Live from Sony's CES press event
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Jan 7th 2009 7:21PM
posted Jan 7th 2009 7:21PM
5:04PM "Thanks again for joining us -- have a good night everyone!" And we're out. To the floor!
5:03PM Some 3D news... Sony will be enabling 3D broadcasts tomorrow. "Right here in this theatre, we'll have 3D content playing throughout the show. In addition, we'll have some prototypes of consumer 3D televisions. I expect Sir Howard will have more to share on this front."
5:00PM "The XBR9s are enabled with BRAVIA internet widgets. Supported by the Yahoo! Widget engine, they provide real-time updates and information. This will be found in several of our other TVs as well."
4:59PM "The new 2009 XBR9 BRAVIA televisions." Oooh, now that looks like some nice TV'ing.
4:58PM "But there's more BRAVIA news. Two years ago I demo'd our internet link -- since then we've hadded 25 content channels. Amazon, YouTube, Slacker..." "We were the first company to stream a movie broadband before it was available on disc."
4:57PM A new "eco line" of BRAVIA TVs. VE5 -- reduce power consumption by 40 percent and exceed energy star 3.0 reqs. HCFL lamp. Light sensor onboard, the "eco switch" -- zero watt consumption. A motion sensor that turns the TV off if no motion is detected in the room. Hope you don't have cats!
4:55PM "When companies talk about being green, it's just talk. When we launched our recycling program, being responsible was the thing to do. Our goal is to recycle one poound of waste for every product we sell in the country."
4:55PM "Stay tuned for even more news on the OLED front during Howard's keynote tomorrow. We've been working to listen to consumers. What do they need, what do they want? They're looking to align themselves with companies that think the way they do."
4:54PM "In the realm of TV, Sony is the brand that consumers aspire to own. Last year we shipped the first OLED TV." "Consumers still aspire to own products that represent the pinnacle of design. We'll be showing a new model which is 0.9mm thin."
4:52PM On the the PS3 and PSP. Not a ton to say about that apparently. They exist, they're on the floor.
4:51PM "Blu-ray is primed to become the standard for video playback. Sales have risen 300 percent year over year. Sony is positioned for continued Blu-ray leadership this year."
4:50PM So the VAIO is pretty much exactly what we'd already seen (and scooped)!
4:50PM Xross Media Bar... "No it's not on..." Webcam. Available for pre-order online tomorrow morning.
4:49PM Verizon is available for the P, real-time GPS.
4:49PM About the size of a business envelope, weighs 1.4 lbs, 3G built in, 802.11n, Bluetooth. Man that thing is tiny!
4:48PM "There are other ultraportable computing solutions... so hear we go... the VAIO P series."
4:47PM VAIO news! "They continue to gain attention... all of our new VAIOs employ BD LIVE functionality."
4:47PM HD, MPEG-4, 5x zoom, 20x digital zoom, 2.5inch LCD. "Available tonight at SonyStyle stores for $200, another model in April for $170."
4:46PM Sony's Webbie HD cameras! Aren't they cute! Cheapo, colorful camcorders.
4:45PM Shipping in march.
4:45PM Building up to some Handycam news. "I'm pleased to introduce Sony's new hard drive and flash memory models." The HDR-CX100, full HD, 8GB. HDR-520V, 240GB, 12 megapixel stills, GPS.
4:44PM "We're holding the biggest news about digital imaging for Stringer's keynote tomorrow..." New camera on the horizon.
4:43PM Discussing cameras. "How do we help get the photos from cameras to user's homes?" Ah yes -- new digital photo frames. The DPF-X1000 and V1000 -- SVGA, 1-2GB memory, Bluetooth.
4:42PM A handful of phones we've seen -- the C510... hmm, "Sony United in action" you say?
4:41PM Giving the XPERIA some love. "This year we're adding to the Cyber-shot and Walkman phone families."
4:41PM The new Walkman lineup -- the touchscreen PMP is officially official. Digital noise canceling? Wow!
4:40PM "We deliver value through innovative solutions..."
4:40PM BRAVIA, 350BD, the reader... all big sellers. "Consumers and retailers continue to put their trust in Sony." "We made progress in new directions with consumer categories..." "New business models are being integrated, like 4K HD." "This year at CES there are two primary areas on the floor -- one is in home, one is out."
