yes. the normal HD Hero (helmet, motorsports, naked, etc.) shoots at 1080p30p, 960p30p, 720p60p, 720p30p, and standard def. the HD Hero 960 only shoots at 960p30p, 720p30p, and standard def. just a cheaper version of the normal HD Hero. get the normal HD Hero if you can afford it.
and to answer your original question, it's just a matter of which mounts the camera comes with, assuming you're referring to the naked version and helmet version of the HD Hero