Sony to launch Blu-ray recorder in Japan in December

A model displays a prototype of a Blu-ray disc. Picture / Reuters

CHIBA - Sony Corp. said today it will launch its Blu-ray high-definition optical disc recorder in Japan in December, with an expected price tag of around 300,000 yen ($3,900) for a model with a 500-gigabyte hard disk drive.

The launch, if it goes smoothly, could give Sony an opportunity to shore up its reputation as a top-class manufacturer, after recent setbacks such as recalls of more than seven million Sony-made laptop batteries by PC makers and a delay in the European launch of its new game console PlayStation 3.

Consumer electronics makers such as Sony and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. are promoting the Blu-ray format as the next-generation optical disc standard, while Toshiba Corp. is a leading proponent of the rival HD DVD technology.

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 at the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and television.

The new machines are expected to breathe new life into the slowing home video market, but the failure of the competing Toshiba- and Sony-led groups to agree on a unified format has paved the way for a costly battle reminiscent of the VHS-Betamax war that caused widespread customer confusion.

Panasonic-brand electronics maker Matsushita said last month it would start selling two Blu-ray DVD recorders in Japan on November 15.

It said a recorder able to store 200 gigabytes of data on its hard disk drive would sell for about 240,000 yen and a 500-gigabyte model which can store about 63 hours of terrestrial digital broadcasting, for 300,000 yen.

While Blu-ray has drawn more support among Hollywood and electronics firms, HD DVD has garnered allies among US computer industry titans Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp.

In March, Toshiba started rolling out its HD DVD players in Japan, becoming the first company to offer next-generation optical disc players, while Samsung introduced the first Blu-ray player in June.

Sony shares were down 1.9 per cent at 4,640 yen as of 0125 GMT after investment bank Goldman Sachs said it had cut its full-term earnings estimates for the company and downgraded its rating on the shares to "neutral" from "buy."

The benchmark Nikkei average was down 0.52 per cent.

- REUTERS