Inside Sony's Home Entertainment HQ in Japan Sony is getting back to basics in an effort to revitalise its underperforming TV division. After haemorrhaging cash for eight long years, a fresh management team are betting the farm on new display technologies and a return to core values in order to turn things around. To see just how sweeping these changes are, the iconic …
Good to see Sony getting back to what made them so great in the first place...in the pre flat panel days, there was nothing to touch a Trinitron set for picture quality, hell we've got a 32" model at home that still gives the flatscreens a bloody nose in Standard Def. Think it might have to last another year so it can be upgraded to one of these new sets.
*awaits inane comments about rootkits and removing random functions from the PlayStation nobody used*
Excellent tubes, this is why it took ages for me to find a decent LCD panel (wanted HD).
My first generation IDTV had just started to get tube fade, but the picture was fantastic. (That TV was used a LOT)
Ended up with another Sony a W series LCD one, and guess what - bought on picture quality.
Nearly 50 and on my 3rd main TV, spent a lot but got my moneys worth. And I still have a 30 year old portable.
I remember when "back to basics" was a handy phrase for any project/company/political party.
No Sony, please don't invent more bells and whistles to lure us to your screens. Make it as dumb and good as possible. Make it physically unobtrusive as possible. Then make it as cost similar amounts to Samsung/Panasonic. Simple.
BTW the future isn't streaming via the TV, it'll be streaming to the TV. The TV needs do nothing except turn pixels on and off as it's told. (Seeing as Sony make tablets, phones, STBs and consoles that do just this, it wouldn't hurt their business to slim down the TV features at all.)
I saw Sony's HQ last year from the bullet train, very modern and black. I'm quite pleased with myself that I didn't take a photo, I'm not that sad yet :)
which are the main reason i refuse to buy any sony kit for a while now !
the world (well me at least) does not need another 20 connections, cables which are compatible with nothing at all.
Although is see the vita has its own memory stick type of course !
well, vita is to limit piracy, so you cant blame them.
what propriety connections are you on about? my ps3 uses hdmi/optical and standard kettle power lead. my other devices use ethernet, RCA, hdmi and optical. i think they are all pretty standard...
Specific connectors.
Has a good nose around a LOT of Sony kit
Phono - standard
BNC video - standard for decent kit - also found on Sanyo & Panasonic
Scart - standard
HDMI - standard
Firewire - standard
USB - standard
Micro USB - standard
Headphone - standard
CAM interface - standard for lots of CAMs
Aerial socket - standard
Ah found a few
1) 14pin K socket - you could get adaptors to use 10 pin cameras on 14 pin recorders - NOONE did the other way round - was fitted to the Beta portables, adaptor leads to use better cameras (from JVC or Canon) with best decks (Sony SL-F1).
2) Little specific micro sockets on my HDV camera - well no room for anything standard to get component out.
3) Playstation video out socket - but same between PS2 and PS3
4) PS2 controller port.
Oh and if you bring their formats into it
CD - standard
MD - was pretty popular but overshadowed by MP3
Beta - was best
Video 8 - was a standard
Umatic - standard
Only had a hand in
DV & Blu Ray
Indeed. I've noticed that the PS3 and my BDP-S780 (BluRay) both have things (video) that one won't play and the other will.
Though at least they both have the easy to use XMB interface, opposed to the horrendous bag-of-spanners GUI my recent STR-DN1020 (AV receiver) is lumbered with. Also strangely for an AV amp it will happily pick up DLNA streamed music, but doesn't have the capability for streamed video. Though appearently it will play video off a USB drive.
my onkyo 709 does dlna too but its a little akward to use. i much prefer using my sony and use my iphone as a remote as its very quick to scan through dlna stuff. it also helps that all my sony bar the ps3 can do this homeshare thing, basically a sonos system for a fraction of the cost.
I wouldn't hold my breath for a turn-around unless they can finally shake the mind-sets that cost themselves marketshare in the first place. Things like ...
This new picture processing tech sounds great but SONY will (a) put in on their top-of-the-line sets only (at first) with it eventually, and far too gradually, drifting down to lower end models and (b) it'll cost an arm and a leg premium even on those high-end sets. So, while everyone and his dog will want one, very few will be able to justify the added expense to have one and market share will continue to drain away to their competitors.
The new Vita memory stick the above poster mentions shows that SONY still doesn't get it.
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