3D Compatible TVs and Blu-ray Disc Players; Internet- and Network-enabled Technologies are Highlights:
Sony Electronics is unveiling an array of new products and technologies at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show that unite the company’s strengths in electronics, movies, music, and games. Sony’s CES display ranges from full high-definition 3D compatible BRAVIA® LCD TVs, Blu-ray 3D(TM) capable players and an impressive new line of BRAVIA TVs, which incorporate Sony’s Monolithic Design concept, to customized Internet content, new Cyber-shot® cameras, Handycam® camcorders, VAIO® PCs, the Reader(TM) digital book, and more.
These products combine innovation, style and quality to enhance consumers’ lifestyles both in and out of the home.
“We’re serious about delivering entertainment experiences that inspire, excite, and truly engage consumers,” said Stan Glasgow, president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics. “At the same time, we’re committed to providing them with the content they want everywhere and anywhere.”
3D
Just like with HD, Sony is leading the way in 3D – from professional content creation, acquisition and production to distribution and presentation in theaters and, now, the home. At CES, Sony is not only announcing its plans to bring new 3D products into the home, but also that it is working to make Sony devices already in the home 3D-friendly.
Sony’s new 3D capable BRAVIA LCD televisions for 2010 will include its first full HD 3D integrated TV, packaged with two pair of active shutter glasses as well as a built-in transmitter. The Edge LED Backlit LCD series will feature screen sizes up to 60 inches (measured diagonally), and have all the superb picture quality and technological advantages consumers have come to expect from Sony.
Complementing these sets are two other series of 3D-capable models that will have many of the same features, but the active shutter glasses and 3D Sync Transmitter will be sold separately.
Sony’s 3D news also extends to several other products, including a soon-to-be announced Blu-ray 3D(TM) player and home theater system, in addition to upcoming 3D announcements for VAIO PCs and digital still cameras.
BRAVIA TVs
Sony’s new BRAVIA LCD series – including its new 3D sets – feature a Monolithic Design that delivers on Sony’s promise of exceptional TV quality, performance and lifestyle enhancement.
BRAVIA LCD TVs featuring the Monolithic Design can be displayed at a six-degree upward slant, producing the most natural viewing experience, especially with lower TV stands. Advanced motion processing technology delivers smoother video for fast-moving scenes in movies and sporting events. The new sets’ near-invisible bezel, concealed touch sensors, and combination of both glossy and matte finishes allow them to blend into any decor, adding state-of-the-art style to a home theater. In fact, the Monolithic Design will also be extended to several other products throughout Sony’s home audio-video line-up.
The heart of the new line is the NX800 model, featuring Edge LED Backlit technology and integrated Wi-Fi capability. In the spring, Sony will also introduce several new series in the BRAVIA LCD line ranging in screen sizes from 22 to 60 inches (measured diagonally), to give consumers the most options in choosing the right TV.
Blu-ray Disc/Home Audio-Video
Blu-ray Disc technology is now an integral part of several Sony products – entry-level BD players, PlayStation®3 systems, VAIO PCs with read/write drives, a 400-disc mega-changer that utilizes Gracenote® Music and Video ID technology to the latest networked player that combines full Blu-ray Disc, DVD, CD, and SA-CD functionality with the ability to instantly stream movies, videos, music and more from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube(TM), Slacker® Internet Radio, Pandora, NPR, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, and more than 25 content providers through the Sony BRAVIA Internet Video platform.
Sony’s newest network Blu-ray Disc player, model BDP-S570, delivers full HD 1080p performance with integrated Wi-Fi for an easy connection to home broadband Internet networks to access the BRAVIA Internet Video platform. It also features Sony’s new Monolithic Design concept.
Complementing this player is a new home theater system, BDV-E770W, that combines a Blu-ray Disc player and a 5.1 surround home theater system with Internet streaming and S-AIR(TM) wireless rear-speaker and multi-room audio to deliver an outstanding home theater experience.
Web Access and Customized Content
Being connected these days is critically important, but equally important is the ability to choose and personalize content. That’s the concept behind the dash(TM) – a personal Internet viewer with a 7-inch (diagonal) color touch screen that answers the need for quick, customized information and entertainment.
The dash device accesses a wireless home network and continuously updates information designated by the user. That information is then delivered by more than 1,000 selectable free “apps” to give consumers customized Internet content.
Digital Imaging
Sony’s line of digital imaging technologies – from Cyber-shot digital still cameras to a (alpha) Digital SLRs to Handycam camcorders – have always offered consumers the widest range of choice in capturing their memories. At CES, Sony’s new enhancements give consumer shooters more flexibility in creating and managing their content.
