Matsush-ita to launch new Blu-ray DVD recorders
September 21, 2006 09:48 AEST
TOKYO - Japan's Matsush-ita Electric Industrial said on Wednesday it would start selling two new Blue-ray DVD recorders in Japan on Nov. 15, heating up a format battle for next-generation optical disc technology. Matsush-ita, the maker of Panasonic brand products, belongs to a consortium that promotes the Blu-ray format against a competing standard called HD DVD, which is championed by Japanese electronics conglomerate Toshiba.
At the core of both formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment, allowing discs to store data the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and television. Electronics makers are hoping the spread of digital broadcasting and growing sales of flat screen TVs will help spur on demand for high-definition recording equipment, much like the introduction of the DVD gave the industry a boost in the 1990s.
"Expectations are increasing for a next-generation media that can record high-definition images and store them," Shigenobu Hirahara, associate director of the corporate marketing division for Panasonic brand in Japan, told a news conference. Matsush-ita said the November launch would make it the first to market with recorders that can also play back pre-packaged Blu-ray video discs, although Toshiba began selling a HD DVD player/recorder two months ago and Sony said last week that it planned to offer a Blu-ray recorder able to play back pre-packaged discs by the end of this year.
Matsush-ita said a recorder able to store 200 gigabytes of data on its hard drive would sell for about 240,000 yen (US$2,045) and a 500 gigabyte model for 300,000 yen. The latter can store about 63 hours of terrestrial digital broadcasting. It plans to produce 3,000 units of each model per month.
"Expectations are increasing for a next-generation media that can record high-definition images and store them," Shigenobu Hirahara, associate director of the corporate marketing division for Panasonic brand in Japan, told a news conference. Matsush-ita said the November launch would make it the first to market with recorders that can also play back pre-packaged Blu-ray video discs, although Toshiba began selling a HD DVD player/recorder two months ago and Sony said last week that it planned to offer a Blu-ray recorder able to play back pre-packaged discs by the end of this year.
Matsush-ita said a recorder able to store 200 gigabytes of data on its hard drive would sell for about 240,000 yen (US$2,045) and a 500 gigabyte model for 300,000 yen. The latter can store about 63 hours of terrestrial digital broadcasting. It plans to produce 3,000 units of each model per month.
1 comment:
In Indian Price what will be the price of the Blue-ray disc
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