Memory Stick PRO-HG announced: 3x faster than Pro DUO, compatible

Oh joy, Sony and SanDisk just announced a new PRO-HG Memory Stick format. The latest format is theoretically capable of delivering 32GB cards touting a continuous write speed of up to 60MB/sec; the same max capacity as the PRO Duo format but three times faster -- ideal for rapid shot modes on DSLRs or for capturing the action in real-time on direct to flash HD video recorders. Unlike the competing SDHC format's inability to work in legacy SD devices, PRO-HG is just an extension of the Memory Stick Pro format so the cards can be used interchangeably. However, PRO-HG media will function as PRO cards in PRO-only devices. In other words, you'll lose the speed advantage brought by that swank new 8-bit parallel interface. Expect to see cards and devices launched at CES in January.

[Via Impress]

[stuclach @ Dec 11th 2006 8:53AM]

What percentage of the $600 price of the PS3 (or a $3000 TV) is going to R&D on garbage like this irrelevant technology? IF Sony had competent leadership they would have cut the strings on this proprietary crap long ago.

[Deluxe @ Dec 11th 2006 8:55AM]

No more proprietary than a Nintendo DS cartridge...

[ben @ Dec 11th 2006 9:06AM]

I care - I'm looking forward to this as I have a SE phone and other memory stick gadgets which will benefit from this.

[c.Lake @ Dec 12th 2006 8:42PM]

@stuclach
This is a tech site - so all tech news is relevant. I agree about Sony�s annoying proprietary format crap, but what ya� gonna do? There are so MANY (Sony) products that use Memory stick bluh, bluh, bluh. It�s too late for them to turn back now. However, a 4GB MS is perfect for the PSP and several Sony Ericsson phones.

[Ahrel @ Jan 6th 2008 6:02AM]

I read it, did you? It says that it will function in devices that use PRO DUO or PRO formats. In the PRO only format it will lose the speed advantage it has and operate at the max speed of a PRO, but it will still work.

[Scott @ Dec 11th 2006 10:52AM]

Uh, no...Your current devices will NOT benefit. Did you read the post?

[Jamar @ Dec 11th 2006 9:22AM]

I couldn't help it- I got to the HG part and the first thing that came to mind was seeing this thing in black leather making a "FOOOOOoooooooo!" noise when it's plugged in (for reference, see "Hard Gay" in Wikipedia).

[kitten @ Dec 11th 2006 9:23AM]

People sure love their Sony bashing. I don't really get it. They innovate. They bring out new products. Some work, some don't. But at least they don't just bring out the same old dull looking products most companies do. They lead the field in many areas. Perhaps they aspire to do too much sometimes & sure it's annoying that they always come out with different Memory Stick products when you've just bought a product with an older format. But they are constantly improving things, making things smaller and faster and generally there's an adaptor to make the new formats work in older devices. Surely such productivity should be applauded, not mocked?

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 11th 2006 10:02AM]

Blind hate is the only thing I can think of "kitten". People are like sheep. If one person start spouting "rootkit", "exploding batteries" and the like, people will hate on Sony even though they've never had the problem.

Personally, I've never had a problem with Sony hardware. I like the fact that they don't drop support for something as soon as it looks bad, (ahem, XBox 1, PlaysForSure, Mac IE, Win2K...) In fact I give credit to both Sony and Nintendo for at least trying to make their devices work. Even Nintendo still supports and publishes for the Gamecube even though it wasn't the hottest thing in the world.

[John Doe @ Dec 11th 2006 10:19AM]

No they love to fuck their consumer base over with products that aren't backwards compat. Example. I blew a grand on a camera back in...2000 I think. It used MS. Within 6 months sony introed the MS Pro. And to kick sand in my face it wasn't compatible with my camera. I had to use that Duo shit. Instantly my camera was worth shit all because Sony couldn't go with a standard. Guess what? A CF card from 2000 works in a device from 2006. A CF card from 2006 works on devices from 2000. Ditto with SD.
Sony can burn in hell with their proprietary shit.

[Mike Panic @ Dec 11th 2006 9:38AM]

ideal for rapid shot modes on DSLRs

Um.... what DSLR supports the memory stick? Not even the Alpha takes this horrible memory card design.

[Mark @ Dec 11th 2006 9:53AM]

I don't understand what people's issue with the Memory Stick is. How is it any more proprietary than any of the other stuff out there? Is an XBOX-360 cartridge an open-source format? I mean really folks, get a grip.

I ADMIRE Sony for doing something better than the SD-camp did. I do love SD more than Memory Stick simply because SD is more common, but SD sucks because their new high speed cards are backwards-incompatible. So Sony actually did something great here by making the card backwards compatible. My laptop has an SD/Memory stick/some other format reader built in, which means these newer cards will work flawlessly, even if "only" at Pro speed.