4:38PM "I don't have to tell you that the last few months have been hard, there were moments when I found myself struggling to remain optimistic." "While sales were down slightly, Sony enjoyed higher than expected sales this season."
4:37PM "Good evening everyone -- thanks for joining us. I know it's been a long day, so I'll be quick, informative, and be gone." Smattering of laughter.
4:37PM "Please welcome the president and COO -- Stan Glasgow!"
4:36PM Ah yes, Sir Howard Stringer is in the house.
4:36PM Now we're meeting the staff... ooh, Kaz! And... some other Sony CEOs.
4:35PM "That zeotrope was built for this commercial... the largest of its kind. Of course, we call it the BRAVIADrome."
4:34PM It's is quite gorgeous footage, we won't lie. Sony sure knows how to pull off a spectacle.
4:34PM Now we're seeing a timelapse video of the setup for the commercial. Essentially, a commercial for a commercial.
4:33PM "It's already generating a lot of buzz on the blogosphere." Yes, buzz brought on by tireless shilling of the ad.
4:33PM "Sony is an entertainment powerhouse, Sony Pictures, music, PS, mobile, and more. Our united efforts are stronger than ever. And one example is what I'm about to show you..." Oh man... he's pimping their BRAVIA commercial.
4:32PM We're getting a history lesson on Jeopardy right now. We're not kidding. They're talking about Jeopardy Live. This is not the mind-blowing, face-snapping intro we were hoping for.
4:31PM "Thanks Johnny... thanks for joining us at Sony's conference. Hopefully by now you've noticed I'm not there -- I'm on the Jeopardy set at CES." Wow -- that is not awesome.
4:30PM And we're off! Wow... oh man... Jeopardy...
4:22PM So it's official, the VAIO P will be $900. That's not... cheap.
4:20PM We've already seen the VAIO P flipping around on the screens outside the theatre. Clearly Sony is ready to break this one out.
4:19PM Some folks in the back just ripped off their shirts and starting "sphering" with a pair of glowsticks. It's pretty ravey.
4:16PM We're inside! Some serious, serious trance happening in here. It's like 1999 all over again.
More exclusives for the PS3 please!
I want God of War 3 and I want it now! And screw the Prologue version, I want Gran Turismo 5 in 2009, you silly, silly bastards.
They've been downplaying exclusives all year, I wouldn't expect much/anything new in that department outside of first-party stuff.
Weeeeeeeeee... Sony!
Go go PSP Phone!
No, PSPhone
But iPhone 3g would still pwn it
And it would be an epic fail
Doubtful, from PA
If you were under the impression that the PSP was short on Battery Life, you should try gaming on the iPhone. The very moment you execute an application, a starving beast is set loose in the machine."
However I can't imagine actually wanting to use the PSP as a phone. That the onscreen keyboard "isn't great" is extremely kind, and I've already got a Blackberry Bold that nothing else really matches.
Cut your losses and announce the PS4
Why? They made a mistake by releasing an overpowered, future-proof (and thus high priced) console and selling it for less than it costs to make it. It's an awesome machine, but nobody's buying since the initial cost is so steep. So how would releasing an even more expensive, 8th generation console solve anything?
Maybe you want a PS2.5?
I know. I agree completely Lars. Even at 600 bucks, that's actually cheaper than shelling out for two generations of xboxes over the same amount of time you have the ps3.
PLease OH PLease for once let it be an anouncement about a BIG TV instead of more - we'll eventually make a screen this thin or a 15" OLED or other tiny little units. I'd still rather have a 35" standard definition TV than a 15" OLED.
How many people are saying - gee honey, we have this great 60" plasma - but that 40" unit is half as thick - let's replace it with something much smaller. Our BR discs have never looked better as long as we sit 3 feet from our new 40" screen!
PSP 2?
Sony P series netbook!
Just so you guys know, this is CES not E3...
PSPi It's exactly like the PSP 3000, but has 2 cameras for no apparent reason.
Does any website stream this video live?
Let me guess....Bravia engine 3
tell me it supports 197% NTSC color gamut
VAIO P PLZ
whats going on no updates yet?
just updated.
