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.

[CES 2008] Sony’s Well-Rounded Home Theater PC Goes High-Definition

LAS VEGAS(CES, Booth #14200) Sony today introduced a new high-definition version of its stunning, spherical digital living system the VAIO TP Home Theater PC.

A unique approach to the home PC design, the new model’s round chassis serves as an entire entertainment center, where you can watch and record analog, digital and cable TV, including premium HD channels (CableCARD™ required). It can also access the Internet so you can play back online TV programming on a compatible big-screen television.

The VAIO HTPC comes in both a standard and a premium configuration. Both versions feature a Blu-ray Disc™ optical drive to enjoy high-definition movies. The premium model comes with two external CableCARD compatible TV tuners so you can view and record two HD television programs simultaneously.

With built-in DVR functionality, each unit can record up to 50 hours of HD television programming and pause and rewind live TV for on-demand playback.

Engineered to be easy to use, the models connect to compatible high-definition televisions via an included HDMI™ cable for playback in full HD 1080 resolution through a single cable. And with integrated BRAVIA® Sync™ technology, based on HDMI-CEC functionality, you can power on connected devices, at the touch of a button, eliminating the need for multiple remote controls (on certain BRAVIA HDTV models only).

VAIO TP Home Theatre PC

“We’re defining the digital home by integrating the latest HD technologies into a one-of-a-kind showpiece,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of VAIO product marketing at Sony Electronics. “This new unit will revolutionize the way you watch TV, allowing you to turn your entertainment center into an eye-popping, high-definition media hub.”
Designed to Compliment Any Home

The console’s small, circular shape is engineered to fit into areas of the house not typically known for having a PC, such as the living room, without the added network cables. With its built-in wireless LAN technology and a wireless router, it can be positioned virtually anywhere in the house and still access your home network.

The model also comes with a remote control and a matching, wireless keyboard ergonomically designed to fit on your lap so you can surf the Web from the comfort of your couch without the restraint of tangled cords.

Power of the PC for Your Living Room

The unit is equipped with a powerful Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T8100, allowing for high performance while maintaining a smaller, cooler form factor— making it ideal for a living room setting. It also employs the Windows Vista® Home Premium operating system, discrete graphics and a half-terabyte hard drive.

The VAIO TP Home Theater PC standard model, available in polar white, will start at about $1,600, while the premium model, available in piano black, will go for around $3,000. Both will be available online at www.sony.com/pr/tphd and sold at Sony Style stores and select retailers around the country starting later this month.

Plasma and LCD TVs getting thinner

Ultra-thin flat panel displays were the highlight of this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show, with many vendors showing thinner and sleeker high-definition TVs, giving users a peek of what LCD, plasma and OLED screens will look like in a few years.

Visitors thronged the booths of Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Pioneer and Hitachi, where the companies were showing larger flat-panel TV prototypes with reduced thickness, ranging from 3 millimeters to 39 mm, depending on the screen size.

The thinnest perhaps was Sony’s 11-inch OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TV, the XEL-1, which is 3 millimeters thick. At $2,500, the panel is much thinner than LCDs, which start at 24 mm in thickness. The XEL-1 went on sale in Japan in December and was launched in the U.S. this week. Sony also showed off a 27-inch prototype OLED TV at CES.

Samsung showed off a thin OLED display prototype with a 31-inch screen, the largest of its kind on display at CES. Measuring around 4 mm thick, it is thinner than LCD panels and displayed vivid pictures than LCD TVs.

[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.