Sharp Corporation announced that it will introduce two new AQUOS Blu-ray Disc recorders featuring support for Blu-ray 3D playback as well as the new BDXL format. The BD-HDW700 and BD-HDW70 recorders will be available in Japan beginning July 30, 2010.
According to the statement, in addition to Blu-ray 3D, the BD-HDW700 and BD-HDW70 are the first units to offer recording and playback of BDXL (BD-R XL) discs and employ a drive developed by Pioneer Digital Design and Manufacturing Corporation (PDDM), a joint venture of Sharp and Pioneer Corporation.
For more information visit: www.sharp.co.jp
Unedited press release follows:
Sharp to Introduce Two New AQUOS Blu-ray Disc Recorders
Support for Blu-ray 3D™ Disc Playback
Users Can Enjoy 3D Video and Audio with a Realistic Sense of Depth and Presence
Sharp Corporation will introduce into the Japanese market two new AQUOS Blu-ray Disc Recorders that support playback of Blu-ray 3D™ discs.
The BD-HDW700 and BD-HDW70 Blu-ray Disc Recorders support playback of Blu-ray 3D™ discs containing 3D Blu-ray content recorded in conformance with the MPEG4-MVC technical standard for compressed 3D video. By connecting to the 3D-compatible AQUOS Quattron 3D LCD TV, viewers can enjoy watching 3D video with a realistic sense of depth*1. In addition, these units feature a stereo headphone jack that supports Surround Sound Audio Output, which produces impressive surround sound, enabling listeners to enjoy audio with an exceptionally realistic sense of presence even when using headphones.
Further, these models feature Sharp’s New Transcoder, a proprietary video compression scheme that enables extended recording of video data with high image quality and recording of two programs simultaneously in approximately (maximum) 10X extended record mode*2.
Beyond this, these units also feature a full suite of functions to enable linking with peripheral devices, including support for recording HD video from SKY PerfecTV! HD and cable TV (CATV)*3, as well as home network functions*4 that enable viewers to enjoy content recorded on these units on an AQUOS TV located in another room via a local area network.
In addition, Sharp will simultaneously introduce the VR-HSA100 and VR-HSB10 Stereo Headphones, which are ideal for enjoying virtual surround audio with these units.
| Product name | Blu-ray Disc Recorder | |
| Nickname | AQUOS Blu-ray | |
| Model name | BD-HDW700 | BD-HDW70 |
| Tuners | Terrestrial/BS/CS110° digital x 2, terrestrial analog x 1 | |
| Hard drive capacity | 2TB | 1TB |
| Suggested retail price | Open | |
| Date of introduction in Japan | July 30, 2010 | |
| Monthly production | 20,000 units (total for the two models) | |
Major Features
1. Supports playback of Blu-ray 3D™ discs, enabling users to enjoy 3D video with a realistic sense of presence and depth.
2. Headphone jack supports Surround Sound Audio Output, allowing users to enjoy impressive surround sound.
3. New Transcoder and Super-Fine Image Quality technology enable extended recording times of two programs simultaneously at full HD resolution in approximately (maximum) 10X mode.
4. Support for home network functions in addition to the ability to record in HD mode from SKY PerfecTV! HD broadcasts and cable TV.
These AQUOS Blu-ray Disc Recorders support the new BDXL™ format (as of July 16, 2010).
*1 Requires connection via HDMI cable to 3D-compatible TVs such as the LV Series of AQUOS Quattron 3D LCD TVs. Please refer to instruction manuals of the 3D TVs to learn about compatibility.
*2 A guideline for comparison of potential recording time when recording video at full HD resolution from BS/CS110° digital broadcasts onto a hard drive or Blu-ray Disc using DR mode (direct recording for full image quality) and 10X extended recording mode, respectively. In the case of terrestrial digital broadcasts, there may be instances when the compression ratio will be less than 10X depending on the content of the broadcast program. Note also that Sharp recommends that 3D images in side-by-side format be recorded in DR mode.
*3 Recording is only possible on the internal hard drive built into the unit. Programmed (timer) recording linked to electronic programming guides distributed by various services is possible by using a LAN cable (sold separately) to connect to the SKY PerfecTV! HD-compatible tuner, or connecting to a cable TV set top box using an i.LINK cable (sold separately). (A separate subscription is required to access content on SKY PerfecTV! HD or on cable TV.) Note that SKY PerfecTV! HD and cable TV content will be recorded with the video quality exactly as broadcast. In addition, there is no guarantee that a connection can be made with all cable TV set top boxes. Please visit the support page on the Sharp website to view a list of compatible models (http://www.sharp.co.jp/support/av/dvd).
*4 Requires a connection via a LAN cable (sold separately) with an AQUOS LCD TV that supports video recording on DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) devices. Note that there is no guarantee that a connection can be made with all home network-compatible TVs. Please visit the support page on the Sharp website to view a list of compatible models (http://www.sharp.co.jp/support/av/dvd).
