[CES 2008] Sony’s New 16 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo Media Ideal for HD Camcorders

LAS VEGAS(CES Booth #14200)Largest Capacity Memory Stick Offers Easy Transfer of Footage. Sony is expanding its high-definition recording options with the introduction today of 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo™ media.

This large-capacity flash storage media is ideal for Sony’s new Handycam® camcorders, which rely on AVCHD™ compression technology. The new Memory Stick® card stores up to 110 minutes of high-definition video recorded in 1920 mode and almost six hours of HD video when shooting in 1440 LP mode.

About the size of a postage stamp, the card is the optimal recording media for HD content because of its ability to quickly and easily transfer large amounts of video content between devices.

It can be removed from a camcorder and placed into the Memory Stick media slot in compatible computers for editing and sharing content.

Sony 16 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo Mark 2

The 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo media card will be available in March for about $300 at sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), at military base exchanges, and at authorized dealers nationwide.
Mark2Certification

To designate AVCHD recording support, the Memory Stick PRO format has added the Mark2 certification. Memory Stick PRO media products with this logo meet the higher writing speed requirements and are certified to operate with AVCHD recording products.

With hi-def war, it’s 1975 all over again (Blu-Ray vs HD DVD)

Wrong. High-definition DVD technology has been retro, forcing consumers to choose one of two formats, Blu-ray or HD DVD, bringing back memories of VCRs and the VHS vs. Betamax wars.

That’s because movie studios and technology companies have lined up on two different sides of high-definition DVD technology.

“I’d like to spank both sides on the fanny because they left it up to the consumer, and they shouldn’t have,” said Dale Cripps, publisher and founder of HDTV magazine.

“Either way the consumer is facing some kind of loss, based on the choice they make: ‘If I choose Blu-ray, and it turns out that HD DVD sprints off to success, do I have movies and equipment that can play it?”

An HD-DVD video disc of “The Bourne Supremacy” is seen at left,

with a Blu-Ray disc of “Superman Returns” at right

Most movies are available in both formats. Still, you’re going to find yourself with an extra chore to do in the video aisle: doublechecking whether the movie you want is available in the format that will work with your high-definition DVD player.

And it helps to keep a scorecard of which movie studio is backing which format or both, something that seems to be changing every week.