REVISED 1.7.09 9 P.M.PACIFIC - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESDXC SIGNALS NEW GENERATION OF REMOVABLE MEMORYWITH UP TO 2 TERABYTES OF STORAGE
SDXC Memory Cards Provide Consumers with Massive Storage,
Incredible Speed in Familiar, De Facto Standard
LAS VEGAS – CES Booth South 3 #31277 – Jan. 7, 2009 – The next-generation SDXC(eXtended Capacity) memory card specification, announced today at the 2009
International CES, dramatically improves consumers’ digital lifestyles by providing theportable storage and speed needed to store weeks of high-definition video, years ofphoto collections and months of music to mobile phones, cameras and camcorders, andother consumer electronic devices. The new SDXC specification provides up to 2
terabytes storage capacity and accelerates SD interface read/write speeds to 104
megabytes per second this year, with a road map to 300 megabytes per second.
The SDXC specification, developed by the SD Association, leapfrogs memory card
interface speeds while retaining the world-leading SD interface. Specifications for theopen standard will be released in the first quarter of 2009. SDHC, Embedded SD andSDIO specifications will also benefit from the new SD interface speeds.
“SDXC combines a higher capacity roadmap with faster transfer speeds as a means toexploit NAND flash memory technology as a compelling choice for portable memorystorage and interoperability,” said Joseph Unsworth, research director, NAND Flash
Semiconductors, at Gartner. “With industry support, SDXC presents manufacturers withthe opportunity to kindle consumer demand for more advanced handset features andfunctionality in consumer electronics behind the ubiquitous SD interface.”
Turning mobile phones into media centers
SDXC allows users to enjoy more from their mobile phones. Larger capacity and fastertransfer speeds allow for expanded entertainment and data storage. At its maximum
2TB capacity, an SDXC memory card will store an estimated 100 HD movies, 480 hoursof HD recording or 136,000 fine-mode photos.
“With SDXC, consumers can quickly download higher quality content to their phones,
including games, video and music – giving consumers a richer media and contentexperience,” said James Taylor, president of the SD Association. “The SD interface
already has proven itself valuable in mobile phones. Now, SDXC memory card
capabilities will spur further handset sophistication and boost consumer contentdemand.”
Shooting pictures at the speed of life
SDXC is also the first memory card specification to provide 2TB storage withouthindering the high-speed performance necessary for high-end photography. It will
provide maximum speeds even when the SDXC specification achieves its maximum 2TB
storage capacity.
- more -The first SDXC cards manufactured are likely to provide 64GB storage, doubling the32GB maximum in SDHC memory cards. Even at early capacity levels, the SDXC card will
improve user experience in products like cameras and camcorders.
"SDXC is a large-capacity card that can store more than 4,000 RAW images, which is theuncompressed mode professionals use. That capacity, combined with the exFAT filesystem, increases movie recording time and reduces starting time to improve photocapturing opportunities,” said Shigeto Kanda, general manager at Canon.
“Improvements in interface speed allow further increases in continuous shooting speed
and higher resolution movie recordings. As a memory card well suited to small-sizeduser-friendly digital cameras, the SDXC specification will help consumers realize the fullpotential of our cameras."
SDXC will enable camcorders to provide longer, professional level HD video recordingwith a small form factor.
The SDXC specification uses Microsoft’s exFAT file system to support its large capacity
and interoperability in a broad range of PCs, consumer electronics and mobile phones.
The exFAT system was designed for increased compatibility with flash media, fromportability of data to interoperability with multiple platforms and devices on removablemedia.
“The SD Association is committed to answering and anticipating consumer demand foreasy-to-use memory card storage that is interoperable in any device with a matching SDslot,” Taylor said. “The SDXC card gives consumers a new, yet familiar, highperformance card that will be used in hundreds of manufacturers’ device offerings.”
SD Association
The SD Association is a global ecosystem of more than 1,100 technology companies
charged with setting interoperable SD standards. The association encourages thedevelopment of consumer electronic, wireless communication, digital imaging andnetworking products that utilize market-leading SD technology. The SD standard is thenumber one choice for consumers and has earned nearly 80 percent of the memory card
market with its reliable interoperability and its easy-to-use format. Today, mobilephones, Blu-ray players, HDTVs, audio players, automotive multimedia systems,
handheld PCs, cameras and camcorders feature SD interoperability. For more
information about SDA or to join, please visit the association’s web site,www.sdcard.org.
Media Contact:
Alisa Hicks
SD Association
1.775.720.5071
media@sdcard.org###