Audio Video News

Sony used a recent elaborate media event at its Sony Pictures Culver City, CA studio to introduce the next phase in its expanded BRAVIA consumer home theater product portfolio.

First Sony made the PlayStation 2, a $370 "gaming console." Then users discovered that it could play Digital Versatile Discs from all regions, a clear violation of DVD Forum engineering specifications intended to accommodate the entertainment industry's longstanding policy of releasing films on video at different times in different parts of the world&mdash;after they've run in commercial theaters. Shortly thereafter, users also found that they could make perfect videotape <A HREF="htpp://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?680">copies</A> of DVDs via the RGB outputs on the machine, thereby circumventing Macrovision, the copy-prevention technique built into the DVD format. Seems the PlayStation 2 was a two-front nightmare for the film business.

Good news from Sony, if you happen to live in Japan. Sony's new Bravia KDL-32JE1 is setting a new standard in efficiency, with a power consumption of only 89 Watts. The 32" monitor has a long list of features that make it not only good for...

Digital video-production equipment by <A HREF="http://www.sony.com/professional/">Sony Electronics</A> is one highlight at the <A HREF="http://www.sundance.org/">Sundance Film Festival</A>, currently taking place in Park City, Utah. During the first weekend, the Festival's New Media and Technology Center featured camcorder demonstrations, panel discussions, and video presentations of Sony's HDCAM, Digital Betacam, DVCAM, and consumer DV digital-video formats. This is the fourth consecutive year that Sony has put on this demonstration at Sundance.

Sony’s Future Lab made some waves at South By Southwest by debuting an entirely new concept in personal listening. The Concept N device doesn’t go on or over the ears at all - instead, it hangs comfortably around the user’s neck with multi-directional drivers aiming up towards the listener, allowing outside sounds to still be audible. Extremely directional speakers direct the sound to the listener’s ears while preventing other people from hearing the sound very clearly. In a slightly noisy environment, other people around the listener can’t hear what is being played over the device.

Sony has just unveiled three new sound systems for under $600. The HT-CT150 and CT-350 are the company's newest 3.1-channel sound bars, while the HT-SF470 is a full 5.1 surround system. The HT-CT150 and HT-CT350 are designed for use with...

The Sony HT-ST7 is the first product to use Sony's "Sense of Quartz" design imperative, which I first saw in an embargoed product showing in Tokyo a few months ago. I subsequently heard the production version and it sounded even better than it looks.