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Sony's Phil Molyneux talks 4K strategy, with Spike Lee as exhibit 'A'
Sony's consumer electronics COO Phil Molyneux has a story to tell about his company's deep plunge into 4K, so who better to help than veteran auteur Spike Lee? The filmmaker's foray into crowdfunded cinema production is well-known, and it turns out that he's using the company's 4K CineAlta PMW-F55 digital cinema cameras on the project, entitled Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. The pair spoke at our Expand event in New York, where Molyneux said he had to drag 50 people together from across Sony's divisions to make 4K content distribution happen. Meanwhile, Lee, a moderate technophobe, detailed his first crowdfunding experience and how Kickstarter told him that there would be a "backlash." Sony's level of commitment to 4K with its production and consumer cameras, projectors, players and TVs begged the inevitable question: What about Ultra HD content? Surprisingly, Phil acknowledged the silo-like nature of the sprawling electronics giant, saying that it often "hasn't worked well together for the greater benefit of the consumer experience." Because of that, he said he brought about a group of people from the company's various divisions together to figure out how to create a 4K consumer distribution network, first announced at CES this year. Having brashly committed to launching the service by the end of the summer, the team managed to get it up just before Labor Day with 70 films (all produced, unsurprisingly, by Sony Entertainment), a feat he described in retrospect as "tremendous."
Live from Expand: Sony President Phil Molyneux with special guest Spike Lee
Sony President Phil Molyneux joins us to discuss the company's role in the ever-expanding world of consumer electronics, with a little help from none other than director Spike Lee. November 9, 2013 5:40:00 PM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Sony's 4K Ultra HD Video Player revealed, COO Phil Molyneux tells us what 'only Sony can do'
Kaz Hirai has promised a "One Sony" that aligns its various capabilities in entertainment and electronics to work better together, and it seems we'll have one of the first examples in its launch of the 84-inch XBR-84X900 LED TV. We spoke to Sony Electronics COO Phil Molyneux about the 4K Ultra HD Video Player that's coming with each purchase of its (MSRP: $24,999.99) beast and why, as he says, it's something "only Sony can do." First, we finally have the confirmed details of this first ever 4K player for the home: it's a hard-disc server, available exclusively on no-additional cost lease to purchasers that's preloaded with 10 full-length feature films (including The Amazing Spider-Man, Total Recall (2012), Taxi Driver, Bridge Over the River Kwai -- see the press release for a full list), a number of short concert / action sports clips from Red Bull, and an Xperia Tablet S packing a special remote control app that's similar to its Movies Unlimited service. This is the first time home viewers will be able to experience 4K video of this caliber at home, and from the cameras, to its Colorworks digital facility opened in 2009, to the special white glove service charged with periodically updating the hard-disc's content for well-heeled buyers, Sony plans on pushing more soon. Check after the break for more details on how that will happen.%Gallery-163642%
