Sony Unveils New LCD TVs with 'World's 1st Features' [Video]

Aug 29, 2008 21:10
Masao Oonishi, Nikkei Microdevices

Sony Corp announced four series of full-HD LCD TVs with a total of eight models including one that measures only 9.9mm at its thinnest part and another with 4x driving speed, which the company claims were developed for the first time in the world.

They are slated for launch in Japan in October and November as the fall 2008 models.

The model that is 9.9mm thick at its thinnest portion has a separate tuner and speakers

The 40-inch LCD TV in the ZX1 series has the thinnest portion of 9.9mm and the thickest portion of 28mm. (The one in the back is facing front.)

The ZX1 series features the thinnest portion of only 9.9mm. The model unveiled this time is a 40-inch product. It uses an edge LED backlight. With white LEDs arranged on four sides of a light guide plate, the backlight is thinner than those using a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL). The TV has a contrast ratio of 3,000:1.

The main unit is composed of a monitor alone, and a tuner is built in the "Wireless Media Receiver." The monitor and the tuner transmit signals with each other via 5GHz wireless communications. A speaker unit is incorporated in a stand portion of a tabletop stand. When the TV is hung on a wall, dedicated speaker unit is attached below the monitor.

When hung on a wall: The distance between the wall and the front surface is less than 50mm. The Wireless Media Receiver (left) wirelessly communicates with the monitor.

The thickest portion of the monitor measures 28mm. The company developed a dedicated wall-mounting unit with a thickness of 19.5mm. With this unit, the distance between the wall and the front surface of the TV is less than 50mm.

The mounting unit can be tilted up or down. The monitor weighs 12.2kg, and the dedicated wall-mounted speaker unit is 1.8kg. Thus, the TV weighs less than 15kg in total when it is hung on a wall.

Insertion of three interpolation images enables 240Hz driving speed

The W1 series with 240MHz driving speed (40-inch model)

The W1 series employs the "Motionflow 240Hz" technology to enable a 240Hz driving speed. The "Motionflow 240Hz" is an advanced version of the "Motionflow," which creates double-speed images after correcting the blur in each of the original 60fps images.

While the existing version of the technique creates and inserts one interpolation image to enable a 120Hz driving speed, the new version generates three interpolation images. The W1 series comes in 46- and 40-inch models.

Local dimming by RGB LED backlight

The XR1 series with enhanced picture quality (46-inch model)

The XR1 series is a high picture quality model equipped with RGB LED backlights. The TV features a virtual contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, which is enabled by local dimming. To enhance the moving picture performance, the XR1 series employs the "Motionflow Pro 120Hz," which is designed to deliver smooth images by combining the 120Hz driving speed technology and partial blinking of backlight. The series comes in 55- and 46-inch models.

New engine reduces flicker noise

The X1 series with reduced noise in small areas (40-inch model)

The X1 series is equipped with a new image processing engine called "Bravia Engine 2 Pro," which can reduce flicker noise. The series comes in 52-, 46- and 40-inch models.

The previous version, the "Bravia Engine 2," significantly reduced noise in darker areas, while the new engine incorporates the DRC-MFv3 chip for executing additional arithmetic processing to reduce flicker noise around areas that are moving subtly. Thus, the engine enhances the resolution without emphasizing the edges of the image.

Providing "high added value" and "larger display sizes"

The latest models all have a display that is at least 40 inches in size.

"We decided to offer 40-inch or larger models because the proportion of the 37-inch or larger models increased from 20% in October 2006 to 33% in July 2008," said Takao Yoshikawa, director of the FTV Business Division of the TV Business Group of Sony.

Meanwhile, Sony plans to continue providing 30-inch class models as the J and F series. The company also intends to continue expanding the market for low-price TVs to "try to work on both markets," according to Yoshikawa.

The expected market price of the KDL-40ZX1 in the ZX1 series is about ¥490,000 (approx US$4,507). The KDL-46W1 of the W1 series is about ¥400,000, and the KDL-40W1 in the same series is about ¥290,000. For the XR series, the KDL-55XR1 is about ¥750,000, while the KDL-46XR1 is about ¥600,000. The KDL-52X1, KDL-46X1 and KDL-40X1 in the X1 series are about ¥530,000, ¥430,000 and ¥320,000, respectively.

Source here

Panasonic to Release Youtube-compatible PDP TVs w/ 1TB HDD

Aug 27, 2008 20:59
Naoki Asakawa, Nikkei Electronics

The "PZR900 series" PDP TVs to be released in September 2008

The series supports playback of YouTube videos

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd will successively release the "PZR900 series" PDP TVs featuring YouTube video playback capability from Sept 10, 2008, in Japan.

The company has already released other YouTube-compatible TVs in the North American market (See related article).

YouTube playback capability will only become available from Sept 30. Users can start viewing YouTube after downloading a dedicated software application via Matsushita's Website.

Each model houses a 1-Tbyte HDD for recording terrestrial/BS/CS digital broadcasts. However, they cannot record analog broadcasts. Supporting Dubbing 10, the PZR900 series allows users to copy recorded programs (or move recorded copy-once programs) to HDDs in Matsushita's recorders connected to its i.LINK port, and further move and record the copied programs on DVD and Blu-ray Disc media.