Specifications
| Model name | BD-HDW700 | BD-HDW70 | ||
| Hard drive capacity*5 | 2TB (2,000 GB) | 1TB (1,000 GB) | ||
| Recordable discs*6 | BD-RE Ver. 2.1 (single layer/dual layer),
BD-R Ver. 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.2LTH/1.3LTH (single layer/dual layer), DVD-RW/-R (CPRM compatible), DVD-R DL (CPRM compatible) |
|||
| Playable discs | BD video, BD-RE Ver. 2.1 (single layer/dual layer),
BD-R Ver. 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.2LTH/1.3LTH (single layer/dual layer), DVD-RW/-R, DVD video, standard audio CDs, CD-RW/-R (audio CD format, JPEG), DVD-RAM*7, DVD+RW/+R (video format finalized) |
|||
| Recording compression method (hard drive) | Video | MPEG2, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 | ||
| Audio | MPEG2 AAC, Dolby Digital 2-channel | |||
| Recording compression method (BD-RE/-R) | Video | MPEG2, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 | ||
| Audio | MPEG2 AAC, Dolby Digital 2-channel | |||
| Recording compression method (DVD-RW/-R) | Video | MPEG2 | ||
| Audio | Dolby Digital (2-channel), linear PCM (2-channel) | |||
| Approx. recording time*8 (hard drive) | Terrestrial digital broadcast high-definition recording (DR) | Approx. 255 hours | Approx. 127 hours | |
| BS digital broadcast high-definition recording (DR) | Approx. 180 hours | Approx. 89 hours | ||
| H.264 extended recording (10X) | Approx. 1,807 hours | Approx. 899 hours | ||
| Standard TV quality (MN10) | Approx. 2,890 hours | Approx. 1,439 hours | ||
| Approx. BD recording time*8 (25GB) | Terrestrial digital broadcast high-definition recording (DR) | Approx. 3 hours | ||
| BS digital broadcast high-definition recording (DR) | Approx. 2 hours and 10 minutes | |||
| H.264 extended recording (10X) | Approx. 21 hours and 40 minutes | |||
| Standard TV quality (MN01) | Approx. 34 hours and 40 minutes | |||
| Approx. BD recording time*8 (50GB) | Terrestrial digital broadcast high-definition recording (DR) | Approx. 6 hours | ||
| BS digital broadcast high-definition recording (DR) | Approx. 4 hours and 20 minutes | |||
| H.264 extended recording (10X) | Approx. 43 hours and 20 minutes | |||
| Standard TV quality (MN01) | Approx. 48 hours | |||
| Approx. DVD recording time*8 (4.7GB) | VR format | 1–8 hours (XP, SP, LP, EP, MN65–MN01) | ||
| Video format | 1–8 hours (XP, SP, LP, EP, MN65–MN01) | |||
| Dubbing speed (HDTV) | Hard drive to / from BD: Max. 60 times speed*9 | |||
| Video digital-to-analog converter | 12-bit/148.5 MHz | |||
| Jacks | Input | Video | 2 (gold-plated jack) | |
| S-Video | 2 (gold-plated jack) | |||
| Audio | 2 (gold-plated jack) | |||
| Antenna | Terrestrial digital/analog x 1; BS/CS110° digital x 1 | |||
| Output | Video | 1 (gold-plated jack) | ||
| S-Video | 1 (gold-plated jack) | |||
| D video | 1 (D1/D2/D3/D4) | |||
| HDMI | 2 (gold-plated jack)*10 | |||
| Audio | 2 (gold-plated jack) | |||
| Digital audio | Optical x 1; coaxial x 1 (gold-plated jack) | |||
| Headphone | 1 (stereo mini) | |||
| Antenna | Terrestrial digital/analog x 1; BS/CS110° digital x 1 | |||
| Input/output | i.LINK | 1 (HDV input/TS) | ||
| Data input/output | 1 (USB compatible; meets mass storage class standards) | |||
| LAN | 1 (100Base-TX/10Base-T) | |||
| External dimensions (W x D x H)
(not including protruding parts) |
434 x 301 x 76 mm | 434 x 301 x 67 mm | ||
| Main unit weight | Approx. 5.5 kg | Approx. 5.4 kg | ||
| Power supply | 100 V AC, 50/60 Hz | |||
| Accessories | Wireless remote control, two AA dry cell batteries, connection/setup guide, easy user’s guide, operation manual (connection/preparation, operation), warranty card, antenna cable, HDMI cable (2-m, gold-plated), video/audio cord (gold-plated), B-CAS card, two power cords | |||
*5 Hard drive capacity is calculated as 1GB = 1 billion bytes.
*6 TV programs cannot be recorded directly onto DVD. They must first be recorded onto the hard drive and then dubbed (moved) to a DVD.
*7 When using a DVD-RAM disc, the playback disc must be removed from the cartridge.
*8 All recording times are rough estimates. There may be instances in which these recording times do not match the actual recording time or the remaining time display shown on the screen.
*9 Based on the shortest dubbing time when dubbing a 1-hour terrestrial digital TV program recorded using 10X mode on the hard drive to a BD-R Ver. 1.3/6X (25GB) disc. In addition, dubbing time and speed may vary depending on conditions such as the state of the hard disk.
*10 One of the two output jacks (sub output) is scheduled to be functional at a later date with a software update from the digital broadcast download service. The sub output jack is for audio only, so there is no video output.