1st HD DVD standalone recorder released

[DereX888]

July 05, 2004 (yeah, yesterday's news - but seems everyone missed on that)

Score one for Matsushita Electric Industrial Company.
On July 1, Panasonic's parent organization became the first
manufacturer to deliver a large-capacity high-definition DVD
recorderjust in time for the Athens Olympic Games next month.

At a press conference in Tokyo, Matsushita demonstrated a recorder
capable of recording 50 gigabytes of data on a dual-layer 5" optical
disc, more than ten times the 4.7GB capacity of standard DVDs. Using
"Blu-ray" technologyone of two competing high-density formats, the
recorder is claimed capable of capturing up to four-and-one-half hours
of high-definition television programming on a single disc. In April
2003, Sony debuted the world's first Blu-ray disc recorder, a machine
capable of encoding a single-layer Blu-ray disc with 23GB of data, or
approximately two hours of high-def video.

Blu-ray is backed by a powerful consortium of technology companies. In
addition to Matsushita and Sony, its supporters include including
Samsung, Philips, and Hewlett-Packard.

Pre-release demand is such that Matsushita's initial 2000 units/month
production schedule may prove insufficient, according to the company's
home electronics executive Etsuji Shuda. Equipped with tuners to
receive digital broadcasts from satellites and terrestrial
transmitters, the recorder will go on sale in Japan on July 31 at a
suggested retail of approximately 300,000 ($2769 USD). Sony's machine
sells for 472,500 ($4361 USD), and comes with a tuner for digital
satellite broadcasting.

Matsushita hasn't announced plans to market a similar machine in North
America. Toshiba and NEC Corporation are pushing their jointly
developed "HD DVD" system. Toshiba should have a consumer version of
the HD DVD disc recorder on the market sometime next year.

Matsushita is also doing well with its standard-definition "DIGA"
series DVD recorders, with strong demand in Japan, Europe, and the US.
The company expects a surge in sales prior to the Olympics, and a 20%
increase in profits for fiscal 2005, Mr. Shuda told reporters.

edit:
LINK

[Gillies]

if only the bluray guys would use mpeg4, then there would be no doubts on which format is better

[proxyx99]

This is the first sign of price war in a new format. That is a great news for consumers and seems like HD will be a must have. Looking forward to it.

[supersonicl2]

Now tell me if i'm reading this right

the recorder will go on sale in Japan on July 31 at a
suggested retail of approximately 300,000 ($2769 USD). Sony's machine
sells for 472,500 ($4361 USD), and comes with a tuner for digital
satellite broadcasting.

Is this thing really gonna cost as much as a used car????

[proxyx99]

Slow down, it will drop to couple hundred bucks before you know it...

[dafoe]

I really don't want to see a car that you could buy for $2769

But seriously, I would buy that recorder in a second if the media wasn't so expensive. What good is the recorder if the media is $30 a piece?

I waited for a while before buying a DVD recorder. Once the media dropped below $5 each, I bought a recorder.

Same principal here. The money has nothing to do with it. I expect to pay a reasonable price, relative to it's production value, when I purchase a product.

Give it two or three years and the prices will be great.

[handyguy]

"and terrestrial
transmitters,"

So you can get broadcasts from E.T.?

Tivo is planning hdtv boxes too:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,817829,00.asp

[stiltman]

"and terrestrial
transmitters,"

So you can get broadcasts from E.T.?

Terrestrial is within our skies
Extra terrestrial is within E.T's skies

[ViRaL1]

Tivo is planning hdtv boxes too:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,817829,00.asp

DirecTV already offers an HD TiVo unit.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/imagine/TIVO.dsp

[BJ_M]

Tivo is planning hdtv boxes too:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,817829,00.asp

DirecTV already offers an HD TiVo unit.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/imagine/TIVO.dsp

try to actually get it

[ViRaL1]

Directs me to my local authorized DirecTV dealer.

[proxyx99]

"and terrestrial
transmitters,"

So you can get broadcasts from E.T.?

Tivo is planning hdtv boxes too:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,817829,00.asp

By the time it appears on the store shelves E.T. broadcasts will be a part of your basic cable package... I just hope they have less reruns cause I'm really close to dying after I.749.873.747 run of "Die Hard" (this month).

[ViRaL1]

Yippee-ki-yay, mother...

[ViRaL1]

try to actually get it

http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?BV_EngineID=cceeadclmgjjimecfngcfkmdffhdffh.0&b=...il&c=1&b=g&u=c

There ya go.

[handyguy]

Might be news to some but CRT true hdtvs are out. Walmart has a Sanyo 32" with hdtv tuner (yes a tuner in it), pap, hdmi ?, for $747. BestBuy has a Zenith 27" , hd ready for $549, free shipping, has svga inputs if you want to connect your puter.