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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%
This is what native 4K home cinema looks like on Sony's VPL-VW1000ES projector
Why are folks so keyed up about 4K? At first glance, that's the type of question that answers itself: by definition, a 4096-pixel wide image delivers around four times the resolution of 1920 x 1080, and that's a healthy multiple. It's actually of a broadly similar magnitude to the difference between 1080p and old-fashioned analog NTSC video, and nobody these days questions the value of that upgrade. On the other hand, there must come a point where pixels cease to be visible in a home theater environment, such that buying more of them at inflated prices stops being worth it. Sure, 4K can be a big help with 3D footage, because it boosts the resolution to each eye -- something we experienced with the REDray projector. But what about regular 2D material, which is still very much the default viewing option? That question's been nagging at us, so when Sony invited us back for a second look at its 4K projector, the VPL-VW1000ES, this time with full-throttle native 4K source material rather than just upscaled 1080p, we turned up with a tape measure. Read on for what came next.
Sony 4K home cinema projector coming in January for £18,000
You were so happy with that 1080p projection spread across your garage wall. But then you got up to fetch a beer and noticed horrible fingernail-sized pixels all over Johnny Depp's mustache. The illusion promptly shattered and you realized it was time for an upgrade. An £18,000 (£17,612) upgrade, no less, which will render your Blu-rays bearable again by upscaling them to four times the resolution of Full HD and blasting them out at 2,000 lumens. We've seen the VPL-VW1000ES in action with 2D content from a PS3 and its 'Reality Creation' upscaling algorithm really does make a big difference, but if you absolutely insist on having native 4K video then you'll currently need to budget an extra £40,884 for a player. (Well, you insisted.)
Sony announces a 4K projector for the home, prices HMZ-T1 3D head mounted display in the US
There's a new king atop Sony's line of ES projectors: the VPL-VW1000ES. Presented at CEDIA this afternoon, it bypasses all the beamers Sony's delivered for home use so far -- including the recent VPL-HW30AES and VPL-VW95ES models -- by featuring a stunning 4K resolution, four times that of standard HD projectors based on an all new SXRD panel. Scheduled to go on sale this December it also claims a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 2,000 ANSI lumens of brightness that allows it to project on screens of sizes up to 200-inches. Whether or not you can scrape together the ducats for a 4K projector this Christmas, there are other options for home theater nuts in the form of two new receivers for the ES line that will also be available. The STR-DA5700ES and STR-DA3700ES will ship in November but more than their hardware specs, they feature a new onscreen UI that's supposed to be easier to use. The only device at the presentation with a pricetag was the HMZ-T1 3D viewer we tried out at IFA last week, which has been announced for the US in November with a price "around" $799. Expect more in person pics in a moment, meanwhile the press releases after the break have all the information currently available. Update: Now with more pictures. During the presentation Sony showed a 4K clip from its upcoming Spiderman flick on a VPL-VW1000ES that looked every bit as beautiful as you might imagine. Also in the gallery is a shot of the new "activity based UI" for the receivers that looks at least something like the graphical upgrade the XMB has always needed. You'll also spy one more device, the funky new SA-NS500 Network Speaker. It's a portable sound blaster with 6 hours of battery life and AirPlay compatibility for $399, shipping in November. %Gallery-132923%
