Sony Hits The Pause Button On A Larger OLED TV

Sony’s XEL-1 OLED television has always been an oddity; while inherently beautiful and full to the brim of advanced technology, the small size and high cost is tough to chew on for the average consumer. Sony made a huge gamble launching the $2,000+ XEL-1 OLED TV as early as it did, but that is typical Sony style to bring something to the table far before anyone else. With OLED becoming much more prominent in today’s gadgets, it seemed likely that pricing would eventually become reasonable in the next few years and that things were somewhat on track. Sony was expected to release the bigger brother to the XEL-1 in a 20-27 inch model later this year, but the WSJ is now reporting that this move is most likely going to be delayed. It just doesn’t make sense for Sony to mass produce an expensive item that will most likely not penetrate the market in a significant way. WSJ is also speculating that it may give Samsung and LG more time to catch up and release a lower-priced competitor to the XEL-1, which is still the only OLED tv on the market.

Some other interesting quotes from the recent WSJ article about Sony delaying the release of a larger OLED tv:

The decision sends a message to Sony’s engineers that returning its TV business, which is on track to lose money for the sixth straight year, to profitability is a top priority. In the past, Sony’s influential engineers could push the company to roll out products that were technological marvels but struggled to turn a profit.

Research firm DisplaySearch estimates Sony’s production yield for its 11-inch OLED panel is below 60%, meaning at least four of every 10 panels its factories produce aren’t up to par and can’t be sold. Larger panels would likely introduce more difficulties. Sony declined to comment on its production yields.

For Sony Bargain Shoppers – Refurbished PS3′s By Sony And More

Happy Monday! We all know when you buy a Sony product, you will end up paying a premium for it, even though sometimes it is not really worth it, you still buy it. There are some shoppers out there that will wait till the last minute until almost the product is discontinued but snatch it at the end for a really good deal. So for those patient customers, not the early adopters, SonyStyle has created Outlet online store for each product category a while ago, and not many may have known about it. A number of times, featured products are refurbished and/or discontinued brand new Sony products that just get “de-boxed” and put a Refurbished sticker on. For the first time ever, PlayStation consoles and PSPs are available for a really good deal, so check it out!

SonyStyle blogger Gina announced today that a special Twitter page was put into action for those who would like to be in the know and save even more, should follow Sony Outlet.

For some, Twitter helps to keep up with friends, celebrities and news. For bargain hunters like me (and the folks who’ve emailed us), it’s a great place to find exclusive deals, sales and newly arrived products. So my friends, I introduce to you our Sony Outlet page on Twitter.

Followers of our page will get inside scoops including:

· Updates on products added to the Outlet

· Notifications of outlet sale prices and specials

· Exclusive coupons only for those following us. And not just those “upgraded shipping with purchase” coupons you might come across somewhere. Don’t get me wrong, those are great and we may have some. But I’m talking “things that make following the Sony Outlet worth my time” kind of coupons. Some offer more than 30% off already reduced outlet pricing.

· Outlet specials offered at local Sony Outlet stores across the country.

We want to reward the loyal followers so we plan to have “celebration” coupons for Twitter followers who are with us when we reach special milestones.

Stringer Shuffles Sony Ericsson; Nordberg Becomes Co-President, Komiyama Out Soon

Sony Ericsson has announced that Bert Nordberg, currently Executive Vice President of the Ericsson Group and Head of Ericsson Silicon Valley, will join Sony Ericsson as Co-President effective 1st September. Mr. Nordberg will work closely with Sony Ericsson President Hideki (Dick) Komiyama and the entire senior management team to effect a smooth management transition. Mr. Nordberg, who will be based at Sony Ericsson’s global headquarters in London, will assume the role of President, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, on October 15th, and Mr. Komiyama will retire from the company at the end of the year. In addition, Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President, Sony Corporation, and a member of the Board of Sony Ericsson, will become Chairman of the Board of Sony Ericsson on October 15th. In his role as Chairman of the Board of Sony Ericsson, Mr. Stringer will succeed Carl-Henric Svanberg, President & CEO of Ericsson.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Dick Komiyama said, “The Sony Ericsson transformation program I began over a year ago is more than half way completed, and I am pleased with what we have achieved so far. I believe it is the right time for me to begin transferring the leadership of the company to a person who is able to complete the transformation program and lead Sony Ericsson through its next phase of development. I will continue to be involved with Sony Ericsson’s business until the end of the year and look forward to working closely with Bert to ensure a smooth handover.”

