Sony’s new budget AV receivers packed with features

When Onkyo released the budget TX-SR605 AV receiver last year, it rocked the industry with its low price and high-end features such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio decoding. Other manufacturers pretty much had to stay on the sidelines as TX-SR605s flew off the shelf, but it looks as if Sony is ready to fight back with its new line of budget AV receivers. The company’s 2008 line of AV receivers includes four new affordably priced models–the STR-DG520, STR-DG720, STR-DG820 and STR-DG920–and they look pretty good from the spec sheet. Here are the details:
The STR-DG520

(Credit: Sony)

Key features of the Sony STR-DG520:

• 5.1 channels, 100 watts of power
• Two HDMI inputs
• Supports 1080p pass-through at 60 and 24 frames per second
• Available in March for about $200

The STR-DG720

(Credit: Sony)

Step-up features on the STR-DG720:

• 7.1 channels, 105 watts of power
• Three HDMI inputs
• Can handle eight channels of LPCM audio
• XM-ready
• Available in March for about $300

The STR-DG820

(Credit: Sony)

Step-up features on the STR-DG820:

• 7.1 channels, 110 watts of power
• Four HDMI inputs
• Onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio
• Supports x.v.Color
• XM-ready with Neural Surround Sound
• Includes a Sony Digital Media Port
• Available in May for about $400

Sony refreshes Bravia home theater line for 2008

 

In 2007, Sony extended the previously TV-only Bravia moniker to cover its flagship all-in-one home theater systems for the first time. The branding extension must’ve been a success, because a new round of Bravia home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs) is on deck for 2008. All four 2008 Bravia models will include the following baseline features. (Where applicable, we’ve taken the liberty of translating many of the terms from Sony-ese into English.)

• Single chassis DVD receiver: The amplifier/receiver includes a built-in five-disc CD/DVD changer, with built-in support for standard Dolby and DTS surround modes.
• HDMI output: DVDs can be upscaled to 1080p resolution when connected to compatible HDTVs.
• 5.1 surround sound: Each system includes five satellite speakers and a subwoofer.
• Bravia Theatre Sync: Sony’s implementation of HDMI-CEC lets the system interact with compatible Sony TVs when they’re connected via HDMI, automating some processes such as input switching.
• Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC): This is simply the company’s name for the built-in system that customizes the speaker levels to the particular sonics of your room.
• Dialogue Audio Enhancer: Otherwise known as “midnight mode,” this feature normalizes volume levels for late-night viewing.
• DM Port compatibility: All Bravia systems include support for Sony’s proprietary DM Port accessories: the TDM-NC1 Wi-Fi music streamer, the TDM-NW1 Sony Walkman MP3 player dock, and the TDM-BT1 Bluetooth adapter, all of which must be purchased separately.
• Outboard iPod dock: The fourth DM Port accessory, the TDM-IP1 iPod dock, is included.
• Wireless rear speakers: Each Bravia model includes an option to set up the two rear speakers wirelessly. (Whether the wireless speaker accessory is included or needs to be purchased separately varies from model to model.)
• S-AIR compatibility: New for 2008, the Bravia systems are compatible with Sony’s proprietary S-AIR wireless technology, meaning they can stream music to a small speaker system (the AIR-SA10) located elsewhere in the home. (Whether the AIR-SA10 and its companion transmitter is included or needs to be purchased separately varies from model to model.)

Specific details for each system are as follows:

Sony Introduces New Rack System Delivering Whole House HD Entertainment and Control

Designed for faster and easier installation, Sony today announced a new high-end, fully featured NHS rack system that delivers whole house high-definition entertainment and control over movies, music, lighting, temperature and security systems.

The NHS-130C rack system provides 7.1 channel, high-definition home theater for the living room, plus HD video distribution and multi-room music in 12 additional zones. The system comes fully integrated with Control4 technology, which offers whole home automation by synchronizing lighting, temperature control and security systems through a large onscreen display. Integrators can choose to add any of Control4’s vast array of keypads, wireless touch panels, and climate and lighting controls to operate the home’s sub-systems.

The NHS rack also features an iPod(R: 60.59, +1.44, +2.43%) in-wall dock with content navigation and control, along with a Middle Atlantic AXS shelf structure for easy access to equipment and cabling.

