Verbatim Intros Mini Blu-ray Discs

Will Hit Stores In September

By John Laposky -- TWICE, 8/2/2007

New York — Verbatim and Imation announced the shipping of the first wave of Mini Blu-ray recordable/rewriteable (BD-R/RE) media to reach the consumer market.

The new 8cm 7.5GB discs provide approximately one hour of continuous video capture time on a single side in 1920 by 1080i high definition, and approximately two hours of video capture time with images recorded at 1440 by 1080i.

Verbatim will make Mini BD media available in August in Japan, where the new Hitachi BD-compatible camcorder will be launched. Verbatim will begin shipments of the media to other parts of the world, including North America, when the new BD-compatible camcorders become available locally.

Ths discs include a proprietary hard-coat finish with anti-static and anti-scratch properties, Verbatim said.

The media is produced at Verbatim parent MKM’s optical disc manufacturing facility in Mizushima, Japan.

The discs will retail for $20 each “initially,” according to a Verbatim spokesman.

Imation’s TDK branded discs will begin shipping in the United States in September at suggested retails of $24.99 for -R and $34.99 for -RE respectively. TDK manufactures these discs and supplies the product to Imation for sale under the TDK Life on Record brand.