Carl-Henric Svanberg, President & CEO of Ericsson, and Chairman of the Board of Sony Ericsson, said, “In the two years he has been at Sony Ericsson Dick Komiyama has made some very important changes to their organisation and laid the foundation for the company’s turn-around. Although we are sorry to see him leave Sony Ericsson, we fully respect his decision.” He added, “Bert Nordberg has a strong track-record in the area of business realignment and was instrumental in the transformation of Ericsson in the years 2002 – 2003. I am confident he will be able to build upon the foundation Dick has created and lead the final stages of Sony Ericsson’s transformation. Bert also brings a wealth of experience in telecommunications network infrastructure and in sales, where he has been a key driver of Ericsson’s overall growth from 117 billion to more than 200 billion SEK today.”

Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President, Sony Corporation, said, “We want to thank Dick Komiyama for his leadership in spearheading critical changes at Sony Ericsson over the past two years. The company is now well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities and return to profitability. Dick has made an enormous contribution to Sony Ericsson in a short time, as well as to Sony Corporation in the years before that. We wish him all the best in his retirement. We are delighted that Bert Nordberg is joining the company as a strong and worthy successor to Dick. Bert brings tremendous experience and enthusiasm to his new role, and with his strong telecommunications background he will lead Sony Ericsson into a very bright future.”

Bert Nordberg said, “I am very pleased to be joining Sony Ericsson. With the growing importance of open source platforms, applications and content in the mobile handset industry, I believe the experiences I have gained in Silicon Valley will be very relevant to Sony Ericsson’s business going forward. I look forward to working with Dick Komiyama in the transition phase and getting to know the rest of the Sony Ericsson management team.”

“Woodstock: Now and Then” Shot With Sony HD Cameras

The iconic music event, Woodstock, will be relived on television this weekend in time for the festival’s 40th anniversary. Both the VH1 and History networks will air the premiere of “Woodstock: Now and Then,” a new documentary shot with Sony HDV camcorders. The documentary merges film footage from the original Woodstock movie with new HD interview footage recorded on the Sony cameras. Academy Award(R) winning director/producer Barbara Kopple chose the Sony HVR-Z7U and S270U HDV camcorders for their high-quality imaging and versatility, especially in changing shooting conditions, from natural light to low light.

“We’re documentary filmmakers; we shoot in every possible environment,” Kopple said. “In the span of minutes we’d be shooting a concert performance in the back of a large and well-lit club on tripod and then have to make adjustments for hand-held shots in low-light backstage corridors. The Z7U and S270U are so versatile, there isn’t much they can’t do.”

The new documentary looks at Woodstock from various perspectives: fans who gathered for the three-day concert, the musicians who played, and the festival organizers and promoters who put it all together. “Woodstock: Now and Then” airs on VH1 on August 14 and History on August 17.

The compact size of the handheld Sony Z7U created a comfortable environment for subjects being interviewed about their Woodstock experience. According to Kopple, “When it came to close-ups of Woodstock veterans reminiscing about how important the festival was to them, these cameras allowed us to capture warm and revealing footage.”

The shoulder-mount 270U added a perfect complement for longer shooting times that would have been difficult with a compact, handheld camera.

“When we knew we’d be shooting all day and night, we turned to the Sony 270U,” she said. “Being able to get the same great images and not force our shooters to hold the camera with their arms all day proved really helpful in conserving energy and being able to shoot for long periods of time.”

Kopple had to integrate several different film formats of historic footage with the HDV content they shot, but she added that she was consistently happy with how the new footage looked side-by-side with the archival materials they received.

“It was never a concern that playing both film and HDV would be jarring for the viewer because they look like the same movie,” she said. “These cameras give a wonderful ‘film’ look, that’s crisp but never cold.”

