BraviaInternetVideoLink
Latest
Hulu Plus hits 2010 BRAVIA HDTVs, coming to all PS3 users next week
Sad, dreary day at your place? Fret not, as the Boob Tube is just about to get even better. Hulu has just revealed a movement to get Hulu Plus stocked with more content and onto more devices, STAT. Making sure those words aren't empty, we're learning that all 2010 Sony BRAVIA HDTVs will today have access to the subscription programming service, with it bleeding over to Sony's various Blu-ray players, home theater systems, network media players and even the Dash -- yeah, that Dash -- in due time. In related news, Hulu will be soon yanking the invite requirement to get Hulu Plus on the PlayStation 3, and as of next week, any ole PlayStation Network member (as opposed to PlayStation Plus, as it stands today) will be able to grab it. 'Course, even those freeloaders will be forced to pony up $9.99 per month if they're interested in using it, but hey, it's not like Raising Hope is financed with pixie dust, right? [Thanks, Brian]
Sony's COO says no new OLED TVs in 2010, BRAVIA Internet Video Link is coming to PS3
Want to blast some BRAVIA Internet Video Link content from your PS3 to your million-inch Sony-built 3D OLED TV this year? Well, you're half in luck. Sony's bringing the Internet Video Link service to the PS3 (which seems to us to provide little that isn't already possible on the PS3, but who are we to judge?) but won't do any new OLED TVs this year. The problem is, naturally, cost, but hopefully 2011 will bring better things in sizes larger than 11-inches -- LG won't have a 30-incher until 2012 at least, and that seems too long to wait. Sony COO Stan Glasgow, in his interview with Sony Insider that turned up these nuggets, also is refreshingly non-bombastic about 3D. He points out that Sony's doing 3D-capable TVs for essentially zero price differentiation, with separate glasses and emitters that can be bought after the fact, and calls the 3D channel rollout "complex." But who knows, perhaps he's just never seen enough of Taylor Swift in 3D to know what he's missing?
Sony's new BDP-N460 Blu-ray player adds access to internet content
What you're looking at here is the latest addition to the Sony Blu-ray family. The BDP-N460 seemingly fits right in between the BDP-S360 and the BDP-S560 with an MSRP of $249. What sets it apart from its little brother is the fact that it can use its included network jack for more than just BD-Live and it features a USB port on the front, in addition to the one on the back for optional BD-Live storage. There's no built in WiFi or MKV support like other brands though, but it is shipping with access to YouTube and to Bravia Internet Video, and in addition Sony promises Netflix Watch Instantly later this fall. No word on whether this means the end for the BDP-S360, but considering the price and improved features of the 460, that's where we'd put our money.
Sony's connected BRAVIA HDTVs score Netflix streaming, PS3 left in the cold
It's with mixed emotions that we present to you Netflix's latest partnership with Sony, which is awesome, but could be so (so!) much more. Today, the world's leading online movie rental service inked a deal that'll bring instant Netflix streaming to Sony BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs this fall along with older BRAVIA models that are compatible with Sony's BRAVIA Internet video link module. Sadly, the PlayStation 3 is glaringly absent in the announcement, which is a golden opportunity missed in our humble estimation. Ah well, at least there's PlayOn, right? Full release is after the break.
Slacker radio added to Sony BRAVIA Internet Video Link
If you've found yourself dumbfoundedly staring at your Bravia Internet Video Link-equipped HDTV thinking "when am I going to see some Slacker radio up in this piece?" -- you're in luck. Sony announced today that it would be bringing the streaming service to users of the company's $300 hardware add-on free of charge, allowing music hounds to grab "millions" of songs on over "100 individually programmed genre music stations" in CD-quality audio. The service joins other streaming content like YouTube and Amazon, and will be available immediately. So... why are you still reading this?[Via ZatzNotFunny]
Amazon Video On Demand officially live on BRAVIA Internet Video Link
We knew good and well it was coming, but Sony finally spilled the beans on bringing Amazon Video On Demand to BRAVIA Internet Video Link users. For folks with compatible Sony BRAVIA televisions equipped with the optional BRAVIA Internet Video Link, they can now tap into "tens of thousands of premium movies and TV shows," and additionally, they can now stream high-definition content from Dailymotion and other providers at no additional cost. Huzzah!
Amazon Video on Demand for BRAVIA Internet Video Link open for business?
Amazon's latest video delivery service is apparently live for Sony Bravia Internet Video Link-equipped customers. A reader reports that after a rather low key system message and reboot the Amazon Video on Demand logo added itself to his streaming options, joining YouTube and other providers available since the $299 add-on launched back in April. Amazon's website still lists shows it as being in beta, but they're probably just too busy with Home or those HD TiVo downloads to bother dropping a line. Anyone else noticing a new option on the XMB lately?[Thanks, Jared]
Sony delivers Hancock via Bravia Internet Video Link, ahead of DVD & Blu-ray
Forget YouTube over Bravia Internet Video Link, Sony plans on making the dongle relevant this winter by releasing the blockbuster Hancock for viewing to anyone who has the device hooked up to their Sony HDTV. This debut will happen before the flick hits shelves as a DVD and makes for an interesting end-around VOD services, competing movie delivery boxes or any thorny MPAA proposals. Unfortunately its exposure is limited to those with Bravia TVs, a good Internet connection and the $299 device, and willing to pay an as-yet-unspecified amount for the privilege. We're also still waiting to hear the details of Sony's PlayStation 3 based movie network, but we wouldn't be surprised if Hancock -- like Click, James Bond and Talladega Nights before it -- pushes multiple Sony platforms at once.[Thanks, Tyler]
YouTube content comes to Sony's Bravia Internet Video Link
Sony's Bravia Internet Video Link hasn't really gotten much attention, but the little box is growing up so fast -- Sony's just announced that as of today, YouTube content will now be available at no extra cost. That's in addition to channels from Style.com, Sports Illustrated, blip.tv, and others, and YouTube content should pop up in the BIVL's XMB inteface just like all the rest. Sounds great -- now to figure out how to RickRoll the sucker.
Sony announces "BRAVIA Internet Video Link" for HD content
It should be very obvious by now that the theme for 2007 is watching downloadable or streaming content on your HDTV. These devices have been out for years, but it is just recently that all the big players have been getting in the market, and now it's Sony's turn. But rather than try to come up with a snazzy name like SlingCatcher they chose "BRAVIA™ Internet Video Link". This device will allow most new Bravia televisions to access free Internet video -- including HD -- from providers including AOL, Yahoo! and Grouper, as well as Sony Pictures and BMG Music. The content is streamed over your boradband connection and does not require a PC. The box also supports video via RSS feeds and features the new Xross Media Bar interface just like the PS3 and PSP.