“The NHS-130C model pairs a top of the line home theater system with whole home automation that can be fully integrated and installed in a fraction of the time normally required for custom installers to build and integrate the system themselves,” said Neal Manowitz, director of marketing for Sony Electronics’ consumer systems and applications division. “Because the system is already pre-racked and pre-integrated, installation becomes extremely simple, saving integrators significant time and money.”

“Incorporating Control4’s leading controller and operating system into Sony’s pre-integrated home theater system brings practical, easy-to-use home automation solutions to any residence,” said Will West, chief executive officer at Control4. “We are extremely pleased to work closely with Sony on this innovative approach to simplify installation and bring to life the digital home for a broader market of homes.”

The NHS-130C system incorporates 7.1 channel surround sound using a Sony ES receiver with upscaling of video content to 1080p via HDMI. It includes a 400-disc DVD/CD changer with a management system, a 160GB music server, a Blu-ray Disc(TM: 112.87, +0.73, +0.65%) player, an AM/FM/XM/SIRIUS tuner, and the ability to add three auxiliary devices for connecting additional components like a high-definition cable box or a PlayStation(R: 60.59, +1.44, +2.43%) gaming console.

The system will be available this spring with a fully installed price that will vary based on the components added. Typical installations will range from $40,000 to $85,000. Information about the Sony NHS systems is available online at http://www.sony.com/newhome. Homebuilders, dealers and installers should call 1-866-924-7669 for details.

Sony and Sharp’s LCD Linkup

The Japanese rivals are working together in liquid-crystal-display TV panels to cut costs and hedge against the risk of an economic slowdown

Consolidation it wasn’t. But on Feb. 26, when Sony (SNE) said it would pick up part of the $3.5 billion tab for Sharp’s (6753.T) planned TV-panel plant, it seemed that two of the world’s biggest TV makers were finally admitting there are limits to the industry’s frenzied expansion.

Of course, this being Japan, both consumer-electronics makers would argue that the “c” word doesn’t apply. Indeed, Sharp President Mikio Katayama and Sony President Ryoji Chubachi stressed that their agreement was over joint ownership of a plant in Osaka and joint production of TV panels and other components, not any type of merger.

The deal leaves Sharp with two-thirds of what will be the world’s most advanced liquid-crystal-display factory, while Sony will own the remaining one-third. They plan to produce both LCD panels and LCD modules that come with components such as a backlight and chips. Though their giant-screen TVs will share key technologies inside, Sharp’s Aquos and Sony’s Bravia will remain separate brands.

Tieup’s Big Benefit: Lower Costs
Why is Sharp sharing precious tech know-how with a rival? After all, Sharp, the world’s third-largest LCD TV maker, wants nothing more than to close the gap with the reigning champ, Korea’s Samsung Electronics, and runner-up Sony. Every TV exec knows that the best way to get ahead in the fiercely competitive business is to be the first to invest in more efficient LCD plants. Only a few manufacturers have the resources and the brain trusts to stay ahead in cutting-edge TV manufacturing technologies.

Sony Intros New Bluray Disc Players

With Toshiba’s public withdrawal of HD DVD having virtually sealed the fate of the format, rival Sony has made some haste in announcing spanking new Blu-ray Disc Player models; namely, the BDP-S350 and the BDP-S500.

Announcing the Blu-ray Disc players at Sony’s product showcase in Las Vegas, Chris Fawcett, vice president (Marketing) of Sony Electronics Home Product Division, said “the new devices bring home movie experience beyond cinema”.

Both players support ‘Bonus View’ for viewing picture-in-picture content, and have external ports for users to add optional storage devices.

Meanwhile, the BDP-S350 is BD-Live capable, and has an Ethernet port for firmware upgrade and access to Internet-based interactive content.

 The other player, the BDP-S500 does not require any firmware upgrade to enable interactivity features, and will ship with 1GB of storage.

The S350 and S500 can handle 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD decoding and bitstream output, as well as DTS-HD Master Audio bistream output. Whereas the S550 adds DTS-HD Master Audio decoding to 7.1 channel analog audio output.

