Aesthetically i cannot abide cgi and HD Video. HD video looks to clean and plastic and the Colors are all too computer like, almost like watching a videogame. CGI looks all fake and unrealistic and is still not even a replacement for traditional animation, much less For traditional effects with Models that Look real because they are a phsyical reality and are not 1's and 0's in a computer.
To me the only reason hollywood has adopted these technologies is the same as the Independants for cost saving methods, ease of use, and quick editing and turnaround of footage. You can have now see what you actually are getting on Video in realtime without having to wait for the rushes to come back from the Lab.
Not only that but because the format is already digital it already conforms to the standard for digital editing and does not need to be scanned in and then manipulated digitally. Like George Lucas has said you can skip a step and save money and time.
He wanted to shoot Episode one on HD Cams but the technology was just not where it needed to be yet. He was satfisfied by the Time Episode II came around to use it.
It is funny that the Avid digital editing system is a throwback to Lucas developed Editdroid. Lucas was the one who pioneered the Idea of digital editing. One of the First people to cut on video was a friend of his Francis Ford Copola . He experimented with it but did not do the final cut on it. I believe the rough cut for Apocalypse Now was done on video that was not even broadcast quality.