Sony’s 1,000,000:1 contrast BRAVIAs launch in Japan October 10

Sony’s XBR6 / XBR7 / XBR8 models are still waiting in the wings for their U.S. debut, but along with HDTVs that push the extremes in thin and fast, the company announced these more conventional models it’s deemed “the highest quality BRAVIA HDTVs in history.” The XR1 (read: XBR8) series will feature a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (3,000:1 static) courtesy of those new TRILUMINOS three-color LEDs, 10-bit BRAVIA Engine 2 processing and Motionflow 120Hz technology. If you can live without 240Hz or WHDI, the 1080p 55-inch edition runs ¥750,000 ($6,489 U.S.) with a 46-inch for ¥600,000 ($5,479 U.S.).

The next level down is the X1 (read: XBR6 / XBR7) series, based on old school CCFL backlights limited to a 3,000:1 contrast rating, ranging in size from 40- to 52- inches and in price from ¥530,000 ($4,866 U.S.) to ¥320,000 ($2,922 U.S.) when they go on sale October 10. Digital Media Extender support, DLNA connectivity and all the other high end feature’s make their expected appearance across the lineup.

With fears of watered down technology effectively quelled, Sony wouldn’t make us wait until October to find out when we can buy an HDTV in the U.S. or Europe from this lineup — somehow we doubt it.

Sony, Samsung to Spend US $1.8B on New LCD Line

Sony and Samsung are reaffirming their alliance in LCD (liquid crystal display) panel manufacturing with plans to jointly construct a third flat-screen factory in South Korea.

The 1.8 trillion won (US$1.8 billion) production line will be built by S-LCD, a joint venture between Sony and Samsung that already operates two factories in Tangjeong in South Korea. The new factory will be built at the same site and is scheduled to start turning out LCD panels in the second quarter of 2009, the two companies said Friday.

It will be based on so-called eighth-generation technology and has been given the name 8-2. That means it will be able to accept sheets of mother glass — from which several panels can be made — of 220 centimeters by 250 centimeters.

S-LCD already operates one eighth-generation line in Tangjeong, called line 8-1, in addition to its original seventh-generation line. With each successive jump in production technology the size of the mother glass sheets is increased and economies are introduced into the production process. The higher technology lines can make larger panels at a lower per-inch cost.

The new factory is scheduled to process 60,000 mother glass sheets per month, which makes it larger and the 8-1 facility that handles up to 50,000 sheets per month.

Output from the plant will be split between Samsung and Sony with 51 percent of panels going to the former and 49 percent to the latter. This is in line with their share holdings in S-LCD.

In February Sony it had started talks with Sharp towards investing in a new production line that Sharp has under construction in Japan. The Sharp plant will be based on a more advanced 10th generation technology and will be best suited to making LCD panels in the 60- and 50-inch class.

The announcement sparked speculation that Sony was giving up on S-LCD and had found a new partner with which to share the considerable cost of a cutting-edge display factory. Friday’s announcement reaffirms the joint venture with Samsung but repositions from the leading edge to become a supplier of panels for what are likely to be the mass market portions of the LCD TV market.

Earlier in the day Samsung reports 37 percent higher net profits for the January to March quarter on the back of strong demand for LCD panels and TVs. The company said its LCD panel business recorded a year-on-year sales growth of 53 thanks to increased production and strong sales of TV screens in the 46-inch size and above.

Agreement with Sony may mean end of cable set-top boxes

The set-top box, a necessary appendage for millions of cable television customers for decades, is moving toward extinction.

A leading television manufacturer, Sony Electronics Inc., and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association said Tuesday they signed an agreement that will allow viewers to rid themselves of set-top boxes, yet still receive advanced “two-way” cable services, such as pay-per-view movies.

In most cases, cable viewers also could dispose of another remote control since they could use their TV’s control rather than one tied to the set-top box.

The agreement marks a significant meeting of the minds between cable companies and one of the world’s dominant makers of consumer electronics. The two industries have been feuding for a decade about how best to deliver cable service to customers while allowing them to buy equipment of their own choosing.

