Tokyo, Japan- Sony Corporation today announced plans to launch a Media Converter, called the [DVMC-DA1], for converting analog video signals to digital video signals and vice versa. The converter will be released on the Japanese market this November.

With the Media Converter, users will be able to convert analog video signals, for instance, footage taken with an 8mm analog video camera, to digital video signals and record them on a DV tape, or upload the material to a Sony VAIO PC or any other personal computer with an i.LINK (IEEE-1394) connector. Both motion video and still pictures can be processed and edited on the PC without degradation of quality.

Main Features of DVMC-DA1

1. Converts analog video signal to a digital video signal and vice versa
2. Allows for input and output of an analog signal even when the converter is turned off
3. Offers the possibility of mixing the output of main sound and after-recorded sound
4. Provides a choice of 12 bit and 16 bit audio when inputting an analog signal

Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its music, pictures and computer entertainment operations make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of over $51 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1998, and it employs 173,000 people worldwide.