Press Release

July 24, 2006

SONY UNVEILS NEW INDUSTRY-LEADING DVDIRECT™ RECORDER WITH EASIER HOME VIDEO TO DVD TRANSFER CAPABILITY

TORONTO, Ontario -- Sony of Canada Ltd., Canada's leading electronic and computer products solutions provider for consumers and business, today expanded its DVDirect™ DVD recorder family with one new model – the video- and digital photo-capable VRD-MC3 recorder.

The Sony VRD-MC3 DVDirect DVD recorder sports "computer-free" synchronization with Sony's new hard disk drive-based Handycam® camcorders, making it easier than ever to preserve and share memories.

This next-generation DVDirect recorder also enables easy, real-time recording of home video footage, digital still images and television shows from digital video recorders to DVDs, all without the need for a computer.

It allows for quick and effortless high-quality video transfers from a digital camcorder via a Hi-Speed USB (universal serial bus) using Handycam cameras or Digital Video (DV) interfaces.

By connecting to the new Sony DCR-SR80, DCR-SR60, DCR-SR40 Handycam camcorders, users can simply push the "DVD burn" button on the HDD Handycam Station, and the VRD-MC3 DVDirect DVD recorder will automatically detect the camcorder's newest contents and immediately burn them to DVD.

For easier sharing and archiving users can also consolidate several mini-DVDs into a single full size DVD by directly connecting, via USB, to Sony DVD Handycams camcorders.

"The VRD-MC3 DVDirect DVD recorder provides an effortless solution for burning content directly from a camcorder to a DVD with a touch of a button, providing home movie and digital photographers with the simplest, most convenient means for sharing and preserving their precious memories," said Frank Holcomb, Product Manager, Computer Displays, Consumer Software and Optical Storage, Consumer Audio Visual/Information Technology Group, Sony of Canada Ltd.

The VRD-MC3 DVDirect DVD recorder also enables computer-free recording of digital still images directly from flash memory cards to DVD so users can store photos or create a slideshow for playback on a home DVD player or personal computer DVD ROM drive.

Additionally, it can transfer television shows directly from a digital video recorder to a DVD, allowing users to create a backup, free up space on their DVR for additional recording or take their content with them for playback on a portable device.

The multi-function VRD-MC3 recorder has a 2.5-inch colour LCD (liquid crystal display) with a wide-view filter – three times wider than the previous model – for easy previewing of video and images when used in stand-alone mode. It also features slots for five of the most popular digital camera flash media cards, including Memory Stick® and Memory Stick Duo™ storage media, Compact Flash®, Secure Digital (SD), and xD cards. The recorder also keeps the JPEG files in their original high-resolution format, and is PictBridge™-compatible, making it ideal for printing individual digital pictures and backing up files.

For optimum flexibility, both models also incorporate Hi-Speed USB, digital video (i.LINK®/FireWire®/IEEE 1394), and analog S-video and composite video inputs, enabling direct connection of a DVR, camcorder or VCR to transfer tape-based videos to DVD.

The new VRD-MC3 DVDirect model maintains Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, as well as 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. It can also burn up to 12 hours of high-quality hardware-encoded MPEG-2 video on DVD+R DL double layer discs and up to four hours of video or up to 2,000 photos (VRD-MC3 only) onto supported standard, single layer discs. These discs can then be played back and enjoyed on most home DVD players or computer DVD-ROM drives.

It comes with the Nero® Essentials software suite, which is to be used when it is attached to a PC via Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) for consumers who like to customize their home movies and digital pictures.

The included software applications help create copies of home movies and slideshows, as well as DVD discs with customized menus and other advanced features. The bundle includes DVD-video playing, backup, disc label creation and drive tool software.

In computer-attached mode, the VRD-MC3 DVDirect DVD recorder can burn DVD+R and DVD-R discs at 16X max, which equates to about six minutes of recording time for about two hours of video. It also supports 8X DVD-R DL/DVD+R DL/+RW, 6X DVD-RW, 40X CD-R and24X CD-RW maximum recording speeds.

The VRD-MC3 DVDirect DVD recorder will be available in October at a manufacturers' suggested retail price (MSRP) of $299.99.

About Sony of Canada Ltd.

Established in 1955, Sony of Canada Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, a world leader in the manufacture and marketing of electronic and computer products for consumer, business, electronics publishing and multimedia applications on a global scale. With headquarters in Toronto, sales offices in Vancouver and Montreal and distribution centres in Coquitlam, British Columbia, and Whitby, Ontario, approximately 1,000 employees support 77 Sony stores and a network of more than 500 authorized dealers across Canada.

For further information, please visit us at www.sony.ca, www.thesonystore.ca, www.sonybiz.ca or www.sonystyle.ca, Sony's product information and e-commerce Web site, or contact:

John B. Challinor II   APR    
General Manager, Advertising   
& Corporate Communications    
Sony of Canada Ltd.     
(416) 495-3740     
john_challinor@sony.ca    

Shawna Rossi
Senior Counsellor
Technology Practice
Silverhammer Public Relations
(416) 324-2024, Ext. 3
shawna_rossi@silver-hammer.com

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