Tokyo, July 06: Four major Japanese electronics makers, including Sony Corp, has said they had agreed on basic high-definition (HD) format specifications for digital tapes used in video cameras. The agreement between Sony, Canon Inc, Sharp Corp and Victor Co of Japan Ltd (JVC) will help avoid the problem of competing standards that is plaguing DVD recorders.

The new standard, tentatively called "HDV", would use Mini DV tapes, but offer resolution that is four times sharper than currently available on the Mini DV format. The four hope to finalise specifications by the fall.
Between them, Sony and the other three control the lion's share of Japan's digital video camera market. JVC, a unit of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd, launched the world's first HD digital video camera in March.
The industry aims to unify the recording standard at a time when demand for high-definition televisions and video recorders is growing thanks to HD digital satellite broadcasting and the start of land-based digital broadcasting in December 2003. Bureau Report