While it's certainly not the most invigorating release from sony today, those stuck with too much video on their Handycams will be head over heels. The firm is expanding its DVDirect line by two, and while one of 'em (the VRD-MC10) has been released in Japan previously, this marks the first time it'll ship to American consumers. Said unit incorporates HDMI, component and composite inputs, and features the ability to transfer AVCHD-quality video to DVD; it also includes an i.LINK (FireWire 400) port as well as a USB socket for use with a wider range of devices. Moreover, the MC10 touts a 5-in-1 multicard reader for taking flash-based media straight to DVD, and the 2.7-inch LCD is just fine for previewing things beforehand. The DVDirect Express VRD-P1 DVD writer is tailor made to work quickly and easily with some of Sony's newly announced camcorders, and the lack of advanced functionality means it'll only run $150 (compared to the $300 stick on the MC10) when it ships in March.
[Via: engadget ]
Sony brings two DVDirect Handycam-to-DVD writers to the US
Toshiba introducing SD-friendly players for flash card movies that no one buys
We hate to harsh on Toshiba here, we honestly do, but what in the world is it thinking? As if its clearly unimpressive Super Resolution Technology wasn't embarrassing enough, we're now hearing that the outfit is expected to release a line of prototype players at ces next week that tout sd card slots. Why, you ask? To accept the flash card movies that -- you guessed it -- no one on the entire planet is interested in. Okay, so maybe a handful of people (you know, the same characters who thought slotMusic was a solid idea) will buy in, but seriously, this has failure written all over it. The move comes hot on the heels of a Toshiba / Mod Systems tie-up to establish kiosks that sell films on SD cards, though we're still curious as to whether these SD card players will be of the standalone variety or integrated into upscaling DVD decks. We'll keep an open mind 'til we see the final product(s) at CES, but it'll take a belated Christmas miracle for this to be even halfway awesome.
[Via: Video Business ]
Pioneer shows off 16-layer 400GB Blu-ray Disc, affirms compatibility with current players
When Pioneer first introduced its unicorn-like 16-layer 400GB Blu-ray Disc, we weren't sure if the thing would make it beyond the drawing board, let alone be compatible with existing BD decks. Over at the IT Month Fair in Taipei, Pioneer showed up to showcase the capacious disc, and better still, a DigiTimes report asserts that these are indeed compatible with Blu-ray readers already on the market. Currently, the 400GB disc is slated to hit mass production sometime between now and 2010, while rewritable versions won't hit until 2010 to 2012. Not like it really matters though -- a 1TB disc is on track for 2013, and you know you'll be waiting for the latest and greatest.
[Via: Engadget ]
- RED's Digital still and Motion Camera System now official
TrekStor rolls out MovieStation pocket c.uc portable hard drive
Well, it looks like those that found TrekStor's MovieStation maxi t.u. hard drive a bit too bulky for their taste now have a new option to consider in the form of the company's new MovieStation pocket c.uc, which packs many of the same media-friendly features, plus a memory card slot (SD, MMC, and xD) for some added convience. As you can see above, you'll also get a remote to control the device when it's hooked up to a TV (via composite or component), and you'll get support for most of the audio and video formats you'll likely want -- yes, including DivX and Xvid. No word on a release 'round here just yet, but folks in the UK can apparently grab a 250GB version now for ?99.99 (about $150) or a 500GB drive for ?139.99 (roughly $215).
[Via: Engadget ]
Buffalo brings out internal / external MediaStation 8x Blu-ray burners
While Sharp's busying readying its 8x Blu-ray burners for a 2010 release, Buffalo's busy bringing its 8x Blu-ray burners to the US of A. The company is hauling both an internal and external 8x MediaStation BD writer to US soil, both of which will also toast CD-Rs and a host of other discs without any fuss. The external unit connects via USB 2.0 or eSATA and the internal drive connects up via SATA. As for speeds, they'll burn BD-REs at 2X, DVD-RAM at 5x, DVD±Rs at 16x, DVD-RW at 6x, DVD+RW at 8x, CD-R at 48x and CD-RW at 24x. Both units are set for release this month at $399.99 (external; BR-816SU2) / $349.99 (internal; BR-816FBS).
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: bd-r, bd-re, blu-ray, blu-ray burner, blu-ray writer, Blu-rayBurner, Blu-rayWriter, BR-816FBS, BR-816SU2, Buffalo, MediaStation ]
Pioneer finds 20-layer 500GB Blu-ray Disc "feasible"
Now here's a rate of progress we could get used to. Nary a month after Pioneer trumpeted a 400GB Blu-ray Disc, out pops another press release from the firm boasting about a 500 gigger with a score of layers. Based on research at its Tokyo headquarters, specifications have been drafted for an incredibly capacious 500GB BD. Granted, this very company already had plans for a 500GB optical disc nearly four years ago, but there's no time like the present to make this stuff a reality, right?
