Geeky Mac

Also Announces New 32GB P2 Card to be Available by Year’s End

(SECAUCUS, NJ – February 20, 2007) Panasonic has introduced a 16GB P2 card* for its popular line of solid-state camcorders and decks and announced that it will begin deliveries of this solid-state memory card in May. In addition, Panasonic also announced that it’s developing a 32GB P2 card that will be available by the end of the year.

“P2 offers ultra reliability, flexible IT infrastructure compatibility, and a dramatic increase in recording capacity at a progressively lower cost,” said Robert Harris, Vice President, Marketing, Panasonic Broadcast. “A P2 HD camcorder such as our new AJ-HPX2000 with five P2 slots will be able to record up to 80 minutes of full frame rate, high definition content using five 16GB cards. When the 32GB P2 card arrives by year’s end, recording capacity will double once again.”

The P2 memory card uses ultra-reliable semiconductor memory and is resistant to impact, vibration, shock, dust and environmental extremes including sudden temperature changes. It connects instantly with laptops and major non-linear editing systems to eliminate the time-consuming task of digitizing, and is re-usable. It withstands impact up to 1,500G and vibration up to 15G, operates in temperatures from -4° to 176°F (-20 to 60°C), and can be stored in temperatures from -40° to 176°F (-40 to 80°C).

Developed for the most demanding broadcast and production applications, the P2 card consists of four SD cards, like those now used in digital still cameras, packaged in a rugged, die-cast frame that weighs only 0.099 lbs (45 grams). This convenient card has four times the capacity and four times the transfer speed of a single SD card. Unlike tapes and discs, it has no rotating or contact parts. It is built to withstand repeated recording and initialization over many years of use. The P2 card connector is specifically designed to stand up to the repeated insertion and removal (up to 30,000 cycles) involved in professional use. The P2 card transfers data at 640 mbps, a speed that discs or any other AV recording media cannot match, providing the professional user with faster, easier operation. Compared to tape or disc, the P2 card means substantially less consumption, resulting in savings in media costs and environmental benefits.

About Panasonic Broadcast
Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems.  Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the North American headquarters of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC) of Japan, and the hub of its U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations.  For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, access the company’s web site at http://www.panasonic.com/broadcast

*The 16GB P2 card will work immediately with new AG-HVX200 and AG-HPX500 camcorders purchased from May 2007 forward. Other existing P2 and P2 HD products will need a free, downloadable software upgrade available on the Panasonic website after May. Customers can visit the website for updates on upgrade availability.