SanDisk launches high-definition video card line for digital camcorders

SanDisk were busy at CES 2008 and among the announcements was the release of a line of Flash memory based high performance video cards for use in digital camcorders. The SanDisk Video HD cards will be available in SDHC (high capacity) and Memory Stick PRO Duo formats, and will be identified not only by capacity, but also by minutes of recording time. Designed to overcome the problems consumers face in estimating just how much recording time is available from various resolution settings, the SanDisk Video HD card packaging offers a chart that shows the approximate number of minutes for HD High, HD Standard and HD Extended settings.

The concept of launching the new cards was driven by the proliferation of HD-capable flash-memory-based camcorders and hybrid camcorders that contain both hard drives and card slots. The SanDisk Video HD cards exceed the performance required by high definition camcorders, making them ideal for 1080 High Definition recording, but they can also be used in recording standard video and work in point-and-shoot digital still cameras that have video capabilities. They also feature a fast read speed, making for efficient transfer speeds to a PC.

The SanDisk Video HD cards are expected to be available starting in March for North America and shortly afterwards for Europe. They will be offered in 60-minute (4GB) and 120-minute (8GB) times – on the HD Standard setting – for both SDHC and Memory Stick PRO Duo formats. Suggested retail prices are US$79.99 and US$139.99 respectively, for the 4GB and 8GB SDHC cards, and US$79.99 and US$149.99 respectively, for the Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.