Sony Corporation announced that it is developing a next generation video archive storage system, which it plans to introduce in 2012.

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Unedited press release follows:

Sony announces next generation video archive storage system at IBC

Disc Archive Storage System set to revolutionise video and data archive storage market

Sony has announced that it is developing a next generation video archive storage system, which includes a cartridge that houses 12 optical discs and a specialised drive unit. Currently in the research and development stage, the Disc Archive Storage System will be introduced to the market in 2012.

Over the past few decades movie studios, broadcasting networks and production houses across the world have accumulated a massive quantity of tape. To manage this growth, a reliable, easy-to-operate, cost effective archive system was required by the industry immediately.

Sony’s Disk Archive Storage System offers a lower total cost of ownership through the use of long-life media, and includes inter-generational compatibility based on the same optical disc technology used in DVDs and Blu-rays. The archive solution puts 12 media discs in a firm cartridge enabling data to be handled on a per-file basis, by making the operating device recognise the system as a “single large volume storage unit” rather than by each individual disc. The cartridges are available in both a write-once format and a rewriteable format, with various capacity options from 300GB capacity up to 1.5TB available according to the customer’s requirements.

Sony aims to support enjoyable entertainment by connecting content from the past to the future and developing high-quality products from production to archiving. The Disc Archive Storage System demonstrates Sony’s commitment to listening and responding to the needs of its customers, having conducted extensive research into its customer’s archiving needs when it was developing the system.

Sony intends to work in an open platform environment with various component, middleware and software manufacturers, by disclosing the technical specifications of its Disc Archive Storage System.