The PZR900 series products' contrast ratio is 30,000:1, the same as that of the "PZ800 series" released in April 2008. They also cover 120% of the color range area defined by the HDTV broadcast standard (ITU-R BT.809).

Source here

Sony's Blu-ray Recorders Sharpen Videos for Old TV Sets

9 05, 2008 20:36
Naoki Asakawa, Nikkei Electronics

Sony Corp will launch six Blu-ray Disc recorders featuring its "CREAS" image processor LSI, which enhances color gradation, in series from Sept 27, 2008.

"CREAS is effective for any existing TV equipped with an HDMI interface, no matter whether it is a Sony product or not," said Shoji Nemoto, senior vice president and director of Audio and Video Business Group of Sony.

CREAS consists mainly of two circuit blocks. The "HD Reality Enhancer" in the first block stresses the outline (sharpness) and enhances color gradation (smoothing) of 8-bit video signals that are input. It analyzes color information of hundreds of surrounding pixels and determines the intensity of sharpness and smoothing processing by each pixel.

"When the edges of the surrounding pixels are strong, for example, it mildly processes sharpness," a Sony spokesperson said. Internal computing is performed on 14-bit or higher quality video, and 14-bit video signals (YUV4:4:4) are output to the circuit in the second block.

The "Super Bit Mapping for Video" circuit in the second block works to convert the 14-bit video signals to 12- to 8-bit signals in accordance with the feature of the panel, on which the video is output. During the process, the circuit slightly increases amplitude of color signals so neutral colors can be rendered to reproduce 14-bit equivalent video even if it is output on a display that can only render 8- or 10-bit video.

The technique is similar to dithering as a signal processing, but Super Bit Mapping "increases amplitude at high space frequencies in an effort not to cause the processing to appear as noises, in consideration of characteristics of human vision," the spokesperson said.

All the six Blu-ray Disc recorders feature a capability to record MPEG-2 TS format digital broadcasts after transcoding them into the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. Minimum data rate that they can directly record HDTV video at is 4Mbps (when recording in LR mode). HDTV video can be recorded for 24 hours on a 50-Gbyte disc, according to Sony.

The recorders employed NEC Electronics Corp's "EMMA" series SoC as their main chip. Each model mounts three image processing LSI chips, EMMA, a transcode LSI and CREAS. As for Blu-ray Disc playback, the six new models all support BD-Live.

Extract hot keywords from EPG data

(Continue to the next page)

Extract hot keywords from EPG data

For recording, the new models incorporated the "x-Midokoro (highlight) Magazine," a function to extract keywords to draw interest and lead trends from EPG data and display them in a form like a TV magazine.

"If x-Omakase/MaruRoku (the automatic recording function) is a function that extracts individual interests, x-Midokoro Magazine is a function that highlights the public interest," Sony said. "We hope users will take advantage of both functions in accordance with their needs."

As the function only uses EPG data for extracting keywords, there is no need to obtain information via the Internet.

The "BDZ-X95" and "BDZ-X100," high-end X-series models, feature the "DRC-MFv3" IP conversion LSI chip, two HDMI ports and two digital tuners. Both models support the "Odekake/Okaeri Transfer" function to transfer recorded video to other devices including the PSP and Walkman.

The X95 houses a 500-Gbyte HDD, whereas the X100 houses a 1-Tbyte HDD. Street pricing is expected to be around ¥200,000 (approx US$1,881) for the X95 and ¥280,000 for the X100.

The "BDZ-L55" and "BDZ-L95," L-series models focusing on the link with camcorders and other peripheral devices, are provided with a "one touch dubbing button," which allows users to easily copy videos from peripheral devices. Only the L95 is equipped with a "multi memory card slot," which supports major memory cards, as well as two digital tuners.

The L55 houses a 320-Gbyte HDD and the L95 mounts a 500-Gbyte HDD. Street pricing for the L55 and L95 is expected to be about ¥130,000 and 170,000, respectively.

The low-end "BDZ-T55" and "BDZ-T75" house a 320-Gbyte HDD. Only the T75 is equipped with two digital tuners. Street pricing for the T75 and T55 is anticipated to be about ¥140,000 and 110,000, respectively.

Along with these six recorders, Sony will release the"BDP-S350" and "BDP-S5000ES" Blu-ray Disc players as well. Both models support BD-Live. The BDP-S5000ES features the "CREAS" image processor chip as the new Blu-ray Disc recorders do. The players will be launched Dec 6, 2008. Street pricing for the S350 is expected to be around ¥45,000, while the suggested retail price of the S5000ES is ¥294,000.

Naoki Asakawa, Nikkei Electronics

Source here

Once in crisis, Sony adjusts to digital age

BERLIN: When Howard Stringer took the helm at Sony three years ago, the Japanese company was in crisis. The consumer electronics business that had produced the transistor radio, the Trinitron TV and the Walkman, was losing money. Sony had been overtaken by Samsung of Korea, which had correctly anticipated the huge consumer demand for flat-panel TVs.

