SDHC to boost SD capacities, befuddle consumers
Yeah, we're just as excited as you about a new memory card format, and really can't wait for all the confusion and accessory purchasing that it will entail, but the SD Card Association seems to think it's for the betterment of humanity, and we have to agree that the current 2GB capacity wall that most SD cards are hitting is starting to feel a tad constraining. So enter the SDHC (SD High Capacity) that promises to break the 2GB quasi-barrier, along with bringing some new ways to "protect" the content that is in search of more memory capacity, namely DRMed video and music. They call the protection tech specs SD-Audio, SD-Video, and SD-Binding (for phone content) and they also promise a minimum SD Speed Class Rating that matches MPEG-2 video so device manufacturers can be sure of performance for card applications. The Association says they should finalize the full SDHC spec early this year, and there's no word on when they'll start rolling out the cards, but we're sure it won't be long until we're swimming in yet another card format.