[Via: TrustedReviews ]
[Tag: 20-layer,500GB,bd,blu-ray,blu-ray disc,blu-ray media,Blu-rayDisc,Blu-rayMedia,data,data storage,DataStorage,milestone,optical,optical media,optical storage,OpticalMedia,OpticalStorage,pioneer,storage,world record,WorldRecord ]
Seagate reveals Showcase external HDD: for media centers and DVRs
Great, just great. Soon after Western Digital made a fool of itself by introducing an external hard drive "certified" for use with DISH Network HD DVRs, along comes Seagate to further fuel the hype machine. Announced at this year's Cable Show (after being mentioned at CES), the Showcase storage solution is "designed" to extend storage capacity of DVRs and media centers. In a similar vein, the outfit's newest drives are "compatible with Motorola's s-SATA-capable HD DVRs," and they also come with USB 2.0 ports and up to 1TB of space. No word on a price or any of that jazz, but those who can't figure out that an external hard drive is an external hard drive can look for 'em to land in Q3.
[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: dvr,dvr extender,DvrExtender,external hard drive,external hdd,ExternalHardDrive,ExternalHdd,hd dvr,HdDvr,motorola,seagate,Showcase ]
WD's 500GB My DVR Expander drives certified for use with DISH HD DVRs
From what we can tell, this is just marketing hoopla to get you to buy a drive "certified" for use in a particular application; in all actuality, users can connect any USB 2.0 external hard drive to their DISH Network HD DVR and expand their storage capacity for a one-time fee. Nevertheless, Western Digital has just let loose its 500GB My DVR Expander, which "more than doubles" your available recording hours by storing up to 300 hours of SD content and 60 hours of high-def goodness. As predicted, the drives work with the satcaster's ViP family of HD DVRs, and WD is apparently looking to expand the brand to other carriers as soon as they get with the program and enable USB storage. Those willing to fall for this ploy can procure the half-terabyte drive for $149.99, but considering that the port activation fee is still charged, we can't imagine looking elsewhere first.
[Via: FarEastGizmos ]
[Tag: dish,dish network,DishNetwork,external hard drive,external hdd,ExternalHardDrive,ExternalHdd,hd dvr,HdDvr,My DVR Expander,MyDvrExpander,storage,wd,western digital,WesternDigital ]
Planex DigiJuke NAS snags YouTube and BitTorrent video then jams it down the Wii, Xbox 360, iPod... and throat of MPAA
Here it is copyright bandits, the single biggest reason (other than silicone) to make a Hollywood studio notice of you: the MZK-NAS02SG1T network attached server from Planex. The main selling point behind the the ¥54,799 (about $524) 1TB Gigabit Ethernet block is the claim to "universal access" for all your devices. That little trick comes courtesy of its DigiJuke browser for searching and tagging the BitTorrent and YouTube content you want downloaded in the appropriate PSP and iPod (MPEG-4), Wii (FLV), or TV (MPEG-2) format for in-home or on-the-go viewing. The NAS also streams audio and video to your iTunes laptops or desktops or DLNA TV, Xbox 360, or other compliant device in the home. A front-facing USB 2.0 jack offers one-touch dubbing of USB sticks while a second around back offers ready storage expansion. It ships with a pair of 3.5-inch 500GB drive which you can swap out for higher capacity spinners at a later date. That is if the studios don't shut you down first.
[Via: Impress ]
[Tag: bittorrent, dlna, japan, MZK-NAS02SG1T, nas, planex, youtube ]
Sony reveals healthy helping of new HDD / DVD recorders
We'll go ahead and nix some lingering excitement in the room: Sony's latest line of Hard Disk Drive DVD Recorders are aimed squarely at Europe. Now that we're clear on that, let us introduce to you the HX and HXD lines, which each posses four units that top out at 500GB. The RDR-HX680, HX780, HX980 and HX1080 all come ready to fetch analog broadcasts, while the RDR-HXD790, HXD890, HXD990 and HXD1090 also include a DVB-T digital tuner. The HDX crew can even be ordered with a CI slot, and the whole posse includes an HDMI port (1080p upscaling included), X-Pict Story, USB connectors, BRAVIA Sync and a dedicated SD HDD Handycam connection. Take a look in the read link for the full chart of specifications. [Warning: PDF read link]
Gallery: Sony reveals healthy helping of new HDD / DVD recorders
[Via: T3 ]
[Tag: BRAVIA, dvb, DVB-T, dvd recorder, DvdRecorder, europe, hdd recorder, HddRecorder, HX, HXD, RDR-HX1080, RDR-HX680, RDR-HX780, RDR-HX980, RDR-HXD1090, RDR-HXD1095, sony, X-Pict ]