By January 2006, Sony had so few new products to brag about that Stringer had to call the actor Tom Hanks on stage during his keynote speech to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to help him buy time as he promoted the Sony Reader, a hand-held digital book reader.

"I clutched that Reader for an hour and sold it and sold it and sold it," Stringer said at the Internationale Funkausstellung in Berlin, the largest consumer electronics convention in Europe. "It was all I had."

Almost three years later, Sony's digital distress appears to be a thing of the past. At the IFA, which ends Wednesday, Sony showed off an array of products defined by superlatives: the EX1, the first high-definition wireless home entertainment system; the ZX1, the thinnest LCD TV in the world; and the Z4500 line of LCD TVs that process screens four times as fast as a conventional LCD TVs.

"We have spent a lot of time over the last three years adjusting our business for the digital age," Stringer said. "We are now making more money than we have ever made before. Our core businesses are working for us."

Samsung remains a formidable competitor, and will stay atop the TV business by expanding its line of larger, expensive LCDs - going head to head with Sony in its strongest segment, Jongwoo Park, the president of Samsung's digital media business, which includes TVs, said during an interview at the IFA.

"I am well aware Sony is aggressively trying to build market share," Park said. "But we are going to stay on top because we can use the power of our market share."

Sony also faces other challenges. In mobile phones, Sony Ericsson, the 50-50 joint venture, remained a distant No.5 in cellphones with an 8.2 percent market share in the second quarter, according to Strategy Analytics. In gaming, Sony lost the equivalent of $1.14 billion during its last financial year, but the business has since become profitable, Stringer said, as sales of PlayStation3 games offset losses on the hardware.

Under Stringer, Sony has invested heavily in software development, as consumer electronics and computing merge. In the year through March, Sony added 17,500 employees, many of them software engineers in Eastern Europe, India, California and Asia, Fujio Nishida, president of Sony Europe, said. Since 2005, Sony has cut 10,000 employees as it closed 11 old-generation TV factories.

"Howard was evangelizing internally within Sony for a stronger emphasis on software, how software adds value to devices," a former Sony U.S. executive, who did not want his name used because he was uncomfortable commenting on a former employer, said. "In every meeting I was in, he was trying to change some of the hardware culture."

Most importantly, Stringer has reduced the insular mentality that had balkanized Sony's electronics, movie, gaming, music and mobile businesses, said a former senior Sony Europe executive, who also did not want to publicly comment on his former employee. "I used to have to force people to sit down and talk with each other," said the former manager.

Stringer, one industry expert said, is seeking to deliver on the reform goals set by his mentor and predecessor, Nobuyuki Idei, who in the 1990s initiated the push into software and promoted Stringer to head Sony's U.S. operations.

"Sony over the past few years has been investing significantly in software and raising the user experience, working to tie together its broad family of products," said Ross Rubin, an analyst at NPD, a research company based in Port Washington, New York. "Sony's brand trust still remains far ahead of Samsung as a purchase motivator, but Samsung has certainly been very aggressive about building its brands."

Stringer's cross-marketing initiatives will be seen in the upcoming James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace," scheduled for release Nov. 3. Sony Pictures shot the film in high-definition, with scenes showcasing new Sony electronics. Joint marketing campaigns are being timed at Sony sales outlets and electronics product launches.

In February, Sony also won the battle to define the high-definition TV standard when a consortium backed by Toshiba abandoned the HD-DVD format, leaving the Sony Blu-Ray disc as sole survivor. The string of victories has brightened the mood at Sony, Nishida said.

"By the end of 2010, our goal is to be the market leader in TVs," Nishida said.

Some of Stringer's changes have been more radical. Sony now makes LCD TV panels in a 50-50 joint venture with Samsung in Tangjeong, South Korea. A second LCD factory near Osaka, a joint venture with Sharp in which Sony will own 34 percent, is to open by the end of 2009.

The turnaround is also evident in the company's financial results after three years of cost cutting, layoffs and restructuring under Stringer, an affable, Welsh-born former president of CBS in the United States with dual U.S. and British citizenship.

In the year that ended March 31, Sony's profit tripled to ¥369.4 billion, or $3.4 billion, as sales rose 6.9 percent to ¥8.87 trillion. In consumer electronics, which make up about two-thirds of Sony's sales, operating income more than doubled to ¥356 billion.

In tandem with a financial recovery, Sony is bidding to recapture the title of TV innovator, beating Samsung to market with the first ultra-thin TV screen made from organic light-emitting diodes. OLEDs are made of carbon-based evanescent film that eliminate the need for back lighting and shrink the entire panel to just five millimeters thick, the width of three credit cards.

Samsung, the industrial giant that is also the world's largest computer chip maker, remains a formidable obstacle to Sony's comeback bid.

In the second quarter, Samsung was the global TV leader by revenue for the 10th quarter in a row, with a 22.8 percent market share.

Sony was No.2 with 12.5 percent, according to DisplaySearch, a research firm in Austin, Texas.

Source here