http://news.com.com/Sony+unveils+Blu-ray+recorders+to+fight+HD+DVD/2100-1041_3-6207448...l?tag=nefd.top


Sony said it will launch four models of new Blu-ray high-definition optical disc recorders in November in Japan, as its format battle with the HD DVD camp heats up.

Sony, along with Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial, promotes the Blu-ray technology, which competes with the HD DVD format, backed by Toshiba and Microsoft.

The new models, capable of storing up to 16 hours of high-definition programs on a dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray disc, will go on sale on November 8.

Sony's previous models, launched last year, were unable to record on a dual-layer disc.

The top-end machine of the four, which comes with a 500GB hard disk drive, is expected to sell for about $1,752, roughly in line with Toshiba's flagship HD DVD recorder.

"With high-definition TVs spreading rapidly and more digital cameras and camcorders are becoming HD-ready, time is ripe for household recorders to move onto a next generation," Sony Executive Deputy President Katsumi Ihara told a news conference.

"We intend to make all our recorders in the domestic market Blu-ray compatible," he said.

Blu-ray recorders can still handle conventional DVD discs.

Outside its home market, Sony is considering offering Blu-ray recorders in Europe, but the launch timing has yet to be decided.
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