Both players feature 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output, and are compatible with a wide array of video formats, including BD-R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), and JPEG on DVD/CD recordable media.

Sony said the BDP-S350 will ship this Summer for about $400, while the BDP-S550 will be available this Autumn for around $500.

In a separate announcement, DreamWorks Animation SKG said that it is locked in an exclusive deal to distribute DVDs on Toshiba’s HD DVD format, even though the latter plans to quit HD DVD technology.

Explaining further, DreamWorks Chief Executive, Jeffrey Katzenberg, said, “We have a partnership with Toshiba, and have an obligation to see this through. As you know, we have been well-compensated for our support. It really is in their court at this point to really declare what the next step will be. We’re poised either way to jump into the marketplace when the conditions are right to do so.”

As such, DreamWorks is waiting for a cue from Toshiba — more so because they plan to release the DVD version of “Bee Movie” next month, and are waiting to hear from Toshiba on how to proceed…

PS3 DualShock 3 controller coming in April

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) on Tuesday announced plans to release its DualShock 3 wireless controller for its PlayStation 3 video game console in April. The new controller will cost $54.95.

Since the PlayStation 3 has shipped, the system has used what Sony calls a “Sixaxis” game controller. It looks almost identical to the gamepads that Sony makes for the PlayStation 2, but features internal gyroscoping capabilities so users can tilt the controller up, down, left and right to control the game.

The interactive capabilities of the Sixaxis controller drew criticism from some game reviewers and analysts because the controller lacks the distinctive “rumble” feature that was present in earlier generations of Sony controllers marked as “DualShock” products. Those devices utilized force feedback technology which would cause the controller to buzz and shake in the user’s hands based on in-game actions, such as being hit or punched, or causing explosions.

Sony axed rumble capabilities from the Sixaxis controller after the company became involved in a lawsuit with haptics manufacturer Immersion Corp., which claimed that Sony violated its patents. In 2004 Sony paid Immersion $82 million in damages but then appealed the decision.

Sony initially dismissed rumble as a feature of older game systems that didn’t need to be in the PlayStation 3. The company quickly changed its tune after Sony settled with Immersion once and for all in March of 2007. At that time, Sony President Kaz Hirai announced that Immersion and Sony were working on “exciting new ways” to incorporate rumble into PlayStation 3 games.

New Sony Cyber-Shot Digital Camera is a Megapixel Powerhouse

Sony’s new Cyber-shot® DSC-W300 digital camera is expected to be among the industry’s most pocket-able, high-resolution point-and-shoot digital cameras featuring niche performance options.

The camera announced today integrates an ultra-high 13.6-megapixel CCD imager along with a Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD screen and an eye-level viewfinder in a compact size. With its ultra-hard titanium coating, the model offers a premium look and finish that is highly-resistant to scratches and messy fingerprints.

Enhanced Operation for Better Performance

The W300 camera newly features an “extra high-speed” burst mode that can shoot three-megapixel photos at five frames per second, ideal for fast-action shooting of sports, pets or children.

In addition to the blur-reducing effects of Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization, the camera also has a new “extra high sensitivity” mode (up to ISO 6400 in this mode only) to help minimize blurry photos when shooting in challenging lighting conditions, such as indoors or at twilight, even without a flash.

Noise reduction is now a user-selectable option, with high, low and standard settings, for greater control over the final look of images. For example, a low setting can help reduce noise without sacrificing resolution, making it ideal for landscapes and detailed subjects.

Sony Invests $203.5M in OLED

 TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese consumer electronics maker Sony Corp said on Tuesday it will spend 22 billion yen ($203.5 million) to develop technology to make medium to large organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels.Sony launched the world’s first TV using such panels in November at a price of 200,000 yen.OLED displays use organic, or carbon-containing, compounds that emit light when electricity is applied. Unlike liquid crystal display panels they do not need backlighting, making OLED TVs slimmer and more energy-efficient.

Just 3 mm thick, the new TV consumes 40 percent less power than a comparable LCD set and is suitable for watching fast-moving images such as sports programs because of its quick response time. It also offers bright colors and a wide viewing angle.

But it is technologically difficult at the moment to make large OLED panels. Sony’s existing OLED TV has an 11-inch screen, or roughly as large as two CD cases put side by side.

