Ben Reid
4 Oct 2006 14:22
Sony Corp. announced on Tuesday that it will launch its Blu-ray high-definition optical disc recorder in Japan in December.
The cost of the device, which features a 500-gig hard disk drive, is expected to be in the region of around 300,000 yen, which translates to around £1,350 British, or $2,550 US.
All going well, the launch could really help reinforce Sony's reputation as one of the heavyweights in the world of consumer electronics - a reputation which has taken a bruising in recent weeks amid the recall of more than seven million Sony-made laptop batteries, along with the delay of the European lauch of its upcoming PlayStation 3 gaming console.
Sony, and amongst others, Panasonic-owned Matsushita, are promoting the Blu-ray format as the next-generation optical disc standard, while Toshiba Corp. is strongly in favour of the rival HD DVD format.
Sony's highly-anticipated Playstation 3 will feature BD playback, and sales of the console will likely play a key role in determining the outcome of the battle of the next-gen formats.
Source:
Reuters