Sony agreed to use the cable industry’s technology in its sets as soon as possible but could not say when the first such televisions might be appear in stores.

The agreement is between Sony and the nation’s six largest cable companies: Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc., Cox Communications Inc., Charter Communications Inc., Cablevision Systems Corp. and Bright House Networks. The six companies serve more than 82 percent of cable subscribers.

Cable subscribers are generally locked into renting a set-top box from their provider if they want more than the most basic cable TV service.

Supercomputer built with Sony PlayStation parts smashes previous speed record

 A US military supercomputer built with parts made for a Sony PlayStation has set a new speed record by processing more than twice as many calculations per second as the previous fastest machine.

Roadrunner computer can carry out 1.026 quadrillion – just over a thousand trillion – calculations per second.

Later this year it will be installed at a US government laboratory where it will be used to monitor nuclear weapons.

It will also be used to study climate change by allowing scientists to test warming models with higher accuracy.

“This is equivalent to the four-minute mile of supercomputing,” said Jack Dongarra, a computer scientist at the University of Tennessee.

“This gives us a window into a whole new way of computing. We can look at phenomena we have never seen before,” said Michael R Anastasio, a physicist who is director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico where the computer will be based.

The previous fastest supercomputer, IBM’s Blue Gene/L, is also at LANL.

It was recently upgraded and runs at a speed of 478.2 trillions of calculations per second.

Despite being more than twice as fast, the Roadrunner uses fewer chips than Blue Gene.

This is because the new computer is a so-called “hybrid” design, using both conventional supercomputer processors and the powerful “Cell” chip which was designed for use in the PlayStation 3.

Roadrunner’s record-breaking speed was confirmed during tests in New York before it is taken apart and moved to the laboratory.

When it is reassembled and ready to use to will be kept in 288 refrigerator-sized cases connected by 57 miles of fibre optic cable.

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.

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.

Fact or Fiction: Sony first developed the Playstation for Nintendo.

With the Wii selling like Krispy Kreme hotcakes and the DS thoroughly thrashing the PSP, Nintendo can’t seem to do anything wrong these days. Or perhaps they’re just making up for the single biggest whoopsie in the history of the console wars.

This dirty little secret dates back to the late 1980s. At the time, Nintendo was considering introducing CD-ROM technology as an add-on to their forthcoming Super Nintendo system. Initially they inked a deal with Sony, but just before announcing the partnership at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1989, Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi backed out due to poor contract wording that would have handed far too much control over the burgeoning format to Sony. Talks quickly fell apart, and eventually Sony decided to move forward with their technology by incorporating it into a Sony-branded machine. Injunctions by Nintendo were dismissed by the courts, clearing the path for Sony to start working on the newly dubbed Sony Playstation.

Sony Develops Smaller, Cheaper Blu-ray Disc Laser Unit

The new, improved laser unit  (Source: Sony Corp.)New 3mm laser helps pave way for more compact, 9.5mm
In the spirit of continuous improvement, Sony Corporation announced on Thursday a new design of the blue-violet laser unit that measures just 3mm thick. The laser unit is a crucial component of Blu-ray Disc drives and players.

Developed in part with Nichia Corporation, the new blue-violet laser is now small enough for practical integration of Blu-ray Disc playback and record functions into mobile applications, such as laptop computers and in-car entertainment systems. Sony said that its less-than 3mm thick laser unit will enable Blu-ray Disc drives measuring in 9.5mm thickness.

Besides improvement in packaging, the new laser unit also features more stable reading of dual-layer media and new reading capabilities, such as the ability to read organic media.

The shrink to a 3mm design also cuts down cost – a critical point in Blu-ray Disc hardware. Last year, Blu-ray Disc movie players hit sub-$300 levels. Analysts now believe that it costs Sony around $400 to manufacture each PlayStation 3, thanks in part to the falling costs of Blu-ray Disc drive hardware.

With the falling price of Blu-ray Disc assemblies and processor die-shrinks to 65nm, SCEI chief Kazuo Hirai expects the PlayStation division to be profitable starting next fiscal year.

By Marcus Yam