Good work Sony!

[sdc @ Dec 18th 2006 10:14PM]

> I don't understand what people's issue with the Memory Stick is.

1) On average, they cost $10-$20 more than SD cards with the same capacity. Just check any Staples circular.

2) Historically, there have been no real-world advantages to MS, despite Sony's claims. I used to be a corporate tech buyer and when I contacted Sony, they admitted as much. We decided to go with CF and SD for all our devices -- cheaper and more universal. Contact Sony as a corporate tech buyer and ask them to provide you a list of PRACTICAL advantages and you'll see what I mean.

3) MS was Sony's attempt to dominate the memory market from the very start. It was a needless attempt to introduce yet another format that was neither evolutionary (aka incompatible with prevailing formats) nor revolutionary (no real advantages in size, cost or features). Why don't they include slots for other media in their TVs, etc like other companies? Why not let the user decide what to use? Adding other slots shouldn't cost the consumer more than $10.

4) MS has larger overhead than other media. I've seen 60+ megs disappear from newly-formatted empty 512 meg MS Pro. My guess is that it's used by that stupid MagicGate "technology."

5) MS (or Sony Clie's) has copy protection issues. I've personally had problems copying MP3's legally ripped from CDs I own. Again, this seems to be a problem with MagicGate.

6) Sony loves to tout their MagicGate as a feature of MS, but have yet to show how it benefits the consumer. How does it help the user's experience? If anything, it has hampered mine. Why are we paying extra in capacity and cash for something that benefits Sony?

7) As proof that Sony purposely sabotages their users, take their Clie NX80/70. It was a technically superior PDA that we considered for all our employees. Impressively, it had both MS and CF slots. BUT, they PURPOSELY disabled the CF slot so that neither data nor programs can be saved to CF. It was only to be used for their CF WiFi card. WHY??? Why did't Sony allow consumers choose how to save data since the CF slot was built-in? Sony could not provide me with an answer, and merely touted the MS. Hackers quickly came up with ways to enable the CF for data. Had Sony truly cared about their consumers, they would have enabled the CF slot, or at least included the hacks on the CD. They refused to even acknowledge that the hacks existed. I've been using the hacks since day 1 with no problems.

In summary, MS was/is a needless attempt to add yet another media format. Indeed, it has several disadvantages (cost, overhead, original size vs SD, MagicGate). The fact that Sony refuses to add other media options to their products prove that their motive is format domination and not usability.

I refuse to buy another Sony product that *relies* on MS until they add other options (TVs, for example, don't count since you don't need a MS to use it. But no Sony cameras for me). It's one of the major reasons their Sony Clies failed in the US.

[Dan @ Dec 11th 2006 9:58AM]

Last I checked, you can use Memory Sticks in the Alpha using the Compact flash adapter.

[Phil @ Dec 11th 2006 1:48PM]

Andir3.0:

It's not blind hate - it's hate with eyes wide open. When you mentioned root kits and exploding batteries you forgot to mention UMD, millions of recalled camera CMOS sensors, and costly/wasteful DVD copy protection schemes that are cracked within days of their invention.

I think your problem is blind love. Lucky for Sony they have the PlayStation line to keep cranking out the fanboys to defend them.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not one of the haters. I have Sony products such as their camcorders and a PSP and will very likely get a PS3 when production ramps up and prices start dropping (believe me - they will drop prices - but after they finish ripping off you fanboys). I also think their studios put out great movies. But for you to criticize those that hate Sony for good reason is pretty sad.

[robby1051 @ Dec 11th 2006 10:14AM]

I want this in my PSP!
and bring on the 32gb cards!!!
10gbs of music 10gbs of video and space for images!
all with faster write speeds!
yay

[Damage @ Dec 11th 2006 12:16PM]

Then you've obviously forgotten about SDHC, XD, SmartMedia, amongst other memory format that's gone the way of the dinosaur.

Oh wait, at least they don't asplode and install rootkits.

[PreGHz @ Dec 11th 2006 2:28PM]

Not all CF cards from 2006 work in 2000 systems. Also, when you had to buy the Duos, did you go to a bigger size? You probably did. Sure, you had to invest in a new format, but you hardly got screwed. The Duo works in your camera with an adapter, does it not? And now there are 4 gig cards out there to stick in your camera for cheap. Why are you complaining?

You had to buy a smaller card, boohoo. I don't think you're gonna complain when you buy a smaller camera that's too small to fit a MS, but is perfect for an MSDuo.

