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Sony has revealed it will offer buyers of its 4K TV sets content specially created for the high resolution screens. While not detailing the exact nature of the plan, Ray Hartjen of Sony claims that customers of the 84-inch XBR-84X900 television will receive access to the "world's first 4K Ultra HD delivery solution" at no charge.
Sony today pushed 3D in huge fashion by setting ship dates or posting updates for most of its capable devices, including the PS3. The company's 3D-capable Bravia TV updates promised at CES are now up for pre-orders at the company's online store and should ship along with other devices in July. As an incentive to buy in early, every set will have copies of 3D Blu-ray movies Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and Deep Sea as well as download codes for 3D-aware PS3 games Super Stardust HD, Wipeout HD, a partial version of Pain and a demo of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift.
A leak today hints Sony is planning to tackle the high end of the TV market with at least two new XBR models and a long anticipated update to its OLED sets. The KDL-ZX will allegedly be Sony's first OLED set since last year's XEL-1 and, though no details are mentioned in the HDTVLounge data, is likely to use Sony's recently previewed 21-inch OLED panel. Its screen is 10 inches larger than that of the XEL-1 and produces the same 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio but at a greater than 720p resolution.
Sony used its turn at CEDIA to launch a raft of new home theater equipment headlined by the BRAVIA XBR10. An Americanized version of the Japanese ZX5, they have a new 60GHz Wireless HD media box that lets the TV sit completely separately from most video inputs while still playing them at full quality. It can play a 1080p picture at a full 60 frames per second without dropping frames or otherwise showing differences between this and a wired signal.
Sony in an afternoon announcement updated its high-end BRAVIA XBR line with three new set ranges that it hopes step up the quality of its TVs across the board. In keeping with a leaked roadmap, the XBR8 series starts with 46- and 55-inch sets that are Sony's first to include LED backlights: the lighting not only provides a more even and color-accurate image but builds in local dimming that shuts off unneeded lights in darker areas, giving a major boost to the contrast ratio. The two sets also sport Sony's updated BRAVIA Engine 2 PRO for rendering the image, 120Hz panels to improve the picture in fast movement, a hooks for the BRAVIA Internet Link adapter, and a media port for connecting iPods and other media players.
Sony's XBR line of top-end Bravia HDTV sets will receive one of its most extensive updates when refreshed for the fall, says a leaked roadmap provided to BGR. In addition to an improved interface and support for DLNA media sharing as well as online program guides, all of which will appear in the unannounced XBR7, the top-end XBR8 will be the first Sony set to include LED backlighting. Nicknamed TRILUMINOS, the feature will dramatically improve contrast ratios by allowing the TV to selectively shut off the backlight in darker parts of a scene, creating much deeper blacks without affecting the rest of the picture.
