Sony Innovations and Products to Take Note

A few other innovative showcases from Sony include technologies currently available only in Japan, Europe or US (yet to arrive in other Asian countries) or prototype technologies and products under research or testing. These technologies are on display at CES 2008 and demonstrate the company's vision and push to constantly move their products beyond what they are capable of.

Beyond the prototype 27" OLED TV we've already mentioned, Sony also showed us an 82" prototype LCD TV that can display an 8.8 megapixel video resolution on screen. Using technology made famous by Sony's SXRD projectors and CineAlta 4K cinema system, the prototype 82-incher can display one gigantic 4096 x 2160 image that'll blow your mind or split into four 2K resolution video images. The applications inherent in a technology like this would serve well in museums, lecture training, simulations and so on.

About a year ago, Sony released the BRAVIA Internet Video Link in the US, which allows BRAVIA TV owners to attach an Ethernet-based module to their TV and router, and access a series of Internet video content, including HD content, from providers like AOL, Yahoo, Grouper, Sony Pictures and Sony BMG. Now, a year later, Sony has released three more modules - the BRAVIA Wireless Link (HDMI wireless module for 1080/24p resolution content streaming up to 200 feet), the BRAVIA DVD Link (pictured; DVD module attachment to the rear of your BRAVIA TV) and BRAVIA Input Link (module to connect up to 3 HDMI sources). All four modules are based on Sony's Digital Media Extender technology.

Sony showcased its version of a Near Field Communications (NFC) prototype running on the interference-free 4.48GHz frequency. Called Transfer Jet, it allows Transfer Jet-compliant Sony products, ranging from its Cyber-shot, HD Handycam or who knows, future versions of the Network Walkman and PSP to transfer high-resolution images or stream HD videos through a point-to-point wireless protocol between the product and a Transfer Jet "base" (distance of no more than 1.25 inches)

The "base" for Transfer Jet technology to work in this case can be a sort of landing pad built onto devices like the TP-1, Blu-ray media center PC or an optional accessory pad (pictured), which makes it easy to attach to Sony devices like the PS3 or BDP-S500 set-top Blu-ray player. The Transfer Jet prototype on display has an effective transfer rate of 375Mbps (theoretical is 560Mbps).

Sony also released the second version of the Sony mylo (my life online COM-2) in more than one color in the US at US$299. Based on platforms like Linux and Adobe Flash Lite, this 800 x 450 3.5"-screen personal communicator allows users access to a backlit, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, chat via clients like AIM, Yahoo! or Google Talk and WMA/PlayForSure DRM, MP3, AAC, ATRAC, and MPEG-4 codec music/video. As it is an 802.11b/g Wi-Fi based communication device (not GSM/W-CDMA/3G), you can make phone calls using the Skype service built into the device. According to a Sony personnel, Sony USA has an existing partnership with Wayport where you can have free Wi-Fi access at McDonald's USA outlets for 2 years with the mylo. You can also use the 1.3-megapixel camera to take and edit photos and post them online direct on the mylo via sites like Facebook, Photobucket or MySpace.

Though launched for awhile, the Sony Reader is an e-book reading system that now allows you to purchase classic e-books from the CONNECT eBookStore. The Reader uses e-ink and the quality of the text is as good, if better, than what you normally see from newsprint.

Karen Morris, Vice President of Marketing for Sony Ericsson in North America announced the release of three new phone models, including the Z555, which has a gesture-controlled function where you can turn off a call by waving your hand over the phone.

Concluding Notes

So there you have it, a list of the new products announced and shown by Sony at their booth in CES. The key message from Sony is their continuous push from Standard Definition to High Definition. While the company showed us innovations like the new OLED TV, the 82-inch 8.8-megapixel HDTV and Transfer Jet prototype, the company has a range of commercial-ready products in the huge bucket list of BRAVIA LCD TVs (Full HD 32" and 37" particularly) and Handycam camcorders (including 6 Full HD AVCHD-based Handycam models).

In closing his roundtable discussion with the press, Ihara-san mentioned something related to the sophistication of the Cell processor within the PS3, since he also mentioned a quote by Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation, who is encouraged by the move Sony is making to provide video download services on the PS3 by the first half of 2008.

"The PS3 uses the Cell processing chip," Ihara-san said, "We are constantly asking ourselves how we can take advantage of this processor. Now, we're in the phase of investigating how we can use it for other purposes. We might use this technology as a platform for digital TV or its architecture for the next-generation video product. At this moment, we're in the investigation phase but our software engineers are demonstrating very strong interest in the Cell processor so we'll see and make the final decision soon."