News

Sony to debut Blu-ray Disc media in Europe (16/3/2006)

Sony Europe's Recording Media & Energy (RME) division today announced that its first Blu-ray Disc media will ship in Europe in March 2006. Single-layer BD-RE (Blu-ray Disc Rewritable) media will be available in store from mid March and single-layer write-once BD-R (Blu-ray Disc Recordable) media will be available from April. Sony is also set to launch dual layer discs later this year.

The single-layer Blu-ray Disc Recordable (BNR25A) and Blu-ray Disc Rewritable (BNE25A) media offer a storage capacity of 25GB, more than five times that of a normal DVD and enough for approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes of video at a bit rate of 24Mbps, or 10 hours and 30 minutes at 5Mbps.1 The new generation media support 2X speed which equates to a data transfer rate of 72 Mbps (9 MB/s), making the discs suitable for video recording as well as data storage and file backup. In addition, Sony's Blu-ray Disc media will feature its unique AccuCOREª technology as standard, ensuring reliable data recording, increased disc protection and enhanced durability.

High storage capacity, a clear roadmap and innovative, versatile features make Blu-ray Disc media the logical optical disc format of the future Ð and the format at the heart of the new high definition world. Initially, Sony introduced the first generation cartridge discs in Japan a couple of years ago. Now, the new generation of cartridge free Blu-ray Disc media will offer users the convenience of being the same size and shape as a normal DVD disc, capable of doing everything a DVD can do and much more. With it, Sony is taking a forward-thinking approach aimed at becoming the number one Blu-ray Disc hardware, media and content provider.

"Sony is strongly positioned to offer customers an all-embracing, high-definition experience as a result of pioneering activity in the High Definition world. Our range of integrated High Definition equipment, including camcorders, VAIO PCs, televisions and projectors, already covers everything from source to output, " commented Fritz Handtke, Marketing and Operations Director, Sony RME. "We are committed to becoming a dominant player in the Blu-ray Disc media market in 2006. Given our technological expertise, our focus is on providing thrilling new High Definition's entertainment experiences and the highest capacity PC data storage of any optical format."

www.sony-europe.com