TOKYO, May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Panasonic, the brand name for which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, and Sony Corporation today announced specifications for "AVCHD," a brand new high definition (HD) digital video camera recorder format the two companies jointly established. The AVCHD format allows for recording and playback high-resolution, digital HD images using 8cm DVD media.

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The two companies have started preparations for licensing to extensively promote the format throughout the industry.

In Japan, BS digital HD broadcasting and digital terrestrial broadcasting are expanding widely. Coupled with the emerging growth of HD broadcasting across the world, penetration of HD-capable TV sets is gaining unprecedented momentum. This sets the stage for enjoying HD images more easily at home. Panasonic and Sony will extensively promote this format throughout the industry as the new HD digital video camera recorder format best suited for the HD era.

The "AVCHD" is an HD digital video camera format for recording 1080i(*1) and 720p(*2) signals onto 8cm DVD media by using highly efficient codec technologies. The format employs MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec for video compression, and Dolby Digital (AC-3) or Linear PCM for audio codec. This makes it possible to develop HD video camera recorders which achieve compact size as well as high-quality video and audio.

The MPEG-4/H.264 codec is a promising technology which is over two times more efficient than MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 codec technologies. By adopting this technology, an "AVCHD" video camera recorder can record high quality HD video images onto 8cm DVD media.

*1: 1080i one of HD specifications that has 1080 efficient scanning lines by interlace method *2: 720p one of HD specifications that has 720 efficient scanning lines by progressive method [Outlines of "AVCHD" Format] Recording Media 8cm DVD Wave Length of LASER 650nm VIDEO Video Signal 1080/60i 720/60p 480/60i 576/50i 1080/50i 720/50p 1080/24p 720/24p Number of Pixels (Horizontal x Vertical) 1920 x 1080 1280 x 720 720 x 480 720 x 576 1440 x 1080 Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:9 4:3, 16:9 4:3, 16:9 Compression Method MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Sampling Frequency for Luminance Signal 74.25MHz 74.25MHz 13.5MHz 13.5MHz 55.7MHz Sampling Format 4:2:0 Quantization Bit Rate 8bits (Luminance / Chrominance) AUDIO Compression Method Dolby Digital (AC-3) Linear PCM Bit Rate after Compression 64 - 640 kbps 1.5Mbps (2 channels) Audio Mode 1 - 5.1 channel 1 - 7.1 channel System MPEG-2 Transport Stream System Bit Rate up to 18Mbps About Panasonic

Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of US$76.02 billion for the year ended March 31, 2006. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, New York , Euronext Amsterdam and Frankfurt stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/ .

About Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading personal broadband entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $64 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/

CONTACT: Akira Kadota of Matsushita Electric, Panasonic News Bureau,
Japan, +81-3-3578-1237, or +81-3-3542-6205; Jim Reilly, +1-201-392-6067,
reillyj@us.panasonic.com, or Will Safer, +1-201-392-6124,
saferw@us.panasonic.com, both of Panasonic Corporation of North America, USA;
Sony Corporation, Corporate Communications, +81-3-5448-2200; Yolanda Hunt-Boes
of Sony Corporation, North America, +1-858-942-4174,
Yolanda.Hunt-Boes@am.sony.com

Web site: http://panasonic.net/
http://www.sony.net/