Sony’s new consumer Handycam camcorders, Cyber-shot digital still cameras, and several other devices in the DI space will now be capable of using SD and SDHC as well as Memory Stick(TM) flash memory cards. Additionally, Sony will introduce SD and microSD memory cards in sizes ranging from two to 32 Gigabytes. Sony will continue to advance the Memory Stick format and will now add the SD format to its full-line media offerings as well (microSD/microSDHC cards will range from 2 to 8 Gigabytes).
Sony is unveiling 17 new camcorder models, starting with a new prosumer model, HDR-AX2000 that delivers Full HD performance with film-like progressive scan. Effective low-light capabilities are also achieved using three Exmor(TM) CMOS sensors.
Many features found in the prosumer model are also included in two new HD memory Handycam camcorders, HDR-CX550V and HDR-CX150. Both offer Full HD recording at up to 24 Mbps and embedded flash memory, along with superior low-light performance and Sony’s high-speed BIONZ® imaging processor.
One increasingly popular camcorder feature is Web connectivity, especially for the growing social media set. The new bloggie(TM) camera models MHS-PM5 and MHS-CM5 include some of the same features and shooting options found in more expensive cameras — such as Face Detection and image stabilization, along with the ability to easily upload content to popular video sharing websites (PC w/ Internet capability required) all in an ultra-compact body.
Completing the picture for Sony digital imaging is a new line of Cyber-shot digital still cameras. At CES, Sony is unveiling two new Cyber-shot cameras, models DSC-HX5V and DSC-TX7, with “Exmor R” CMOS sensors and full HD 60i AVCHD video capability. They also share a new in-camera technology, Backlight Correction High Dynamic Range (HDR), which improves shooting in high-contrast scenes.
A new element of Sony’s digital imaging plans is the TransferJet(TM) feature, a wireless high-speed data transfer technology that allows two TransferJet-enabled cameras to communicate and transfer files simply by bringing the TransferJet marks on each product within one inch of each other. To transfer photos, TransferJet-enabled still cameras must each utilize the TransferJet Memory Stick media (sold separately). The technology will be featured in the Cyber-shot line beginning in February and other Sony products throughout 2010.
VAIO PCs
Transfer Jet technology will also find its way into Sony’s VAIO notebook line, starting with the F Series. The F Series brings PC functionality solidly into the multi-media entertainment and gaming arena. The F Series will feature a 16:9 full HD display on select models, Blu-ray Disc playback throughout the line as well as an HDMI(TM) output for connecting to compatible HDTVs (cable required, sold separately).
Joining the F Series is another new high-performance notebook, the Z Series, weighing in at just three pounds (with standard battery).
Reader Digital Book
The third addition to the Reader line, the Reader Daily Edition(TM), joins the Reader Pocket Edition(TM) and Reader Touch Edition(TM), and offers wireless access to new releases and “The New York Times” bestsellers in Sony’s Reader(TM) Store (www.readerstore.com). In addition, a recent agreement with Dow Jones & Company and the “New York Post” makes exclusive content available for wireless delivery directly to the Reader Daily Edition. Other newspaper content available now includes “Financial Times,” “Los Angeles Times” and “Chicago Tribune” with more newspapers and magazines coming online soon.
Total Entertainment Experience
Sony’s CES display embodies its spirit of “make.believe,” uniting its full range of products and delivering a powerful convergence of content, entertainment, and technology.
“Sony’s ability to turn ideas into reality and, more importantly, to help consumers turn their ideas into reality, is what we call make.believe,” Glasgow said. “We’re making a personal and practical connection with our customers, empowering them to believe that anything they can imagine, they can make real.”
Sony is touting more than just new products at CES. As a total entertainment company, Sony can enhance its hardware offerings with unique content delivery services and platforms to complete the user experience. PlayStation®Network (PSN) now features video and digital comic content in addition to games. Its video service offers more than 2,600 movies from all major studios as well as more than 15,000 TV episodes and is now also live in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain, with plans to add more countries later this year. Also, by leveraging the PSN platform, Sony will start premium video services for Internet-enabled BRAVIA and Blu-ray devices as well as VAIOs and other Windows-enabled PCs in the U.S. in February. Consumers can use a single user ID and wallet for the PSN and the premium video service.
From hardware to software, content to services, in or out of the home, Sony’s new products and technologies for 2010 are designed to entertain and enrich consumers’ experiences in unique and innovative ways.