Sony finally made their BD player available for sale here in North America (for $999), and now here’s word that they’re starting to sell a Blu-ray recorder in Japan. Their BDZ-V9 BD recorder sells for the equivalent of about $2600. It can record on single-layer BD-R/RE discs only, which is a disappointment. If the recorder made full use of the BD format, it could record 50GB of data per disc, not just 25GB. The machine does include a 500GB hard disc for PVR use, however, so all is not lost.

The recorder can simultaneously record two programs, which is a must in my view for any PVR.

The player also has a lot of other features including iLink support. But I can’t get past the pricetag. Who would want to pay $2600 for a machine like this? I know I definitely wouldn’t. Start talking at the $1000 price point, and then maybe I’ll listen. (I also think most BD players are overpriced.)

Sony Blu-ray Recorder Hit Shops in Japan