Press Release


The following information is true and accurate at the time of publication.
March 7, 2001



Global Sales of Professional Broadcast Use
Digital VTR [DVCAM] Exceed 200,000




Sony Corporation announced today that global sales of its professional broadcast use 1/4 inch digital VTR format [DVCAM], launched in September 1996, have exceeded 200,000 units (end of February 2001).

[DVCAM] is a digital VTR format that uses 1/4 inch tape, it was developed specially to speed-up the professional broadcast industry's adoption of digital formats. It is a professional broadcast use VTR format offering superb cost performance and special features that gives high picture quality and replay compatibility with consumer digital VTR (DV) via 4:1:1 and 8 bit digital component recording.

Starting with its introduction in 1996, Sony aggressively introduced [DVCAM] to the market with a focus on production houses, business, cable TV and video journalists. In 1998 Sony introduced the small, light-weight and low cost [DSR-PD100] camcorder. Followed by the introduction in 1999 of the top of the range [DSR-2000] VTR, that incorporates the necessary standard news editing functions and play back compatibility with all DV (25Mbps) recording tapes, plus the [DSR-500WS] camcorder with its high sensitivity and endurance.

Last year in edition to the top-end [DSR-2000] VTR, Sony introduced the [DVCAM-1000 Series] that includes the small, light-weight, low cost [DSR-PD 150] camcorder and the low cost, shoulder portable [DSR-250] camcorder plus the portable [DSR-50] VTR and the non-linear, small installation type [DSR-11] VTR. These new products will further enrich the [DVCAM] product line-up.

As a result, it has been possible to further expand sales channels from broadcast quality news production and documentary image capture to lower-end business use systems. The BBC in the UK, Canal Plus in France and Portugal's National Broadcast Company (RTP) have all adopted [DVCAM] for news gathering. Recently a wide variety of new low-end users, such as event photographers and film production companies seeking low cost, easy to use equipment have also started to use [DVCAM].

Sony aims to respond to a wide variety of different customer needs and demands by further enhancing the [DVCAM] line-up to offer solutions from in-house company use to broadcast quality news capture.

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