Sony Unveiling Four New Blu-ray Recorders in Japan

Sony is set to release four new Blu-ray disc recorders in November, along with the first to be able to record on the format's dual-layer discs.

The players range in price from 140,000 yen ($1,227 USD) to 200,000 yen ($1,752 USD). Sony will release the new models on November 8, and plans to produce about 40,000 per month for the market.

While Sony is already selling Blu-ray recorders, they are only capable of recording on single-layer discs, which have a maximum capacity of 25GB. All the new players will have the capability to record on the larger dual-layer discs, capable of 50GB of storage.

At that size, the average Blu-ray disc can hold some 16 hours of high-definition programming. There are no immediate plans to release the players in the US and European markets.

In comparison with Toshiba's HD DVD recorders on sale in Japan, the prices are roughly the same. The two formats are still struggling to gain a foothold among consumers, and are still a must-have item only among enthusiasts.

Until March 2008, about 400,000 total HD DVD and Blu-ray players and recorders are expected to ship, about 11 percent of total DVD recorders and players shipped the previous year. While this number is expected to increase to some two million in the following year, it would still be half that of traditional DVD players and recorders.