The new DVD player-recorder will hit the shelves December 8, going head-to-head with a rival format developed by electronic giants led by Toshiba Corp., which in July released the first home-use HD DVD recorder-player.
In a replay of the VHS-Betamax battle between two types of video cassette tapes in the late 1970s, two different DVD formats are hitting the market offering cinematic quality images and interactive entertainment.
The Blu-ray machine will go on sale in Japan with price tag of about 300,000 yen ($2,5600 for the 500 gigabyte hard disk drive version, Sony announced at an electronics show east of Tokyo.
"This time we are quite confident there will be no delays," said Sony spokesman Takashi Yoshida. Sony was forced to push back the launch of the eagerly awaited PlayStation 3 (PS3) because of technical problems with the Blu-ray player inside, dealing a blow to the electronic giant's recovery from a profit slump.
Worries over Sony's production problems have been raised by a spate of recalls of its computer batteries, culminating in the company's announcement last week of a global replacement program.
Sony shares took another beating Tuesday, closing down 130 yen or 2.7 percent to 4,600 on worries about the growing cost of the battery recalls and jitters about whether the PS3 will match high expectations, dealers said.
Analysts said that the Blu-ray recorder could also see a subdued launch as the high price and confusion over the two different types of formats deter buyers. Demand for Blu-ray recorders at the yearend holiday shopping season looks set to be "very low," said Standard and Poor's equity analyst John Yang.
"I don't see how Blu-ray is going to differentiate itself from the other current technologies. It's not going to be a flop but it's going to be a very challenging market not just for Sony but for the Blu-ray camp," he said.
Japanese electronics makers have invested heavily in the future of DVDs and are fighting a fierce campaign to try to convince consumers that their product should become the dominant format.
Sony and its main rivals are showcasing their latest products at the Ceatec conference that runs through Saturday in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, looking to win over a crowd of visitors that last year reached almost 200,000.
As well as the DVD players, rows of sleek high-definition 103-inch plasma display panel are on display along with a bicycle-riding humanoid robot.
Sony shareholders are eager for some good news after the battery fiasco. The company, which is in the midst of painful restructuring including 10,000 job cuts, has much riding on the success of its Blu-ray technology.
Along with the PlayStation 3, Blu-ray is seen as crucial to the company's recovery from a profit slump under its first foreign boss Howard Stringer.
Sony was forced to delay the global launch of the PS3 by six months until this November and earlier this month pushed back the rollout in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australasia again until March.
A successful launch of Blu-ray could help restore some luster to Sony's reputation for innovation, after the company that brought the world the Walkman fell behind other companies like Apple with its iPod hit music player.
© 2006 Agence France-Presse
To add a comment,
Please log in:
Don't have an account?
Register now to comment on stories and stay up to date on important events and issues in the Middle East with our newsletter.