Sony's BDZ-V7 and BDZ-V9 Blu-ray and hard drive recorders

[Dave]

BDZ-V9

BDZ-V7

Blue laser shortage or not, Sony's hoping to avoid the delay bug with its first Blu-ray disc recorders, just announced at CEATEC 2006 for early December release in Japan. Both models will record two TV programs at once via their two digital and one analog tuners. Backing up video to Blu-ray discs is limited to 25GB -- no 50GB BD-R/BD-RE writing or reading here -- but it will play cartridges from the old Blu-ray recorders, as well as the new AVCHD discs. With the right NTT cellphone you can schedule recordings from anywhere, but at home owners will enjoy the slick PSP-style XMB crossbar menu like other Sony products. The high-end BDZ-V9 is the only choice if you must have 1080p output, DLNA streaming to connected PCs or compatible displays and video conversion to MPEG-4 to transfer directly to a PSP. All the connections you'd expect are a go, including HDMI out, plus i.Link and USB inputs to hook up digicams and make as many sentimental James Blunt-soundtracked slideshows as you can with the included x-Pict Story HD software. The BDZ-V9 will set buyers back a cool ¥300,000 ($2,543 US) or so on December 8th, with the value-priced BDZ-V7 only expected to go for ¥250,000 ($2,119 US) when it hits on December 19th. They may not have the 4x Blu-ray recording of Panasonic's lineup or the soul-crushing bulk of Toshiba's 1TB RD-A1, but with a simple menu system and joystick based remote control Japanese gamers who didn't get one of the 100,000 launch PS3s will still bring Blu-ray to their living room this year.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/03/s...ive-recorders/
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...1003/sony1.htm

[morlock]

For crying out loud! The s-video and composit-sockets needs to GO AWAY!

Remove them and replace them with HD-capable interfaces like HDMI, DVI or komponent.

[phloyd]

There is an HDMI socket there - you just need to look harder.

There is also a component interface.

[morlock]

Originally Posted by phloyd

There is an HDMI socket there - you just need to look harder.

There is also a component interface.

I can see that. But they are output only.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by morlock

I can see that. But they are output only.

DVI/HDMI/component inputs for recording won't be permitted. And the encoding or storage requirements for raw HD would be insane anyway.

Firewire w/5C carrying the encoded output from DV or DTV would be nice.

Gary

[ProvenFlipper]

I'll be getting a BD recorder/HDD when one comes to the U.S. at $1500 with a cable card slot.

[cmbmedic]

Greetings All,

I don't think that Sony Japan will be selling the BDZ-V9 (500 gb) or the BDZ-V7 (250 gb) Blu-ray Recorder in the United States. I have the earlier version of the Sony CoCoon (NDR-XR1) that I bought in Japan that records HD (40 gb HHD) and I have the DHG-HDD500 Digital Recorder (500 GB) that records HD through Cable Card cable connection. I have the Sony VGC-RC310G Digital Studio Desktop with Blu-Ray Recorder to record on Blu Ray disk.

If you know that they will be selling the BDZ-V9 or V7 recorder with cable card connection in the US, please let me know. I want to be able to record in HD and put it on Blu ray disk. Even though Hard disk drives are getting cheap, I would still like to have the BDZ-V9 recorder to work with my new STR-DA5200ES Audio Receiver (3 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output) awesome stereo with a great graphics!

If they do not sell it in the US, I maybe forced to visit Japan next spring to buy one. But the TV tuner cards are different than in the US. Comments?

[phloyd]

Due to the copy protections in US cable (mostly), I would tend to wait until you can get cablecard and BD-R in the same box, since that would allow HBO movies etc to be recorded to BD discs for later viewing.

That sort of content is difficult to move between boxes, however a BD Recorder with 5c compliant firewire inputs should work with a firewire enabled Cable box also.

[ljg1118]

Aren't the I-link inputs firewire inputs?

[phloyd]

Firewire, i.Link and IEEE 1394 are all the same thing.

[francis]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

DVI/HDMI/component inputs for recording won't be permitted. And the encoding or storage requirements for raw HD would be insane anyway.

Firewire w/5C carrying the encoded output from DV or DTV would be nice.

Gary

OK but what I don't understand is why they don't have an RGB imput.

Francis

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by francis

OK but what I don't understand is why they don't have an RGB imput.

Same reasons they don't have HDMI inputs.

(1) To handle raw HD video would require a stunningly good real-time encoder which would be very expensive, or very large storage. And it is totally unnecessary since the Firewire can carry the original compressed content for recording.

(2) The concept is fought against because of piracy concerns.

Gary

[francis]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Same reasons they don't have HDMI inputs.

(1) To handle raw HD video would require a stunningly good real-time encoder which would be very expensive, or very large storage. And it is totally unnecessary since the Firewire can carry the original compressed content for recording.

(2) The concept is fought against because of piracy concerns.

Gary

Yes..I can imagine, but what about a simple standard definition RGB imput to let us record SD programs the same way we do with ours dvd recorders?
Otherwise the plain and simple advantage of letting us recording almost 6 hours of normal video at maximum mpeg dvd quality on a single blu ray disk, (which is the main reason I would like to have one of these items) is gone!
I can't believe they only put an S-video imput as the maximum imput for standard recording.
I had been expecting these recorders for recording series and programs for a lot more than the straight 1 hour and 40 minutes we are allowed to record at the maximum quality of about 10Mbps on a simple dual layer dvd disk...and now this!
Why don't putting at least a simple standard definition RGB imput?
Do you think they will change something on their oversea models?

Francis

[Uxi]

I wish they would bring that, with a CableCARD slot or two, to NA.