The two cameras are Sony’s newest HDV camcorders, designed specifically for video production professionals and pro-sumers with features like interchangeable lens systems, native progressive recording, increased sensitivity for low-light conditions and hybrid solid-state recording (the ability to use both tape and/or flash media).

“Being able to switch out lenses is a wonderful feature that gave us a tremendous amount of options when we were planning for multi-camera shoots during concert performances and wanted a range of different kinds of images.”

Sony Online Entertainment Details The 16th Expansion For Everquest, Underfoot

Sony Online Entertainment is proud to announce that the 16th expansion to the legendary EverQuest franchise, EverQuest Underfoot, which is scheduled to launch November 24, 2009. In anticipation of this EverQuest milestone, SOE is also kicking off the first of three “Road to Underfoot” in-game events.

Scheduled to begin on August 12th, the Road to Underfoot commences with the first event, Giants, Giants, Giants, which features:
• New adventures in Norrath: gather friends and slay some of Norrath’s most fearsome giant creatures.
• Encounter the greatest “big” foes of Norrath, from the Ancient Cyclops to the powerful Lord Brekt. Seek out Tzudani, Emissary of Veeshan, in the Plane of Knowledge to heed the call.
• Gain valuable rewards: the farther you get through the Giants event, the better your reward!

EverQuest subscribers who timely pre-order and purchase the Underfoot expansion and participate in all three Road to Underfoot in-game events prior to November 10, 2009 will receive early access into the expansion! The other two Road to Underfoot events are slated for September and October to give adventurers a taste for what’s to come. Check out www.theroadtounderfoot.com for more details, new screenshots and the latest on the Road to Underfoot events!

Sony Reader Going Open with EPUB

Today Sony made another revolutionary and out of their nature move, that is in Reader market, and opened up its devices to the commonly accepted format called EPUB. The EPUB format is a standard eBook format recommended by The International Digital Publishing Forum. I think the second best news of the press release you can witness below is that legacy users, or let’s say early adopters will not be left behind with their eReaders! So, shall we say, go Sony!

In an effort to take the confusion out of digital book formats, Sony today announced its plan to convert its eBook store to the industry-standard EPUB format by the end of the year. Adopting an industry-standard format and Adobe® Content Server 4 (ACS4), a popular, cross platform server software solution that copy protects downloadable eBooks, allows Sony to make its eBook store compatible with multiple devices and its Reader devices open to multiple sources for content.

“Our intention is to lead by example,” said Steve Haber, president of Sony’s Digital Reading Business Division. “Our Readers have long supported industry-standard formats such as EPUB and PDF. Now, what is quickly becoming the de facto standard for eBooks will be available in our store.”

Sony’s Reader was the first dedicated reading device to support the EPUB format, the International Digital Publishing Forum’s (IDPF) XML-based standard format for reflowable digital books and publications. The standard was developed with the participation of more than 60 companies and organizations and was unanimously approved by IDPF members. EPUB has gained acceptance among major trade book publishers with dozens of publishers already producing the majority of their eBooks using the standard.

“A world of proprietary formats and DRMs creates silos and limits overall market growth,” Haber continued. “Consumers should not have to worry about which device works with which store. With a common format and common content protection solution (DRM), they will be able to shop around for the content they want regardless of where they get it or what device they use.”

Current Readers from Sony, models PRS-505 and PRS-700, supported EPUB and reflowable PDF documents via Adobe Digital Editions 1.7 software. Recently announced digital readers – the Reader Pocket Edition (priced at about $199), and the Reader Touch Edition (about $299) –will both support the EPUB and PDF formats out of the box when they go on sale later this month. Sony will also provide an update path for owners of the first edition Reader, model PRS-500, so early adopters of the Reader will be able to enjoy this benefit as well.

Through the eBook Store from Sony (ebookstore.sony.com), users can access new releases, best sellers and more than one million free public domain books from Google. The Google titles, already in EPUB format are optimized for the Reader. From Sony’s eBook Store, Reader owners with a store account can download and transfer any of these titles to their Reader, while new eBook Store users can access available titles after setting up an account and downloading Sony’s free eBook Library software.

