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Sony unveils 30-and 56-inch professional 4K OLED monitor prototypes
The 56-inch OLED TV Sony trotted out at CES may not be headed to the consumer market, but it is becoming a reality, at least in the professional sector. The company showcased a pair of 4K OLED prototypes at NAB 2013, outing a 4,096 x 2,160 30-inch model as well as a 3,840 x 2160 56-inch display. Both panels boast of wide viewing angles and low color shift, promising accurate signal reproduction for industry pros working with 4K content. No word yet on pricing, but interested parties can look forward to upgrading sometime in next year. Sony also announced a refresh for its existing line of professional OLED displays. The A series will replace seven older SKUs, again promising better viewing angles and color shift than the previous generation. Hit the break for the official press release, item skus, and a quick break down of what products the A series will be replacing. Update: The 30-inch 4K OLED prototype is looking at a 2014 release date, while the A series monitors will be available in May.
Sony announces $699 FMP-X1 4K media player and distribution service
Along with its new smaller (and cheaper) 4K TVs, Sony has announced its FMP-X1 4K media player and 4K video distribution service. Plans for both were first revealed at CES, however the official press release (included after the break) provides the full details, that it will be $699 and arrive preloaded with 10 4K films and shorts when it ships this summer. Starting in the fall, the video service will launch, with "fee-based" access to Sony's library of movies. Sony also revealed that it has started adding to the 4K movie collections for the buyers of its $25k 84-inch Ultra HDTV, delivering Lawrence of Arabia. Those buyers will be able to swap their current player for the FMP-X1 when the 4K distribution network launches in the fall. The "mastered in 4K" (but delivered in 1080p) Blu-ray discs are still part of the plan as well, and buyers of the new TVs can expect Spiderman, Ghostbusters and Angels & Demons as pack-ins.
Sony announces pricing for 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs, shipping April 21st
Think $25,000 for an 84-inch 4K TV is a bit tough to swallow? You're certainly not alone, but if you're willing to compromise on a few viewable inches, you could very well save yourself quite a bit of cash. At Sony's NAB press conference today here in Las Vegas, the company finally shared pricing for its smaller 4K models, the Bravia XBR-55X900A and the XBR-65X900A, which ring in at 55 and 65 inches, respectively. That first flavor will retail for a mere $5,000, with its larger sibling due in stores for just two grand more. As we learned at CES, both models offer Triluminous displays with X-Reality PRO and Motionflow XR960 technology, WiFi and NFC one-touch screen mirroring, not to mention native support for displaying 3,840 x 2,160 pixels images. The more budget-friendly duo will hit stores on April 21st -- they'll also be available to order online in just two weeks' time.
Sony unveils Anycast Touch all-in-one production system at NAB
In addition to announcing pricing for its 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs at its NAB press event, Sony unveiled updates to its Anycast studio-in-a-box. Sony has been offering its live broadcasting all-in-one for quite some time, but the Anycast Touch (AWS-750) unveiled today features several updates, including sliding dual touch displays. (The product looks more like a beefed-up Duo 11 than a bulky suitcase, which can't be said about earlier models from the Anycast line.) A tilt-screen function lets you split audio- and video-editing functions between the two panels, and you'll be able to bring up video sources just by tapping their thumbnails on-screen. Aside from the new touchscreen design, the Anycast Touch offers all the A/V essentials: a video switcher, audio mixer, a special effects generator, an encoder and a scale converter. Video output tops out at 1080p with 10-bit processing, though other specs, such as display size, are TBA. Sony hasn't discussed pricing yet, but it did reveal that the Anycast Touch will go on sale in September -- we imagine additional details will surface before that far-off date.
