Matsushita to sell larger Blu-ray recorders

Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial said it would launch new Blu-ray optical disc recorders in November that allow more hours of full high-definition recording on a single disc than any others available.

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

Osaka-based Matsushita, the world's largest consumer electronics maker, also said it plans to offer the world's first DVD recorders that can store full high-definition programs on conventional DVD discs next month.

Full HD programs come with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.

Matsushita's new Blu-ray recorders, which are able to record up to 18 hours of full-HD programs on a dual-layer disc, will go on sale on 1 November in Japan.

A model equipped with a 1-terabyte hard disk drive is expected to sell for $2,600 (£1,300), Matsushita said.

The 1-terabyte hard drive can store up to 381 hours of full HD programs.

Matsushita, the world's largest maker of plasma TVs, took the wraps off the new Blu-ray and DVD recorders at the CEATEC Japan 2007 electronics industry trade show on Tuesday.

The company said that on 1 November it will start selling three models of new DVD recorders capable of recording full HD programs on conventional DVD discs.

The high-end model with a 500GB hard disk drive is likely to sell for $1,125 (£552), Matsushita said.

Video rental chain Blockbuster, the largest US provider of home movie-entertainment, came out in favor of the Blu-ray format in June.

But Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG signed exclusivity deals in August to distribute their next-generation discs on Toshiba's HD DVD format for the next 18 months, a move that evened a contest where the Blu-ray camp appeared to be pulling ahead.

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