CEDIA 2009

I get tons of e-mail asking if there are any Blu-ray recorders available in the US, and up to now, I've had to say no. But JVC changed my answer with the introduction of the SR-HD1500 and HD1250. They can't record over-the-air, cable, or satellite content, nor can they be used to duplicate copyrighted material. Instead, they are intended to record camcorder footage on recordable Blu-ray media. The camcorder can be connected via FireWire or USB, or a memory card can be inserted in the unit's card reader, and the footage is copied to an internal hard disk. It can then be edited and burned to BD-R or BD-RE with or without menus. The HD1250 has a 250GB hard disk and will list for $1995, while the HD1500 has a 500GB hard disk, can accept Final Cut Pro files, and will list for $2550; both will be available in October.