Now you can record in high-def Blu-ray, sort of. Here at CEDIA in Atlanta, JVC announced two Blu-ray recorders, the first ones available in the U.S. But you can't use them to record TV shows. They're designed primarily for the professional market and for well-heeled consumers who want HD discs of their home movies.

The SR-HD1250US ($1,995) and the SR-HD1500US ($2,550) will both be available next month. Each is equipped with a hard drive: the 1250 with 250GB and the 1500 with 500GB. Video is recorded on the hard drive, then transferred to a blank write-once (BD-R) or rewritable (BD-RE) Blu-ray disc. This system allows for multiple disc duplication — the hard drive can play content in a loop, and the deck simply alerts you when to put in a new blank. You can record and author professional BDMV (with menus) or BDAV discs, which is really its primary purpose — JVC sells both decks from its professional division.

Both decks are equipped with both USB and FireWire jacks for camcorder connectivity as well as an SDHC memory card slot. They also automatically detect and transfer content from connected devices or media to the hard drive. Both include S-Video, component and HDMI connectivity, and the 1500 adds an RS-232C jack and compatibility with Final Cut Pro.