Sony is also committed to working with local libraries throughout the country as they make the move to digital books. Sony Readers are compatible with the industry-standard formats that libraries use for their digital collections, so consumers can easily download perennial favorites and new releases from their local libraries and enjoy them for free.

Sony Europe Launches Salvo Of Blu-ray Home Theater Systems

Sony is launching its most comprehensive range of Blu-ray home cinema systems, with a range of seven new models designed to suit the needs of everyone from the consumer wanting a fuss-free, compact set-up to those seeking the best possible performance in a package as simple to set-up as it is to use. Three all-in-one systems headline the new range with features such as Full 1080p HD video, 1080p DVD upscaling, Virtual 7.1-channel – filling the room with sound, not speakers – and wireless rear speaker capability. Meanwhile four more packages combine Sony’s feature rich BDP-S360 Blu-ray Disc player with surround sound systems combining style, simplicity and performance that will last any enthusiast for years to come.

BDV-E300 and BDV-E800W: 1000W power and the latest Blu-ray Disc features
The BDV-E300 and BDV-E800W both offer 1000W of Sony’s S-Master digital amplifier power. They also have the latest Blu-ray Disc features such as BD-Live for added content and features, 24p with x.v.Colour to let you see movies as the director intended, and Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA with Sony’s Digital Cinema Sound for the most immersive movie experience.
The systems will also upscale your existing DVDs to near FullHD resolution, and have Sony’s Virtual 7.1-channel sound for a complete wraparound audio experience without filling the room with speakers. Moreover, a real 7.1 set-up is also possible with the wireless upgrade kit WAHT-SBP1 which comes with an amplifier and two additional speakers.

The BDV-E300 from Sony uses five compact satellite speakers for the main channels and a powerful subwoofer, and offers wireless operation of the rear speakers with the addition of the WAHT-SA1 optional amplifier.

The BDV-E800W steps up with four floorstanding main speakers for front and rear left and right channels, the same high-power subwoofer, and wireless rear speakers as standard.*

And the systems are as simple to use as they are breathtaking in performance: Sony’s BRAVIA Sync gives seamless operation of a complete Sony system with one remote handset, Digital Cinema Auto Calibration means the systems set themselves up to suit your room and even your listening position, and Sony’s Digital Media Port allows the connection of iPod, Walkman® players, mobile phones and Bluetooth stereo devices allowing portable music and video to be streamed through the system to a TV.

BDV-Z7: surround made simple with just 2.1 speakers
The BDV-Z7 offers most of the facilities of the two systems above, but in a stylish and compact, 2.1-channel format creating great surround sound using Sony’s S-Force Front Surround technology. This gives a virtual 5.1 surround sound experience without the need for rear speakers, and is perfect for smaller rooms where you want to keep the speaker-count to an absolute minimum.

With a 350W power output, BD-Live, 24p and x.v.Colour, Full HD video with the latest HD audio codecs, 1080p upscaling for DVDs, BRAVIA Sync and a Digital Media Port, this is a full-performance system in an ultra-compact form.

Four more systems based around the BDP-S360 Blu-ray Disc player
Sony’s BDP-S360 Blu-ray Disc player is already attracting enthusiastic plaudits, and now there are four systems combining it with sleek amplification and speaker packages, for high-quality home cinema in a box. All offer the full range of features found in the ‘all-in-one’ systems above, but with even more flexibility, thanks to three HDMI inputs for extra AV sources and a wider choice of speaker systems.

The BDV-360FS is a 400W 2.1-channel system with S-Force Front Surround technology, while the BDV-360IS uses five of Sony’s amazingly tiny ‘golfball-sized’ speakers to create a truly immersive surround sound experience.

The HTP-BD36SS is a 1000W, system using compact satellite speakers, and is wireless-ready, allowing cable-free operation of the rear speakers with an optional amplifier model, while the HTP-BD36SF takes the same concept and partners it with four floorstanding speakers for the front and rear left and right channels.

