use for general purpose shooting, mainly skiing and around the house, got a point-and-shoot already for dicking around. About the only conclusion I've come to is that people like Nikon and Canon, Sony to a lesser extent.

I'm thinking that I'd use a video camera more than an HDSLR, how does the video quality/do the specific features compare? Not looking to spend a million bucks, and if I got a camera I'd probably take a film course or two to learn what to do.

Anyone make some suggestions on good HDSLR/Lens or Video camera/Lens combos? Price point is flexible, I'd hazard a guess at an 800$ limit for now, with the option to add lenses/whatever later.