The Japanese electronic maker Sharp Cop will launch a Blu-ray high-definition DVD recorder with a 1-terabyte hard disk drive (HDD) in Japan. The new device, called Aquos BD-HDW20 will go on sale in December and its estimated price will be around 300,000 yen ($2,616). According to Sharp, with this hard disk drive consumers will be able to store 127 hours of digital high-definition programs.

With this offer Sharp, which is one of the main supporters of Blu-Ray format, is trying compete with Toshiba and its HD-DVD standard. Toshiba already offers a HD-DVD player with a 1-terabyte hard disk.

Sharp didn’t announce any plans to launch its new player in other markets.

With the holiday season approaching, the HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray conflict is heating up again as Toshiba will introduce sometimes during next month its third generation of HD-DVD players.

Earlier this year, in June, Blockbuster Inc. announced it is support for Blu-Ray standard. The movie rental giant would promote Sony’s format in detriment of Toshiba’s, in more than 1700 stores across Canada and the US.

But in August, the HD-DVD camp had stroked back when  Paramount and DreamWorks, both owned by media giant Viacom, have decided to favor the HD DVD in detriment of Sony’s Blu Ray because it’s apparently cheaper (lower manufacturing costs) and has a market-ready technology.

Meanwhile an analyst from Forrester research predicted earlier this week that the war between the two formats is far from over and it will take another 18 months

Forrester analyst J.P. Gownder said also that Blu-Ray will win the competition, but Sony and its allies should cut the prices in order to be competitive.