MovieIQ Coming To Sony Pictures Blu-ray Discs This Fall

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment today announced the launch of movieIQ, a new Blu-ray Disc feature powered by Gracenote that offers viewers access to a real-time movie database. With a movieIQ-enabled Blu-ray Disc and an internet-connected Blu-ray™ player, movie fans can immediately access continuously-updated information on cast and crew and explore relevant trivia such as production facts, music and soundtrack information all tied to scenes within the movie. SPHE will feature movieIQ on upcoming Blu-ray Disc titles starting in September and will offer it on all major catalog titles and new releases including Angels & Demons, Easy Rider, Punch Drunk Love, The Quick and the Dead, Silverado and sex, lies, and videotape.

“It has always been our goal at Sony Pictures to offer fans the ability to truly connect with their favorite movies using BD-Live,” said Lexine Wong, Senior Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. “We know many people interrupt their movie-watching experience to look up the filmography of an actor or to find out more about a song playing in the background. Now through movieIQ, movie lovers can dive into constantly-updated information about the movie they are watching without leaving their sofa, further enhancing the experience of watching movies in this always-connected age.”

movieIQ takes advantage of Gracenote’s Video Explore solution, which brings powerful search and navigation capabilities to connected consumer electronic devices. Video Explore allows users to search the online Gracenote video database, linking together related cast, crew, movies, TV episodes, franchises, seasons, DVDs, and Blu-rays. Gracenote’s global Video database contains rich video information for North America, Europe, and Japan, including factual metadata, synopses, credits, and detailed descriptive elements.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Sony Pictures to deliver movieIQ, a feature that takes full advantage of the Blu-ray format’s internet connectivity and truly demonstrates that Blu-ray is the future of home entertainment,” said Ross Blanchard, VP of Business Development at Gracenote. “Now, movie lovers will have access to an incredible new service where they can explore and discover all the rich details on their favorite actors, directors and movies.”

Sony DADC Celebrates 25 Years In Terre Haute, Indiana

It was 25 years ago that Sony DADC started up its CD production facility in Terre Haute, Indiana. The plant which occupied 60,000 sq. feet of space in 1984 now occupies 1.3 million sq feet. In 1984, CD output was 300,000 CDs per day. While today’s outputs are constantly changing, last year, the equipment base was in place to make 500,000 CDs per day. UMD capacity was about 250,000 a day, and DVD capacity was 1.3 million per day. Blu-ray capacity last year was 700,000, and that number will reach about 1 million a day this year.

Even as the optical disc industry continues to face challenges, Mitchell says there are plant employees who have worked for the company 24 years, and Sony DADC has been lucky enough not to have had to lay off any one, so far, during this recession. Read more introspective towards the plant, people who run things at Terre Haute, and the optical scene in general at emedialive.com.

A Look Back At The 1966 Sony High Fidelity Components Color Catalog

Here’s the cover art from a 1966 Sony Stereo High Fidelity Components color catalog, which shows quiet time around a STR-6050 receiver playing music, a PS-1800 record player and unseen loudspeakers. The catalog featured information about their range of home audio products at the time, which included their TTS-3000A turntable, PUA-237 and PUA-286 tonearms, TA-1120A integrated amplifier, ST-5000F stereo tuner, STR-6120 / STR-6060 / STR-6050 / STR-6040 stereo receivers, PS-1800 turntable system, TA-3400 electronic crossover, SS-3100 & SS-2800 speaker systems, and the TAH-10 headphone adapter. I was able to dig up more images (click to enlarge) of this ancient catalog – the times sure have changed with marketing:

Masao Morita To Head Sony Pictures and Music Entertainment Japan

Masao Morita, the son of the late Sony co-founder Akio Morita, is set to be appointed head of Sony’s film and music divisions at the end of June. Masao will be replacing the outgoing CEO Ken Munakata. Morita, 54, is expected to be named head of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPEJ) and Sony Music Entertainment (SMEJ) in the June appointment of group executives. Masao Morita entered Sony in 1981, after working at J.P. Morgan bank. He served as head of Sony’s audio business division, and in 1997 was appointed a standing corporate officer. From 2004 he served as a director of SMEJ, and was in charge of brand-related strategies.

The picture we used for this story is of (from left to right) CEO Sir Howard Stringer, pianist Lang Lang, center, and Masao Morita around the time the Rolly debuted in April 2008. Lang Lang performed for everyone at a special event in New York City and also celebrated a new 3 year sponsorship with Sony.

Feel free to leave a caption comment for this image!

