The 7000 was indeed sold in this country beginning near the end of August by the gray goods importers. It was sold for $3000 and that included a translated manual as well as a translation stick on label set for the remote and front and real panel. I used one that was purchased by a local video service bureau.
As to pros and cons- I think the decision lies in these two issues:
1. Do you NEED 1394 I/O ? If so then buy the 7000.
2. Do you want DVD-RAM or DVD-RW for your rewritable media?
From what I have seen, working with both Pioneer and Panasonic, it really boils down to the above two issues. I'm happy that the Pioneer unit is being offered at a more competitive price structure as this will generate more demand for the product.