Sony Begins Shipping Blu-ray Discs

Sony said Friday that it had begun the first shipments of its 25GB single layer discs, and it expected to debut a 50GB dual layer version in June. The discs include the company's proprietary AccuCore technology that offers enhanced reliability and durability, and also made it possible for Sony to offer the discs without a protective cartridge. The discs support a 2x transfer speed and a data transfer rate of 72 Mbps.

The 25GB write-once and rewritable discs will have a retail price of USD $20 and USD $25, respectively. When launched in June, the 50GB discs would retail for USD $48 and USD $60, Sony said. The company also said Friday that its Blu-ray Disc Association had recently surpassed 160 members, which plan to begin releasing the first players and PCs compatible with the format beginning this summer.