Hitachi's new Blu-ray Disc camcorders are already gaining support from media manufacturers. Verbatim sent out a press release this morning, announcing world’s first Mini Blu-ray Recordable/Rewriteable (BD-R/RE) media. These new 3-inch (8cm) discs can hold 7.5GB of data or an hours worth of full high-definition video.
Verbatim Corporation and its parent company, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM), announced today the world’s first Mini Blu-ray Recordable/Rewriteable (BD-R/RE) media. Measuring three inches (8cm) in diameter, the new 7.5GB discs provide approximately one hour of continuous video capture time on a single side when high definition (1920×1080i) is used, and approximately two hours1 of video capture time with images recorded at 1440×1080i. MKM Mini BD media will be available in August in Japan, where the new Hitachi BD-compatible camcorder will be launched. Verbatim will begin shipments to other parts of the world, including North America, when the new BD-compatible camcorders become available locally.
Verbatim Mini BD media combine with a BD-compatible camcorder to provide consumers with convenience features that hard disk camcorders cannot offer. With the ability to record priceless memories directly to a Mini BD disc, users can eliminate the time-consuming process of downloading captured video to their computer hard drive. They can also enjoy unlimited capacity by simply removing the disc from the camcorder and adding a new one.
No word on price or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, Verbatim's entire press release can be found here.