CDRLabs.com

Pioneer announced today that it will launch its first Blu-ray recorder by the end of the year. According to Reuters, Pioneer's new recorders will be developed in cooperation with Sharp.

Japanese consumer electronics maker Pioneer Corp said on Tuesday it plans to launch Blu-ray DVD recorders by the end of the year, taking aim at a rapidly growing market after the end of a bitter format battle.

Pioneer is developing Blu-ray recorders with help from Sharp Corp, Pioneer's top shareholder with a 14 percent stake. Sharp already offers Blu-ray recorders.

Pioneer plans to start selling Blu-ray recorders in Japan before the year-end shopping season, followed by overseas launches.

There are some conflicting reports about the launch date and overseas launches. According to an AP report, the recorders will launch some time before March 2009 and that Pioneer has not made any overseas sales plans yet. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here.