Sony Insights » Bravia

Energy Saving TVs from Sony are Watching

Tom Pretty — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:16:50 +0000

Bravia WE 5

The BRAVIA motion sensing technology has been in existence for some time now. Incorporating facial recognition as well as heat and movement sensors these televisions are able to monitor the environment around them, adjusting the output in accordance with demands so that energy usage is optimised.

Put simply, the sensors, now being rolled out in the latest Sony BRAVIA range will automatically turn the screen off if no one is in the room watching. According to reports they will also be able to sense when the watcher is sleeping, once again altering the performance to match so that energy is saved. Ultimately this will help owners to save energy and money as well as help the environment. These features will also work with the ambient light sensor that dims the screen automatically when the room is darkened.

The BRAVIA WE5 was the first in the range to take an environmental emphasis and evidently the rolling out of these energy saving features across the BRAVIA 2010 range highlights the growing importance of environmental principles within the company.

This is not the first of Sony’s efforts to become more eco friendly. The eco section of the Sony website contains a plethora of information from energy saving tips to details of initiatives Sony are involved in around the world. There is also information on how the company is actively changing the way in which they operate to reduce their impact upon the planet, specifically how the company is striving to reduce the annual energy consumption of all Sony products by 30 percent within the next five years.

Sony BRAVIA TV Scoops International Design Awards

Tom Pretty — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:58:19 +0000

Ultra Slim Bravia ZX1

Sony has always had a penchant for the dramatic and aesthetic when designing their products. The latest proof of this is the Awards dished out to Sony from the international Design Forum, a group that has been giving design awards for over 50 years. The iF Gold Award is given to products strictly on a design basis, not taking into account the technology inside at all. The two products given the iF Gold Award are the Sony BRAVIA ZX1 Series and the BDV-Z7 Blu-ray Disc home theatre system.

The Sony BRAVIA Zx1 impressed the panel of the international Design Forum predominantly for its extruded aluminium frame that acts dually as the chassis and the housing. The result is not only chic looks but also an extremely light piece of television equipment, the 40V format LCD TV weighing in at a paltry 12.2kg.

Sony is understandably proud of the BRAVIA ZX1 highlighting the designers desire to create an “exquisitely light look suggestive of a piece of paper floating in mid air”. Such minimalist design combined with wireless technology meaning that the equipment simply oozes contemporary style and elegance. The BDV-Z7 Blu-ray system also received an award for its sleek looks, particularly the tilted back speakers that provide elegant lines as well as optimal performance.

Sony 3D TV Bravia Ranges Unveiled in Store for Pre Order

Josh Tait — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:10:23 +0000

All new Bravia 3D TV at CES 2010

The 3D TV bandwagon is certainly gaining considerable momentum, particularly since this year’s CES in Las Vegas. The latest 3D TV developments have come from Sony with their announcement that three Bravia ranges capable of faithfully recreating 3D images will be hitting the market soon, just days after Samsung and Panasonic made similar statements.

Of the models it is the LX900 that will be 3D capable out of the box whilst the HX800 and HX900 will need an add on. These TVs however seemingly offer more than a 3D experience, the HX900 for example provides viewers with Full HD 1080p resolution and a technology labelled as “Intelligent Dynamic LED”. The technology actively alters the backlighting of sections of the screen in order to heighten contrast levels and provide a richer picture.

The LX900, as the 3D TV flagship will, according to reports will have a built in 3D transmitter and is likely to come boxed with a pair of active shutter glasses. No prices have been mentioned as of yet but customers can see some of these TVs at Sony Style stores. In store the TVs will be placed in a mock up living room where viewers have the chance to see 3D clips from a FIFA football match (probably to prepare people for the “3D World Cup”) and trailers from the 3D version of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This effort to have 3D in real life situations apparently helps Sony engineers to better understand the public’s reaction to this new technology and of course allows customers to pre-order what will certainly be one of the hot technologies of 2010.

For those not lucky enough to see one of these new TVs it is clear that simple styling has played a major part in the design of these models. Monolithic Design combined with the slim profile means that these new models will perfectly sit in any modern home. Available in screen sizes from 22 to 60 inches we will be waiting with baited breath for this latest step in the 3D TV revolution.

Sony Expands 3D TV Offerings With Home Cinema Update

Naomi Roberts — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:51:36 +0000

3D Television at home!

After news that Sony will be releasing 3D capable Blu-ray players they have now announced that 3D movie playback will now be available for some 2.1 and 5.1 home cinema systems via a software update.

Customers that want to experience the immersive experience that is 3D have a number of home cinema products available. The BDV-F500 and BDV-F700 2.1 channel packages offer Blu-ray 3D capability, the former with desktop or wall mountable satellites, the latter with slim floor standing speakers. Sony’s 5.1 home cinema system offering are equally impressive in technological terms. Style has also played an important part in the design of these models, created to perfectly match the latest BRAVIA televisions. Models include the BDV-E370, BDV-E670W, BDV-E870, BDV-E970W and the BDV-IZ1000W.

Sony are certainly throwing their weight behind the 3D revolution, after a raft of announcements at CES this year that included the latest models of BRAVIA televisions, a demo of Gran Turismo 5 in 3D and a host of Blu-ray players, this latest news highlights that 3D TV and movies are an important aspect to Sony’s offerings this year. The commitment of the company to start broadcasting television, movies and sporting events in the 3D is further evidence of this commitment.

The hope is that the cardboard glasses of yesteryear will be completely done away with; instead Active Shutter glasses delivering the stereoscopic experience will bring 3D technology into the home. The Active Shutter technology tricks the eyes by synchronising the refresh rate of the TV set with the glasses, displays are then alternated to deliver a 3D effect to the viewer.

It is technology like this that will make a Sony home cinema system a key component in creating a 3D movie experience in the living room. This latest update to home cinema systems and new 3D ready products will only add to the speculation that 2010 will be the year of 3D.

TransferJet Memory Cards Released in Japan

Josh Tait — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:02:55 +0000

At Sony Insights we have already looked at Sony’s new data transferral technology, TransferJet. Present in some of the latest products it is described as a “close proximity wireless transfer technology”. Put simply it allows users to transfer their data at high speed without the need for those pesky wires.

The latest announcement from Sony concerned with TransferJet states that speeds of 560Mbps will be possible. Despite some industry commentators surmising that it is more likely that the speed will be around 375Mbps, it is certainly a fast system that will allow the seamless transfer of data between digital cameras, camcorders, VAIO computers and BRAVIA televisions.

The TransferJet system will only work with a maximum range of 3cm so basically users will have to touch the devices together when they want to send pictures, music or video. This close proximity however means that outstanding speeds will be achievable, so it is better to think of it as a type of Bluetooth that is far faster, and considerably more capable.

The Sony global website has in-depth information on the subject as well as some very technical equations but the lay mans explanation, and most pertinent example is the fact that users will be able to share the images from the camera to their television by just touching the devices together. Equally a video on the Sony site shows that this reliable high speed transmission technology will allow users to download music in stores by simply touching their mobile phone or mp3 player to an in store device.

However this new TransferJet technology is implemented, its development by Sony could well be the next step in wireless communication. As 8, 16 and 32GB varieties of TransferJet Memory Stick Pro cards are released in Japan, only time will tell if this technology will be a revolutionary development.