Dolce&Gabbana And Sony Ericsson Show Off Gold Plated Jalou Phone

Jalou by Dolce&Gabbana is a special limited edition clamshell phone in an exclusive Sparkling Rose color with 24 carat gold plating and exclusive D&G content. The D&G version comes complete with exclusive packaging and accessories – three silky rose satin bags to either protect the phone, store the charger, or to even carry jewelery. Even the content is special on Jalou by D&G; exclusive photography and video clips from Dolce&Gabbana’s women’s Autumn/Winter 2010 runway show are included, with sneak peek footage from all the backstage action pre-loaded on the handset. There is also a variety of stylish themes and wallpapers, as well as a Dolce & Gabbana blog that sends the latest trends, news and gossip directly to the mobile phone via an RSS feed. Learn more about the Jalou at our other blog posting.

Keep your eyes peeled for the advertising campaign at the beginning of October which will support the launch of Jalou by D&G.

Sony Ericsson Debuts Jalou Phone For The Fashion Conscious

Sony Ericsson has released information about Jalou, a new clamshell cell phone aimed for those who prefer style and substance slated for debut early next year. At 73mm long, which is shorter than a tube of lipstick, it is easy to slip into the tiniest clutch or jacket pocket and is full of essential features. The screen is two inches (262,144 colour TFT) at 240×320 QVGA, while the exterior screen is a monochrome LCD. Sony Ericsson explored art, architecture and furniture trends whilst delving deep into the couture and fashion world to ensure Jalou encapsulates some of the hottest fashion trends which will emerge next year. Jalou will be available in a variety of gem inspired colours including Deep Amethyst, Aquamarine Blue and Onyx Black.

“Structured forms, intricate corners, hidden depths and jewel accents are set to be some of the hottest fashion trends in 2010. You can also expect to see deep and natural jewel colors on the runway next year. Jalou reflects these trends with its delicate facet-cut diamond shape design, clean and expressive lines and variety of different shine and matt finishes, that give depth to the handset,” comments Charles Hunt, Jalou head designer at Sony Ericsson. “The design team wanted the handset to reflect beauty found in nature. They looked at structure, strength and form in various crystalline jewels, which resulted in the unique shape.”

A cool chic feature is a one touch mirror button, offering a discreet way to check yourself out to make sure there’s nothing stuck in your teeth. My girlfriend does this often with her compact so this phone would be perfect for her. Also, the Jalou is the first Sony Ericsson to feature Walk Mate step counter, to help you stay in shape wherever you go. It also has an exclusive fashion interface which automatically updates with zodiac signs and special events throughout the year. Other features include the 3.2 megapixel camera (with geotagging, video recording), a music player, 3G, Bluetooth (stereo A2DP), built-in FM radio and Internet (with email), YouTube, Google services, and compatibility with social media sites. 100MB of memory is built into the phone, but it does have a MicroSD slot for further expansion. When this phone goes live in the US it will have A-GPS capabilities. Talk time GSM: Up to 7 hrs; Standby time GSM: Up to 350 hrs; Talk time UMTS: Up to 4 hrs 30 min; Standby time UMTS: Up to 250 hrs; Video call time: Up to 2 hrs.

“The new Jalou phone is all about looking great and sharing the good life,” said Linda Schori, Marketing Business Manager at Sony Ericsson. “We wanted to create a beautiful handset without compromising on style or content. It’s perfect for anyone who is sociable, loves fashion and wants to stay one step ahead of trends, because it has a fashion forward design you will want to show off. And, for such a compact handset, it has an immense amount of detail both inside and out.”

Sony Insider Forums Improved

Hey everyone, I am pleased to show everyone the latest update to the Sony Insider forums, which I plan on improving throughout 2009 and 2010 to better our sense of community. While the forums are still small and growing, we are very interested in making it a great place to discuss everything Sony. Aside from the fresh new look, I have also added two new categories for music and movies/tv. I will be adding more moderators to the forum soon. One of my biggest goals is to make this forum a huge place for Sony discussion where we can all help each other out and have great discussions. Please register so you can post along with us on the forum.