Sony unveils multi-codec Blu-ray encoder

Sony has unveiled its latest professional Blu-ray encoding solution, the BAE-VX1000.  This multi-codec video encoder is capable of processing primary and secondary MPEG2 and H.264/AVC high definition video streams in real-time, suitable for use with the Blu-ray Disc format.  It can handle parallel capturing and pre-processing and uses a more efficient encoding algorithm, which can decrease the total encoding time by up to 30% compared with its current BAE-VA700 solution.

The BAE-VX1000 can run either standalone on a single PC such as for small production houses or by via network distribution for higher processing performance.  It is capable of producing MPEG2 and H.264/AVC content compatible with most common Blu-ray authoring software applications and also supports legacy MPEG-2 encoding for DVD authoring.  Finally, the BAE-VX1000 also features real-time AVC elementary stream decoding to significantly improve the efficiency of quality-checking.
 
The BAE-VX1000 encoder is expected to become available this summer, but so far no pricing information is available.  Sony also has very little information apart from the physical specifications (such as dimensions, weight, power consumption, etc.) available on its website.  It is also unclear in what way this device interfaces with a PC, such as if it is a PCI card, PCI Express card, external device, etc.