PRESS RELEASE: Sony announces 8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo

PRESS RELEASE - Here at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, Sony presented the newest member of its Memory Stick® media family – the 8GB Memory Stick PRO™ Duo.

Weighing in at just two grams, 0.79-inches wide, 1.22-inches long, and sporting the ten-pin Serial Memory Stick® interface, this new flash memory card can be packed with music, movies and photos.

Memory Stick cards provide reliable and sturdy storage of digital images. It has become the exclusive PlayStation® Portable memory source and also allows users to expand the imbedded memory of other products like the Sony mylo personal communicator, Sony Ericsson mobile phones and the new PlayStation3 videogame console. The format also remains a core feature of all Cyber-shot® digital still cameras.

Beginning this year, a Memory Stick slot will also be standard on all new 2007 Handycam® camcorder models.

“The life of the Memory Stick format spans from the dawning of the digital camera to the emergence of today’s high-definition video and gaming products,” said Mike Kahn, senior manager for Memory Stick Media at Sony Electronics. “Throughout all of these advances in the consumer electronics industry, Memory Stick media has remained a constant source of compact and portable flash memory.”

According to Kahn, the 8GB MSX-M8GS Memory Stick model will store approximately 1,500 images in 10-megapixel, fine mode; more than 18 hours of video at 768Kb per seconds in MPEG4 compression; and can hold a collection about 2,000 songs in the MP3 format at 128 kbps with an average of four minutes per song.

For versatility, Sony Memory Stick Duo media cards are sold with an adapter for devices with a standard-size Memory Stick media slot. Kahn said they also offer the highest durability in the flash media marketplace with a standard operating temperature range of -13 F to +185 F.

Current models of Memory Stick products employ MagicGate™ copyright protection technology to allow for the secure storage of commercial content such as digital music and downloaded movies.

The 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo media card will be available in February for about $300 at sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and authorized dealers nationwide.

Source: Sony