Also, people forget. Plenty of other companies besides Sony recall stuff all the time. It's standard fair now that QA has decreased. None of us should be happy, but none of us should be angry solely at Sony either.

[SLUSHIE @ Dec 14th 2006 2:22PM]

You know they make an adapter so you can use a MS Duo in something that uses MS, isn't that amazing? So you actually could use MS Duo in your camera. I want to say something really mean.

[A.A. @ Dec 11th 2006 12:12PM]

I'm waiting to see if the next lot of Cybershot cameras will support the format.

[Veritas II @ Dec 11th 2006 2:51PM]

How does UMD make you hate Sony? Huh? If you don't like it don't buy it. It doesn't hurt you that it's on the shelves, so get over it. If it hurts you that it's on the shelves, that makes you a hater.

[Ben @ Dec 15th 2006 8:14PM]

Sony is not ripping of their "fanboys" with the PS3. They are losing money on every unit they ship.

[Phil @ Dec 11th 2006 3:12PM]

Veritas II:

I don't hate Sony or UMD. I just laugh at fanboys like you that defend every lame tech that Sony comes out with.

The people that do hate UMD hate it because Sony saves only about 75 cents per unit, by using a spinning optical media for PSP games and movies, than they would have spent if they used a cartridge-based delivery system. If they had done that then the PSP would have better battery life and less noise due to the lack of need for moving parts.

Sony was clearly trying to "invent" a new multimedia format - again without much success. And PSP owners have a lesser device than we would have if Sony had made better engineering and marketing decisions.

[wisemanleo @ Dec 11th 2006 9:11PM]

Woah, we're criticizing Sony's failed attempts at "inventing" a product? I guess Thomas Edison would have been fit to work for Sony then!

Wake up, already.

[Veritas II @ Dec 11th 2006 3:23PM]

Your assumption that I'm a fanboy for anything proves you're looking to hate. I own far more MS and Nintendo products than Sony, and it's likely to stay that way in the near future. But keep your blinders on, if they make you feel better. Keep assuming, cause in this case it's only making an ass out of you.

[Loc @ Dec 11th 2006 3:44PM]

@ Phil

How is Sony ripping off the so called "fanboys" when they're losing $250-$300 on their consoles? I have a Sony Ericsson cellphone, a 4 years old Sony camera, and I bought a PS3 at launch. I paid full retail price and I don't feel ripped off. So would that qualify me as a Sony fanboy?

A price drop would only rip off sony even more, not the other way around. I rather Sony put the money on quality games, then people can judge whether it's worth the $600 for it.

[no3rdw @ Dec 11th 2006 6:19PM]

When is Sony going to announce Memory Stick Micros at over 1GB?!

[JRA219psu @ Dec 12th 2006 12:44AM]

and the Sony bashing continues...
yes Sony has made some bad decisions, but who hasn't? I'm not defending them but every time Sony does ANYTHING theres always something wrong with it. Calm it down, sheesh. Sony does innovate, you know. And no risk, no reward. Sony just hasn't had a good ratio of that lately...

[Sam @ Dec 26th 2006 8:04PM]

> I agree about Sony�s annoying proprietary format crap, but what ya� gonna do?
> There are so MANY (Sony) products that use Memory stick bluh, bluh, bluh.
> It�s too late for them to turn back now.

Simple. As a gesture of customer goodwill, they should add an SD slot on all future devices. In fact, it won't take extra space because the same slot can be used for both SD and MS (as many card readers do). Additionally, they can sell an MS-SD adapter for those who don't mind having an SD card sticking out of their devices.

Of course Sony won't do this because given the choice, they know that consumers would choose the cheaper and more universal SD over their pointless MS format.

[Aaron @ Dec 14th 2006 11:00AM]

If the 4 gig memory sticks are already a ridiculous $200, I shudder to think what the 32 GB sticks will cost.

[cory @ Dec 17th 2006 3:00PM]

Last time i checked, the 4gb sony ms duo card was going for $130 at best buy. As we all know they don't even have close to the best prices, meaning it could easily be found for cheaper. Where did you come up with $200 for a 4gb card?

[Aaron @ Dec 18th 2006 7:50AM]

I think I saw it for that price at GameStop a few months back. You're right, you can get it much cheaper these days. What I was saying was they start out charging way too much for these cards. I think the 4 gb one was even higher than $200 at one point. If they can cut the price in half a year or so later, they must not cost all that much to manufacture. So what sort of price will they put on the 32 gb card? It would definitely be handy to have, but how many people are willing to pay more for the storage medium than they did for the device using it?

[cory @ Dec 18th 2006 3:23PM]

Ok, good point. Sorry to jump down your throat.