14 DAY TRIAL // SanDisk has announced that its highest capacity SD card has finally started shipping. The SanDisk ultra SDXC is intended as a successor to the SDHC card format and is based on the newly introduced SD 3.0 specification. With its capacity of 64GB, the card can store large video files, even in 1080p HD format, which can then be easily transferred to a computer thanks to the card's read speed of up to 15MB/s.
"SDXC is the successor to the popular SDHC card format," Susan Park, director, retail product marketing, SanDisk, said. "The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card delivers the speed and capacity consumers need for extended HD video recording and improved rapid shooting of still images. The card is an ideal complement for recently-announced SDXC-compatible cameras and camcorders."
The 15MB/s read speed has already earned the SDXC Class 4 speed rating. The SD 3.0 specification allowed for the high capacity of the product and even enabled the further scaling of storage space to up to two terabytes. In addition, the card makes use of the exFAT file structure, which allows long-duration HD video (over eight hours on the 64GB SDXC) to be recorded at 9Mbps.
SanDisk is aware that, due to the fact that the SD 3.0 specification was only recently released, there are a very small number of devices that actually support SDXC cards. Still, Canon has already showcased, at CES 2010, a number of new VIXIA cam recorders and PowerShot cameras that are compatible with such storage solutions. SanDisk expects the adoption of SDXC cards to accelerate, until they become widely available as part of consumer products such as HDTVs, camcorders, cameras, computers and Blu-ray recorders or players.
SanDisk is already selling its 64GB SDXC through its official website. The product carries a price tag of $349.99, has a lifetime warranty and is slated to soon become available in worldwide locations.