DailyTech - SanDisk and Sony Announce Memory Stick PRO-HG Format

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Hardware SanDisk and Sony Announce Memory Stick PRO-HG Format
Brandon Hill (Blog) - December 11, 2006 10:27 AM

25 comment(s) - last by EclipsedAurora.. on Dec 12 at 9:29 PM

Sony and SanDisk bump speed, capacity for the Memory Stick format

Sony and SanDisk, never ones to back down on releasing another memory card format for consumers to use, have taken the wraps off Memory Stick PRO-HG. Luckily for consumers this time around, Memory Stick PRO-HG is compatible with the existing Memory Stick PRO format and will be available in sizes up to 32GB.

Memory Stick PRO-HG is expected to take digital storage to the next level by adding increased performance and large capacities (up to 32GB). Performance has been increased by upping the internal core clock from 40MHz to 60MHz. As a result, the maximum data rate has jumped to 60MB/sec -- three times that of the Memory Stick PRO format. Minimum write speed for Memory Stick PRO-HG media is listed at 15MB/sec.

“Sony and SanDisk share the common goal of providing exciting new digital audio and video applications to consumers,” said Eli Harari, Chairman and CEO for SanDisk. “This is the driving force that is behind our relentless efforts to leverage our expertise and extensive intellectual property in flash memory cards to develop the Memory Stick PRO-HG. I am proud of the close cooperation we have with Sony over the years and look forward to seeing the exciting new products that Memory Stick PRO-HG media enable.”

Memory Stick PRO-HG is an extension of Memory Stick PRO so Memory Stick PRO-HG media can work in Memory Stick PRO devices and vice versa.

The first Memory Stick PRO-HG media will be available in 2007. There is no word on when the format's maximum 32GB storage capacity will be reached.

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Say what you will about Sony...

By SexyK on 12/11/2006 10:59:33 AM , Rating: 2

...but 32GB is the memory stick form factor will be very impressive assuming it comes sometime this decade.

RE: Say what you will about Sony...

By One43637 on 12/11/2006 11:21:52 AM , Rating: 2

that is impressive, and yet i wonder how long it will take to get up to 32GB without costing an arm and a leg.

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RE: Say what you will about Sony...

By Assimilator87 on 12/11/2006 1:35:25 PM , Rating: 2

60MB/s is pretty impressive considering that 150X SD has a transfer rate of 22.5MB/s.

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RE: Say what you will about Sony...

By Xajel on 12/11/2006 1:51:31 PM , Rating: 2

Note... they said the maximum size for it is 32GB, but hey didn't say the 32GB will be the maximum size for the Duo version...
the Duo version is smaller than the normal legacy MS, the Duo is about half the size ( it's in the picture ) and used widly in phones like K750i ( mine ) and W800 and some other, the PSP is using the Duo version too...

the original size is about twice this size. I guess the 32GB size will be for the original MS size not the Duo, the Duo may have 16GB maximum

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RE: Say what you will about Sony...

By EclipsedAurora on 12/12/2006 9:29:33 PM , Rating: 2

nope
The 32GB limit is due to addressing limitation

So all MS-Pro, MS Duo Pro, and MS Micro (M2) has upper limit at 32GB.

MS family are traditionally has better compatability than SD. Original SD format has upper limit at 2GB due to hardware and software limitation (e.g. SD has oldie FAT16), while the new SD-HC format is not backward compatable with old SD. In contrast, many old CyberShot and VAIO can support MS-Pro/Pro Duo thur firmware upgrade, even having speed limited on older formats.

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Only one thing I'm curious about...

By vdig on 12/11/06, Rating: 0

RE: Only one thing I'm curious about...

By dice1111 on 12/11/2006 12:02:34 PM , Rating: 5

Wii uses SD flash, not Sony's Memory Stick.

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RE: Only one thing I'm curious about...

By h0kiez on 12/11/2006 12:54:14 PM , Rating: 4

As does everything else...except Sony.

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Compatibility?

By subhajit on 12/11/2006 11:25:48 AM , Rating: 2

So is this compatible with existing Memory Stick Pro Duo supporting phones like SE W800i? Even at (existing) lower speed?

RE: Compatibility?

By klingon on 12/11/2006 11:31:55 AM , Rating: 2

yes it is compatible....abt speed.. well it might get dragged a bit.

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RE: Compatibility?

By dice1111 on 12/11/2006 11:59:22 AM , Rating: 2

Are we sure about this? Would someone be able to link up something official?

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RE: Compatibility?

By AkumaX on 12/11/2006 11:46:01 AM , Rating: 2

hopefully... it'd be nice to see 32gb on the PSP XD

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Ugh

By Soviet Robot on 12/11/2006 4:49:48 PM , Rating: 2

Just what we need, another sony proprietary memory format.
I had to pay $80 just to get a memory stick for my sony phone.

RE: Ugh

By Hare on 12/11/2006 5:25:01 PM , Rating: 2

Funny. I just bought a ~20€ 512mb card. Memsticks aren't expensive.

So what if it's propriety format. There are so many standards that it's impossible to buy a card and use it with everything.

