SanDisk (http://www.sandisk.com) has begun shipping the 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC memory card (US$349.99), the company’s highest capacity SD card ever. It touts up to 15MB/second read speed and a Class 4 speed rating.

It's designed for capturing and storing 1080p High-Definition video files and then transferring them to a computer. SDXC cards are based on the new SD 3.0 specification, which makes it possible to manufacture SD cards with storage capacity up to 2TB. The SDXC card’s exFAT file structure helps consumers record long-duration HD videos. The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card can store more than eight hours of high-definition video with recording speed of 9 Mbps (HD standard), according to Susan Park, director, retail product marketing, SanDisk.

Because the SD 3.0 specification was recently released, only a handful of devices may be immediately available that support SDXC cards. However, the pace of new camera model introduction supporting the SDXC format is accelerating. Canon announced at CES that all of its new VIXIA camcorder models and PowerShot cameras are compatible with SDXC cards.

Widespread adoption of SDXC is expected to occur across a range of consumer electronic products including HDTVs, Blu-ray recorders/players, camcorders, cameras, mobile phones, navigation systems and computers. SanDisk ImageMate memory card readers are compatible with SDXC cards if the connected computer uses an operating system that supports exFAT.