Panasonic Press Release

Panasonic is pleased to announce today that it will launch a new SD Memory Card lineup compliant with the Class 2 SD Speed Class specification designated by the SD Card Association. Sales of the new lineup are scheduled to begin in August 2006. The SD Speed Class specifications were established to standardize data transfer speeds (Class 2, Class 4, and Class 6, with guaranteed increases in speed from one class to the next), instead of relying on the different standards of individual manufacturers.

Today’s digital devices increasingly demand stable recording of streaming data such as MPEG2 video, and the SD Memory Card has already been adopted by a wide range of such devices. Panasonic introduced the SD Video Camera (SDR-S100) in 2005, offering a solution in which consumers record motion picture data onto an SD Memory Card. Such applications are expected to grow further in the near future, and Panasonic is staying ahead of the times by launching a new SD Memory Card lineup that is compliant with the Class 2 Speed Class specification. The new lineup includes 256MB*, 512MB*, 1GB*, and 2GB* SD Memory Cards, as well as a 4GB* SDHC Memory Card, and assures stable recording of MPEG2 video at standard definition quality. The Class 2 logo is evident on both card labels and packaging, allowing consumers to more easily select an appropriate memory card for their needs.

With the release of the Class 2 SD Memory Card lineup, along with the Panasonic SDR-S150 SD Video Camera due to be launched in August 2006, Panasonic is providing a stable solution for MPEG2 video recording.

Panasonic remains committed to playing a leading role in the development of both SD-enabled devices and SD Memory Cards. The company is planning to further upgrade speed performance as host devices compliant with the Speed Class specifications arrive on the market.