Sony Showroom (Japan) Adds Laboratory For Summer

From June 9th to July 17th, the first and second floor of the Sony Showroom housed within the Sony Building in Ginza, Tokyo Japan will have a mock laboratory for visitors to experience. Nothing too scientific will actually be occurring, but more or less a glorified way to try out some of Sony’s products. The “Laboratory of Sony Accessories,” pictured above in a computer mock-up produced by Sony, will offer a room-like atmosphere of elementary school science in 11 different stations. Directions can be found on the Sony Building website.

Some of the products on display include wireless audio demonstrations (still a relatively new technology to many out there), a bike mount for a Nav-U, noise canceling headphones, camera/camcorder accessories (gps, zoom mic), and more:

The Science Of Sony’s Digital Noise Canceling

Sony announced the world’s first digital noise canceling headphones early 2008. However, consumers are still in the dark how the technology really works. Conventional noise canceling systems have relied on analog signal processing. Sony has brought together acoustic analysis technology, digital signal processing technology and transducer technology to create a digital noise canceling system.

What are Digital Noise Canceling Headphones?

Noise canceling headphones sample ambient (surrounding) noise through a microphone and use signal processing to generate signals that cancel ambient noise. Emitting these canceling signals as sound through a driver unit provides the user with a quiet listening environment. The signal processing system at the heart of noise canceling headphones has conventionally been based on analog technology because of issues relating to processing speed. By introducing digital signal processing, Sony has succeeded in creating a system that offers unique advantages, as described below.

Figure 1 illustrates the system found in Sony’s first digital noise canceling headphone, the MDR-NC500D. The headphones operate as a feedback system. A detection microphone located in the housing continually monitors the sound reaching the ears. Output signals (A in Fig. 1) from this microphone are amplified, digitized by the A/D converter, and then sent to the DNC software engine (signal processor). Signals from the music source (B in Fig. 1) are digitized by the A/D converter and then processed by a digital equalizer to achieve the proper frequency characteristics. The signals then enter the DNC software engine, which subtracts the ambient noise from the music source signals and extracts the noise that needs to be cancelled (Signal C in Fig. 1). Signal C then undergoes phase reversal, and the result is played back through the driver together with the music signal, thereby canceling the noise before it can enter the ears.

However, if the noise signals that need to be canceled are simply played back after phase reversal, oscillation will occur at relatively high frequencies because of delays in phase reversal as the sound moves along the microphone→noise canceling circuit→driver unit→air→microphone route. The result is a phenomenon known as “howling.” To prevent this, it is necessary to use a filter circuit to eliminate the high frequencies that trigger oscillation. In Sony’s noise canceling, this is achieved through digital signal processing in the DNC software engine, which ensures extremely precise filtering and a dramatic improvement in performance. Conventional analog filters do not provide the necessary performance enhancement because of an inability to provide rapid isolation characteristics. With analog filters, any attempt to achieve stability (anti-oscillation performance) results in the exclusion of effective frequency bands that normally contribute to cancellation.

Things got even more complicated with the recent announcement of the MDR-NC300D, which added a S-Master amplifier to the mix:

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The noises that noise canceling headphones are designed to eliminate include many high-pressure bass sounds not included in normal music sources, such as CDs. To cancel such noise, headphones require the capacity to produce sound pressure strong enough to overwhelm powerful bass sounds. However, headphones are portable devices, and there is a limit to the amount of power that can be provided. To achieve maximum performance with a limited power supply, noise canceling headphones need tuning capabilities that are totally different from the tuning technology used in stereo headphones for normal hi-fi listening. Specifically, they must be able to provide excellent electro-acoustic conversion efficiency at the frequencies that require cancellation (Figure 2).

For this reason, when canceling performance is enhanced, there is a tendency for low frequencies to be over-boosted, resulting in sound that is less crisp and clear. Sony solved this problem by also using digital technology in the equalizer circuit positioned ahead of the cancellation circuit. This provides far better S/N performance and equalization precision than could be achieved with an analog equalizer, resulting in a more natural tone balance.

A unique feature of the technology used in Sony’s efforts is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) noise canceling. Sony engineers observed that the effectiveness of noise canceling varied according to noise environment. They identified aircraft, trains and buses and offices as the three most common noise environments in which noise canceling headphones are used, and succeeded in creating three noise canceling modes optimized for each environment. With AI noise canceling, the headphones analyze the ambient noise and automatically select the appropriate mode.

If the user presses the AINC Mode button when the power switch is on, the headphones will terminate normal noise canceling and switch to the analysis mode. In the analysis mode, the headphones analyze the ambient noise for three seconds before selecting one of the three noise canceling modes based on the noise spectrum and several other factors. The headphones then revert to noise canceling in the selected mode.

The history of digital noise canceling headphones has only just begun, and there is enormous potential. Sony will continue to target further improvements in noise canceling performance, as well as functional enhancement, power efficiency, and cost reduction.

