Matsushita Develops DVD-RAM Recorder

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Friday, October 1, it has developed a video recorder using DVDs for recording in addition to its conventional use as a reproduction medium. The leading consumer electronics maker plans to put the recorder on the market next year at a yet-to-be-decided price. The newly developed recorder has a memory capacity of 4.7 gigabytes and adopts the DVD-RAM format that records up to 120 minutes per side. Although DVD recording formats vary, DVD-RAM technology is supported by some 200 companies, including Toshiba Corp. and Sony Corp. Prior to the commercial launch of the recorder next year, Matsushita will display the machine at the Japan Electronics Show '99 to be held at the Nippon Convention Center, better known as Makuhari Messe, in the city of Chiba near Tokyo. Source: Kyodo News