Sony Introduces Home Theater Media Stand with Surround Sound System

Delivering a custom home theater installation look without damaging walls, Sony Electronics today unveiled the Sound Wall RHT-S10 home theater stand with an included surround sound system.

The Sound Wall includes Sony’s first 5.1 channel surround sound system to offer built-in speakers, an amplifier and a subwoofer in one slim speaker package. The sound system is attached to a free-standing wall facade that also serves as a mount for a television. Wires are hidden behind the wall and connected to an integrated A/V rack anchored at the base of the media stand.

“Today, consumers want TVs and home theater systems mounted flat against a wall, blending in with the home’s décor,” said Brennan Mullin, vice president for audio products for Sony Electronics’ Digital Imaging and Audio Division. “The RHT-S10 is a great solution for those who want the custom installation look without damaging walls to hide the wires.”
At 350 total watts of power, the system delivers high resolution surround sound with five speakers, an S-Master® digital amplifier and a subwoofer built into the unit. Sony’s S-Force® Pro front surround sound technology generates realistic surround sound from the system without the need for rear speakers, providing flexible placement options regardless of a room’s existing elements or shape.

[CES 2008] Sony Debuts First OLED Television in the United States

LAS VEGAS (CES BOOTH 14200) Sony today announced the availability of the industry’s first Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) television in the United States.

The 11-inch (measured diagonally) XEL-1 model is just about 3 millimeters thin and offers picture quality with extremely high contrast, outstanding brightness, exceptional color reproduction, and a rapid response time.

“The launch of an OLED TV is one of the most important industry landmarks,” said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’ Home Products Division. “Not only does the technology change the form factor of television, it delivers flawless picture quality that will soon become the standard against which all TVs are measured.”

Under development for more than 10 years, Waynick said OLED displays not only offer a striking form factor, they deliver “unmatched performance” in key picture quality categories. With its light-emitting structure, OLED displays can prevent light emission when reproducing shades of black, resulting in very deep blacks and a contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1. The lack of a backlight allows the device to control all phases of light emission from zero to peak brightness. The innovative technology delivers exceptional color expression and detail without wasting power, so it is an exceptional energy-saver.

The OLED display panel uses extremely low power levels since the light-emitting structure of the panel eliminates the need for a separate light source. As a result, OLED panels can be up to 40 percent more efficient per panel inch compared with a conventional 20-inch LCD panel. Additionally, since OLED displays create their own light, any mercury associated with traditional backlighting is eliminated.

Sony’s unique “Super Top Emission” technology features a wide aperture ratio producing high brightness and efficiency allowing the TV to deliver an accurate picture. The device’s proprietary color filter and micro cavity structure allow it to reproduce natural colors — even in darker scenes — and more faithfully recreate the colors that were originally intended.

Since OLED technology can spontaneously turn the light emitted from the organic materials layer on and off when an electric current is applied, it features rapid response times for smooth, natural reproduction of fast-moving content like sports and action scenes in movies.

Sony’s new OLED TV features the latest connectivity options, including two HDMI inputs and a Memory Stick® slot for viewing high-resolution photos.

The inaugural model is also DMeX compatible so consumers can add BRAVIA Internet Video Link service (as well as other modules under development). Using a broadband connection, the module streams select Internet video for no charge from content providers directly to the television without a computer. Current BRAVIA Internet Video Link content partners include CBS and FEARnet.com — which were announced today — Yahoo!, AOL, Crackle, CondéNet, Sports Illustrated, blip.tv, and Sony Pictures.

The XEL-1 OLED TV is now available for about $2,500. Initially, it will be in limited supply at Sony Style® retail stores nationwide.

[CES 2008] Sony Bolsters Bravia Flat-Panel LCD Line with 17 New Models

LAS VEGAS (CES BOOTH # 14200) Slim Bezels and 3D Graphical User Interface Highlight New Features. Sony introduced 17 new BRAVIA® flat-panel LCD high-definition televisions at the International Consumer Electronics Show, bolstering the company’s industry-leading LCD HDTV line.

The new line features several models with slim bezels and thin depth, along with Sony’s new 3D graphic user interface. Many of the models also have the ability to access video and music from portable media devices like compatible Walkman® and iPod® players via Digital Media Port (DMP) accessories, which are sold separately. Additionally, certain models can display digital photos and play digital music from Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) compliant and USB devices.

“With features like BRAVIA Internet Video Link, Digital Media Port, DLNA compatibility and USB input, we are offering a host of entertainment solutions that allow access to Internet videos, digital photos and music from a variety of devices,” said Jeff Goldstein, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics’ television group.

With Sony’s Digital Media Extender (DMeX ) technology seamlessly integrated throughout the line, new features from various add-on modules expand functionality over the lifetime of the sets.

The first of these is the currently available BRAVIA Internet Video Link module, which allows you to view select streaming Internet video, including high-definition content, on a BRAVIA HDTV. Future BRAVIA Internet Video Link content providers include CBS and FEARnet – which were announced today – along with existing providers like Yahoo!, AOL, Crackle, CondéNet, Sports Illustrated, blip.tv and Sony Pictures.

Z-Series

With an elegant slim bezel, the full HD 1080p 40-inch KDL-40Z4100 and 46-inch KDL-46Z4100 models (all measured diagonally) feature the new BRAVIA Engine™ 2, Motionflow 120Hz high frame rate technology, x.v.Color, WCG-CCFL backlight with ACE (Advanced Contrast Enhancer circuitry) and 10-bit processing with a 10-bit panel. Both models are also DMeX and DMP compatible, while offering the USB digital music and photo player.

Motionflow creates 60 unique frames between each of the existing 60 frames, doubling the frames displayed per second in real-time, further improving images for fast action sports and other programming. The technology dramatically eliminates motion artifacts (“judder”) while watching content filmed at 24 frames-per-second. While watching DVDs, broadcast movies or prime-time television shows, you can enjoy all the fast-moving detail.

Enhancing the BRAVIA picture further is x.v.Color compatibility. This technology expands the potential color data range of video by about 1.8 times, resulting in the display of more natural and vivid colors similar to what the human eye can actually see. This complements Sony’s HD camcorder models, which capture color range beyond what broadcasters currently deliver.

The new televisions also include Sony’s BRAVIA® Sync™ one-button command, which integrates the operation of the TV with supporting external components connected via an HDMI™ input. Through a simple click of the remote, you can easily view a Blu-ray Disc™ movie, listen to surround sound audio via an AV receiver, and control other components like a Sony Handycam® camcorder — all over a single HDMI cable (sold separately) connection.