San Diego, Calif. — Sony will offer faster Memory Stick media and updated video editing software to complement the release of its new high-definition camcorders.
A new line of Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo media boasts data transfer speeds up to three times faster than standard Duo memory, Sony said. It achieves its speed boost — up to 30MBps — thanks to an 8-bit parallel interface, up from the 4-bit interface available on older Memory Sticks.
The cards are also backwards compatible with existing 4-bit hardware. When used in older, 4-bit capable devices, the memory achieves a 15MBps transfer speed.
Sony will sell an ExpressCard adapter for the new Memory Stick for PCs with an ExpressCard slot. According to Sony, using the ExpressCard adapter lets consumers transfer 3.6GB of HD video, roughly one hour’s worth, in about two minutes.
The cards will ship in August, two months after the company’s new HDR-CX7 flash-based camcorder is set to hit store shelves. It will be available in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB capacities for an estimated $60, $90 and $150, respectively.
Sony’s Creative Software division will also update its Vegas 7 non-linear video editing program to support the newly introduced AVCHD-based camcorders. Version 7.0e lets users create HD or standard-definition content from AVCHD files. The update, available May 1, will be free to registered users of Vegas 7.
Sony will also update its Vegas Movie Studio Platinum Edition 8 consumer editing software with AVCHD editing capability in July.
