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Re-activateWhile there was certainly no shortage of 3D displays at Sony's CES press launch—the company unveiled everything from a new flagship Bravia XBR 3D model to down-the-road prototypes of glasses-free TVs—it was actually the launch of a range of new 3D cameras and camcorders that let people create their own 3D content that resonated most with many of us.
That said, there was no shortage of 3D TVs for 2011—16 of them, in fact, along with 22 Internet connected models. Unlike several other companies, Sony appears to have no passive 3D models on the horizon. There was also a mention that Sony was working with Time Warner Cable to deliver cable contents to TVs via IP without a settop box.
In the area of content, Sony said that the new full-time 3D network it is developing with Discovery and IMAX, which will launch "in the coming months," will be called 3DNet 3Net. The company also said it was expanding its Qriocity video-on-demand service with the launch of a new cloud-based streaming music service called Music Unlimited.
If Sony's new 3D cameras and camcorders take hold, you'll still need a TV for displaying those 3D images, and Sony certainly wants it to be one of theirs. During Sony's flashy CES press conference—hosted by Sony chairman Sir Howard Stringer with guest appearances by the stars of (and the car used in) the upcoming Sony Pictures Green Hornet movie—Sony showed how it plans to leverage the assets of its various companies to provide a comprehensive 3D experience across TVs, game systems, computers, tablets, and cell phones.
The company also showed a few prototype 3D products, including a personal head-mounted 3D display—a visor-like device that fits around the head—and two glasses-free 3D televisions. Based on a quick demo I received on a 56-inch set, the glasses-free technology is promising, and the TV didn't seem to suffer from the ultra—narrow viewing angle I've seen on other sets. Also on display was a 56-inch 4K LCD TV, with four times the current HD resolution, and a 24.5-inch OLED TV. Sony also showed a preview of an upcoming 3D game, Uncharted, which appeared to be a crowd-pleaser.
In the realm of here-and-now products, Sony unveiled its new flasghip XBR HX929-series 3D TVs, which will arrive in March in 46- and 55-inch screen sizes. A 65-inch version is slated for August. The TV, which uses a new type of lighter, stronger screen material called Gorilla Glass, has a full-array LED backlight with local dimming, Motionflow XR960 (something I'll have to find out more about, but presumably a high frame-rate technology that involves a scanning backlight), built-in Wi-Fi, Skype, and Sony's Bravia Internet Video service and Qriocity. The sets have Sony's sleek Monolithic design, which is being rolled out to more models this year.
Other 3D Bravia series sets include:
Regular 2D models include:
Prices for the TVs weren't announced at the press conference.
Keep checking here for other reports from the show floor, where we'll have a chance to play with some of the products announced during press day.
—James K. Willcox
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