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RE: Ugh

By ninjit on 12/11/2006 11:03:39 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
I'm a graduate student at a very significant Earth sciences school, and this is something we obviously talk about all the time.

Really?

My microSD card works in my phone, my camera, my pda, my computer(s), my GPS unit (both handheld and in-car units).
And now will also work with a Wii, a nintendo DS, many digital picture-frames, some mp3 players and car stereos...

Should I stop now? Do you get the idea? The only reason Sony keeps pushing the MemoryStick format is to profit from royalties.

Oh wait, even the PS3 can use SD cards!

So, yes you can in fact use a single non-propietary memory card formfactor for all your needs.

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RE: Ugh

By ninjit on 12/11/2006 11:05:24 PM , Rating: 2

ok, I don't know how that quote showed up instead of what I wanted.

I was trying to quote the guy from europe who seems to think it's impossible to get along with only one memory card format

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Sony so what?

By MScrip on 12/11/2006 5:56:04 PM , Rating: 3

I'm sick of hearing the "Sony proprietay memory" argument. Sure they invented the Memory Stick, and you need one to use in a Sony camera. But, Sony cameras are one of the best selling cameras. When you buy any digital camera, you buy a big memory card to go with it.

Any printer you buy has a Memory Stick slot, and multi card readers accept Memory Sticks. The photo center at Walgreens takes Memory Sticks too. It's a supported standard. Sony sold about 15 million digital cameras in 2005, so there's plenty of support for them.

A few years ago, Compact Flash ruled the market. Then, your next camera probably needed SD cards or Memory Sticks. So, you're gonna need a new card anyway. That digital camera you've had for 3 years has a tiny memory card in it, so you're gonna get a bigger one.

I would guess that SD card cameras lead all sales, followed by Sony. What's the problem?

Fuji makes a lot of nice cameras, but they use XD cards. What?

RE: Sony so what?

By ninjit on 12/11/2006 11:14:49 PM , Rating: 2

Why are you sick of it?
It's a perfectly reasonable argument. There's no need to invent your own memory card formate when there are perfectly acceptable solutions already on the market.

The only reason, is to lock your customers into buying your products, and any other manufacturers into paying you a royalty fee to produce compatible products. This is the dream of every single major electronics company: to profit from your product and absolutely EVERYTHING related to it. And if they can get away with it (as Sony has) more power to them.

But from a consumer stand-point, it isn't acceptable at all. And neither is the xD format, which is a shame because I love olympus cameras.

You mentioned the Compact Flash format that was ubiquitous before? Well I could take the CF card from my Canon camera and stick it into my Compaq PDA to email pictures to my friends while on the road. Can't do that with memory stick, unless everything I own is Sony (really reduces my choice when it comes to products, they don't necessarily make the best everything).

So I'm not happy with proprietary formats, and I think most consumers (and 3rd party manufacturers) aren't happy about it either, but you obviously are.

So I wish you, and that Sony tatoo across your forehead, a long prosperous (for Sony) relationship

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RE: Sony so what?

By MScrip on 12/12/2006 1:08:05 AM , Rating: 2

And my point is that memory cards don't sell cameras. Cameras do. And people buy whatever card their camera takes. And if they get a new camera, and can't use their old memory card in their new camera... big deal. They'll have a new camera with a new memory card, and an old camera with an old memory card to keep as a backup, give to kids or grandparents. You can't take everything with you. How many people buy a new laptop and transfer components from the old laptop to the new laptop?

I bet 90% of consumers never take the memory card out of the camera. Usually, someone buys one camera and one memory card... and that's it. It's not like buying a printer, where you keep buying ink every 2 months.

In 2 or 3 years they might wanna buy another camera. Will they feel "locked-in" by their 2 year old memory card? Probably not. They'll just buy what's new. That 128mb card from 2 years ago won't cut it today.

So you'd never buy an Olympus camera just because it uses an xD card? What else would you want to do with an xD card? Just keep it in the camera and take some pictures.

You think Sony is guilty of making a new memory card standard. But, it's become an accepted standard today. Who made CompactFlash, SD, MMC, xD, SmartMedia, etc? Who's bright idea was that? At least Sony is sticking with their creation.

If someone has an SD card camera now... does that mean they'll have to keep buying SD cameras forever? I think the type of flash memory a camera uses is irrelevant in camera purchases.

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good for psp owners

By loser311 on 12/11/2006 2:53:20 PM , Rating: 2

I'm sure the 32 gb sticks will be ridiculously priced but one of these in my psp would be greatness.

RE: good for psp owners

By Serlant on 12/11/2006 4:10:29 PM , Rating: 2

Good for psp owners? either by the time you could buy a 32Gb one to go in your psp the psp would be out dated, let alone proberbly be worth alot more than your PSP

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RE: good for psp owners

By loser311 on 12/11/2006 10:13:51 PM , Rating: 2

I doubt the psp will be outdated its got a few good years left in it, even more with the modding and hacking community. And like I said i'm sure the 32gb stick will be very high priced but even something along the line of 8gb would be a good upgrade from the current 4gb being the maximum.

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