Shares in Sony, which competes with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Sharp Corp in LCD TVs, ended Tuesday trade up 2.2 percent at 5,010 yen, outperforming the Tokyo stock market’s electrical machinery index, which gained 1.1 percent.

Toshiba concedes defeat to Sony in DVD battle

The battle between the next-generation of DVD players appears to be over after one of the manufacturers indicated it was ready to concede defeat.

Toshiba gave its strongest signal yet that it was ready to pull the plug on its high-definition HD-DVD machines, ending a war that recalls the fight between VHS and Betamax in the 1980s.

Sources said the company was reviewing its business and that “a complete withdrawal” was one of the options being considered.

The move will be welcomed by the 17,000 households in Britain which bought Sony’s Blu-ray DVD players last year, but not by the 15,000 who invested in Toshiba’s new-generation players.

Both promise to play films in a clarity and detail seen only at the cinema, but consumers have been left confused over which machine to buy, knowing it will not be compatible with films released by studios favouring the other format.

Most have opted to bide their time to see who emerges as the winner, while others have bought expensive DVD players that can play both HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs.

Toshiba’s suspected departure from HD-DVD comes only days after Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, announced it would no longer stock Toshiba’s players and was instead committing itself to the rival Blu-ray format.

It also follows the announcement last month by Warner Bros, one Hollywood’s biggest film studios, that it would be distributing all its movies in Sony’s Blu-ray format.

The announcement means that people with HD-DVD machines will now have to invest in a Blu-ray player costing around £350 if they want to watch the forthcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, or the Batman sequel, The Dark Night, on their high-definition television sets.

Blu-ray now enjoys the backing of four of the big six Hollywood studios. Only Paramount and Universal still back HD-DVD.

Industry experts said that if this does mark the end of the format war, it will come as a relief to consumers who have been reluctant to splash out on technology that could become obsolete.

“It’s good for consumers, some of whom must have been resisting buying next-generation DVD recorders because of the two incompatible formats,” said Hiroyuki Shimizu, an analyst at IT research company Gartner.

“If there’s only one format, consumers don’t have to worry about incompatibility, but on the other hand, manufacturers still face a challenge to persuade people who are satisfied with conventional DVD recorders to replace them with next-generation ones.”

A spokesman for Toshiba refused to be drawn on reports that it was dropping its HD-DVD machines.

“There have been media reports that Toshiba will discontinue its HD-DVD business,” he said.

“In fact, Toshiba has not made any announcement or decision on that. We are currently assessing our business strategies, but nothing has been decided at this moment.”

By Nicole Martin, Digital and Media Correspondentd

Toshiba to give up on HD DVD, end format war

Toshiba Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) is planning to give up on its HD DVD format for high definition DVDs, conceding defeat to the competing Blu-Ray technology backed by Sony Corp (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research), a company source said on Saturday.

The move will likely put an end to a battle that has gone on for several years between consortiums led by Toshiba and Sony vying to set the standard for the next-generation DVD and compatible video equipment.

The format war, often compared to the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, has confused consumers unsure of which DVD or player to buy, slowing the development what is expected to be a multibillion dollar high definition DVD industry.

Toshiba’s cause has suffered several setbacks in recent weeks including Friday’s announcement by U.S. retailing giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) that it would abandon the HD DVD format and only stock its shelves with Blu-ray movies.

A source at Toshiba confirmed an earlier report by public broadcaster NHK that it was getting ready to pull the plug.

“We have entered the final stage of planning to make our exit from the next generation DVD business,” said the source, who asked not to be identified. He added that an official announcement could come as early as next week.
No one answered the phone at Toshiba’s public relations office in Tokyo.

NHK said Toshiba would suffer losses running to tens of billions of yen (hundreds of millions of dollars) to scrap production of HD DVD players and recorders and other steps to withdraw from the business.

Hollywood studios had initially split their alliances between the two camps, meaning only certain films would play on any one DVD machine.

The balance of power tipped decisively toward the Sony camp in January after Time Warner Inc’s (TWX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Warner Bros studio said it would only release high-definition DVDs in Blu-ray format. With that, studios behind some three-quarters of DVDs are backing Blu-ray, although some release in both formats.