Sony Unveils Blu-Ray System
In lieu of all the hub-bub Sony has caused with details of their new Blu-Ray technology, they thought it proper to shed some light on their first unit to use the new format.
Sony has revealed their first in a line of consumer units for its new Blu-Ray disc format. The BDZ-S77 is Sony's first in what they hope to be a long line of recorders to support their new Blu-Ray technology. The BDZ-S77 only allows recording to Blu-Ray discs, but can playback nearly any CD format imagineable, including Rewritables. The new format can record up to 2 hours of HDTV or, if you can stand losing some quality, 12 hours of video.
Behold, the BDZ-S77 in all its glory...The new Blu-Ray technology uses a blue laser rather than the standard red, which means with the shorter wavelenght it's possible to record 23GB onto a disc. The normal DVD format is restrained to a mere 4.7GB.
But what is to come of DVDs? No one can really say, though some could say they couldn't have developed it at a worse (or better) time, with DVD sales already up 150% from last year. Still, the boundaries of disc usage in technology today have been given a smooth kick in the ass.
The pricetag weighs in at a hefty $4,000, but since Sony do not expect a release for the BDZ-S77 outside of Japan, it's nothing to worry about for now. However, licensing of the Blu-Ray format has begun, so count on reading "Blu-Ray" more often.
Colin "AsH" Wilson
Blu-Ray?... sounds French.
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