/facepalm
I want to see more of that wearable walkman. Not sure about it yet, but I like what I've seen so far.
They probably wish it was 1999 with the way their year has been going.
C'mon Aibo PS!!!
Meh it'll be a bit boring. I love Sony, but there's probably not going to anything spectacular, although that Walkman is pretty awesome.
"The P-series Lifestyle PC will retail for about $900"
Ugg, I'll pass.
Cnet's photos remind me of a colored pencil case. Horray for Sony style.
Reminds me of
Sony PS3
599 dollars!599 dollars!599 dollars!599 dollars!599 dollars!
Netflix update for Sony Blu-Ray players please.
Would be nice but I would imagine that if they were to stream Netflix to their BD players, then they would have to do it for the PS3 as well and that ain't gonna happen because they want you to buy all of your movies off of their stupid store. Give it a year. When no one buys anything off their store we might see that change. I know that their BD players have nothing to do with the PS3 but I don't see them doing it for one and not the other.
holy shit vio p $900!!!!! well i do have a 17 inch mbp...
bag of hurt!:)
Well, Sony shoots themselves in the foot again when it comes time to gain attention.
Good thing for them this was round 1 of their CES work.
They have a chance tomorrow to gain your interest.
I have to admit, the Vaio P, for a niche netbook, does its job beautifully.
And those mini cams might be on my radar if they can handle HD and at decent quality.
@doogiewhatever
you remind everyone of a broken record that doesn't know when to shut the **** up
This is the harshest posting I've seen you guys do. and no, im not a sony fanboy, just noticing it.
YARRR! THE NEW WALKMAN! MINE!
"About the size of a business envelope"
They should've taken it out of one!
Man I really hate to say it but Sony isn't looking all that strong anymore and it's becoming more and more apparent. I like Sony products but none of this stuff makes me even raise an eyebrow. That Walkman with the OLED display is probably gonna cost way too much. I had an Ericcson phone way back and I loved it. Then came Sony and I hated their phones, maybe they're better now but they're just not appealing. I don't know, it just seems like all of their stuff nowadays is just way more expensive than it should be and it's really got to be hurting them at this point. I would love to see Sony turn it around but whoever is running the show over there isn't really doing a great job.
I don't know what's more boring, Jeopardy, or this "lineup" of expensive junk to come.
to bad sony and sasmung dont eve metnion there high end tvs this ealry in the year. iam looking fowad to which ever xbr replaces the 8 with 240hz. glad to see sony finally got some sense and the xbr seires looks at lt least the 9 does. please sony dony add non removable speakers to you high end model again this year.
Umm...what? Are you eating your keys as you type? Jesus christ...
Hmm..
No updates on the Sony Mylo Internet Device???
Nothing about the PS3?! This is NOT good especially since XBox is SOooo cheap and in hard financial times is becoming more appealing. I hate the XBox, but with no news support at CES Sony is STUPID or has stupid CEO's & managers in charge of PS3.
News like what? You want them to announce games at an electronics show?
Great presentation, Joshua!
I have one HUGE FAVOR to ask you, regarding Sony... I have been waiting for them to offer one of their (super stylish) white-frame TV's - widely available in Europe - since last year, but it looks like they do not consider the American market ready. I know, frame might not be such an issue for some, but will not buy any more blacks - piano or not, features or not - I do not care for them at all.
Therefore, I contacted Sony USA via phone/email - they answered like they were living on Mars and had no idea of what I was talking about... a simple Google search would have helped. I contacted Sony Europe and they were not helpful, either - but at least they know what I am talking about. I patently waited for the CES, but CES is here and no white frame TV's.
So... would it be too much for me to ask you about inquiring in person...? Please, please, please - if you pass by them again until the end of the conference - I am specifically talking about E (http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/10/sonys-bravia-e4000-series-is-pretty-as-a-picture/ OR http://www.e4000.co.uk/) and EX series. X series might also be a possibility. Any other model with a white frame might work (Of course that is not described in the 2009 lineup), although the picture mode when not in use is sooooooo cool.
Have fun and please, please, please help me!!!
Steph in pain and shock