Sony Set To Launch World’s First Digital Noise Cancelling Earphone MDR-NC300D

Sony is introducing the world’s first digital noise cancelling canal earphone, the MDR-NC300D, later this month. Boasting 98.4% noise reduction, an integrated S-Master amplifier, this sure is an interesting step for the company who has led the way for portable noise canceling. The build quality of this setup is outstanding, and Sony has included six different rubber ear tips for you to choose from for the perfect fit. The earbuds feature a 16mm diameter driver, and three separate modes of noise canceling – Mode A for aircraft, Mode B for train/bus, and Mode C for Office/Study Room to reduce light chatter and air conditioning noise. There is also an option for enhanced bass or Movie mode. This is the ultimate accessory or gift for the frequent business traveler, especially on international flights.

Here’s an introduction movie by Sony Japan:

Buttons found on the unit include Sound Mode, Volume (+ -), Hold, Power, and NC Optimize (allows you to fine-tune noise cancelling). The NC300D equipment runs on AA batteries. Playback frequency 6Hz ~ 24kHz. Sensitivity is 103dB/mW. Impedance is 16Ω.

Removable clip.

The MDR-NC300D will arrive in Japan on June 21st for Y30,975. No word on worldwide availability, but it should be soon. Pictures of the MDR-NC300D courtesy of AV Watch.

Sony’s Crackle Video Site Seems Much More Focused

The folks over at Crackle sure have been busy lately, because when I randomly went to the site earlier today it looked far different than I remember a while ago. The re-design is much more functional and it seems to be better organized. The content has improved for the most part, and some of the custom shows are still hit or miss – they have a new show every day, and a series assigned to that day. Owen Benjamin Presents (Monday), Anytime with Bob Kushell (Tuesday), True Colors (Wednesday), The Jace Hall Show (Thursday), and Cell (Friday). The Movie and Television sections have some interesting choices, but it has a hard time keeping up with a service such as Hulu. The reason why Hulu is more relevant to the American public is because it has content that is current. Crackle has a very unique offering, to say the least. Some classics that would be fun to listen to while working one afternoon, or watch on a random night, some not so much – at least most of it is in good quality HD (even in full screen).

The only thing that annoys me about Crackle is the commercials. Before every video plays I have to watch at least a 15-30 second commercial. I was trying to watch a :20 video clip from the Jace Hall Show and it had a :30 commercial! The commercial shouldn’t be longer than the content. I also had some random problems with the video player, where it would stop playing if I switch to Full Screen, or it wouldn’t start a clip after a commercial. However, with promising (and edgy) new content coming down the pipeline and a great new interface, perhaps Crackle has finally found its place after all. It seems to have a relatively vibrant community. The Crackle team also has a blog.

My favorite part of the site is the Cinemactive game. It’s a free to sign up game that allows you to challenge your friends, or play alone to movie-clip based trivia. You have to pay decent money for a game like this on a console, and this works right in the browser. I imagine it would also work on the PS3′s browser. Give a shot – the clips are good quality and the trivia questions are entertaining.

Want a Cool VAIO Mouse? Check Out The VGP-BMS10

Sony Japan keeps updating its Summer Season with newer VAIOs and threw in a new VAIO Laser Bluetooth mouse that may turn some heads in your local Starbucks. VGP-BMS10 boasts a brushed aluminum body with a sliding mechanism that turns it on and off. Like many other VAIO mice I own, this mouse also has a PTFE layer on the bottom that gives you a sense of smooth operation, reducing the strain on the hand.

And if you feel like carrying it around your wrist, you are more than welcome to.

Sony Walkman B Series Gets Zapped

Sony will be introducing into the markets a refreshed Walkman B series that will have this famous Zapping feature firstly acquired by Walkman W202. Other features are pretty straightforward, however I do like the new look. It would be a nice recorder for lectures, however with 2 Gigs on board you won’t get too much of that boring speech anyways…

“ZAPPIN(TM)” function to easily find the songs you want without having to view a screen.

2GB built-in memory

Direct USB connection (Hi-speed USB (USB 2.0 compliant): USB A plug)

Multi audio codec support (MP3/ WMA (*1))

Transfer music files with the ease of Drag & Drop (*2) -No dedicated applications required.

3-Line LCD Display

Quick charge completes in about 3 minutes for up to 90 minutes playback (*3)

Up to 18 hours of battery life (*3)

Powerful BASS sound by just pushing “BASS” button

“Power illuminator” flashing Red LEDs with music

FM Tuner with 30 presets function

Voice recording and FM program recording function

Incorporates an equalizer feature for flexible adjustment of sound quality