New York, N.Y – Sony Corporation of America appointed Mike Fidler Senior vice president of its Blu-ray Disc Group.
The announcement comes a week after Sony announced plans to introduce in Japan on April 10 the world’s first Blu-ray Disc recorder ($3,800), capable of recording and playing back HDTV sources from new DVD-sized optical discs.
No plans were announced for a U.S. version of the recorder.
Fidler, who helped spearhead the market launch of Sony’s DVD players, will be responsible for promoting the Blu-ray format to relevant industries including motion picture studios, music labels, consumer electronics manufacturers, optical replication and post-production houses, Sony said.
Fidler will establish a Blu-ray Information Office, which will serve to educate and disseminate information about the format.
He will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Nicole Seligman, SCA executive VP and General Counsel.
‘Blu-ray technology will have a great impact on the future of the electronics and entertainment industries, and I am pleased that Mike will be representing us with these groups,’ said Seligman. ‘He has the knowledge, experience, and leadership skills necessary to promote this format successfully.’
Fidler, a six-year Sony veteran, was most recently senior vice president of the Digital Platform Division of America at Sony Electronics, where he was responsible for directing the design and engineering of Sony’s Digital Media products. This included set-top boxes for consumers and cable operators, DirecTV satellite receivers, and digital network recorders.
Prior to that position, Fidler led Sony’s efforts in the Home Video/Digital Media Marketing area. In this position, he directed all of Sony Electronics Home Entertainment marketing, including business and product planning, and retail communications.
Fidler also worked closely with other divisions to help orchestrate the corporation’s efforts in hardware, software replication and production.
Fidler was a founding member and VP of the DVD Entertainment Group, which promotes the DVD video format.
Before joining Sony, Fidler worked for Pioneer Electronics.
