Live from Sony's CES 2012 press conference

It's prime time and Sony is ready to shine as always, ready to show off its latest flood of consumer products for us, and you. Check after the break for our up-to-the-minute liveblog of every TV, camera or other device that's been flown into Las Vegas for our perusal.

9:01PM ...and that's it.

8:59PM (insert singing here)

8:57PM Now it's time for an acoustic version of Mr. Know-It-All...we'll take it.

8:56PM Kelly Clarkson

8:55PM One more surprise guest one the way...

8:55PM The next step right now is all about 4K and 3D, while the mainstream arc is Sony entertainment Network, across different devices in all places all the time.

8:54PM Forget the rumors you've heard about ditching oled, Howie jsut said the company is still working on it for pro and consumer applications.

8:54PM Tomorrow's display technology - Crystal LED Display.

8:53PM Sony has 100 million connected TVs "a number that dwarfs any cable company on earth" -- but what to do with it.

8:53PM 3net and ESPN 3D are both building up their catalogs, and ESPN 3D is doing a SportsNation broadcast live from the booth later this week. Can 3D, or real life, make Colin Cowherd funny? We'll find out soon.

8:51PM Next up - the 3D head mounted display. Howard's "favorite product" in case you were wondering.

8:51PM Thursday and Friday Sony will be showing highlights from the Sony open on its stage here, we'll check it out.

8:50PM MOAR 3D. It's onto 3D sports -- we're not watching the BCS National Championship game, but it's on ESPN 3D right now.

8:49PM After some jokes...Will Smith is a "Prince" according to Stringer (get it? - Will "oh, that was like a pun") Will and Barry have exited the stage and it's time for more 3D talk.

8:48PM btw, go see MiB3. in case you hadn't gotten the message.

8:46PM Sonnenfeld and Will are talking 3D movie production...well, Barry is.

8:45PM but...WILL SMITH. Do we take the glasses off now? We're not sure.

8:45PM and Barry Sonnenfeld

8:44PM whoa, Will Smith, live...in REAL 3D.

8:44PM If you've seen an MiB trailer already, you've seen this one.

8:43PM yup, MiB, featuring a shockingly young looking Will Smith.

8:42PM Glasses time - we're thinking MIB

8:42PM Despite the downtalk you may have heard about 3D...3D flicks brought in six billion dollars with a B last year, and Sony sees this number going up. Preview time.

8:41PM Sony has Blu-ray players that can upscale to 4K.

8:41PM Now we're talking all of Sony's firsts...they may have commented on this post first. They have a problem.

8:40PM Now we're talking the 4K projector, unveiled last year at CEDIA

8:39PM 4K = "more than for times HD resolution"

8:39PM Now it's time to talk 4K -- and we don't mean QuadHD, Sony don't play that.

8:38PM Lots of grass on screen while we mention how green Sony is. They're really green. Like grass.

8:38PM Sony and Ford's partnership has delivered yet another set of Sony sounds to crank in your Focus....in the Whole Foods Parking lot

8:37PM The battery in its noise cancelling earbuds? fit right into the ear segment now.

8:36PM Even earbuds are getting refreshed, with "balanced armature" models promising a new level of audio performance.

8:36PM It runs Android and has WiFi, plus Sony's Music Unlimited service built in. It cna play back video via HDMI-out, or "throw" content over a DLNA hookup.

8:35PM "raising the bar again...with the Walkman Zed series" (That's Walkman Z to you Yanks)

8:35PM now for the Walkman -- he's holding a new one.

8:35PM ...as we proceed, next up are the new SS-AR2 high end speakers

8:34PM Now he's talking up the Android-bases clamshell Tablet P, already available in the UK....no word about potential US availability

8:34PM Sony's interchangeable lens cameras got a glancing mention, but that's it.

8:33PM Of coursem it also supports the PlayMemories Live service flashed earlier, you hadn't forgotten about that already, had you?

8:33PM Uploads direct ot social networks, to phones, or to Qik.

8:32PM "world's first full HD camera capable of live streaming with built-in WiFi"

8:32PM New Handycams , new Bloggie Live

8:31PM Cures caffiene hands up to 13x more effectively than old models -- we'll take two.

8:30PM Sony's relentless pursuit of image quality has lead Sony to develop "Balanced Optical Steady Shot

8:30PM Now cameras "for preserving memories and creating your own artistry"

8:29PM Touch control, gesture control, voice control, it does it all, plus there's new mobile remote apps for phones and tablets.

8:29PM Whoa, he's holding the new Google TV remote

8:29PM We still like seeing him though, he's here to talk about how he can enrich our lives. If this is a motivational speeaker....

8:28PM Oh, Phil Molyneux

8:27PM It's followed Samsung's lead from last year and produced a pair that way half as much as the previous models, with only the thinnest piece of metal connecting the lenses.

8:26PM Also new for 2012 are Sony's (still active shutter) 3D glasses.

8:26PM New image processing is X-Reality Pro -- scales up grainy YouTube videos ot make them look a little better on your sweet HDTV

8:25PM ...speaking of, the 2012 Bravia line would like ot say hello.

8:24PM New Google TV products: network media player and Blu-ray Disc player. No new TVs, at least for now

8:24PM Don't think they've forgotten TVs, we're moving to the big screens now.

8:24PM Both phones are PlayStation Certified

8:23PM Next up - Xperia S - available globally in March

8:23PM Launching on AT&T this spring

8:23PM 'scuse me while I whip this out... he just pulled an Ion out of his pocket. "thin and light...aluminum body, no shot to shot lag like other phones"

8:22PM Boom! speak of the devil, say hello to the Xperia Ion, Son'y first LTE smartphone

8:22PM Now he's talking up the latest smartphone designs and "HD experience" -- he means Xperia Ion folks, keep up.

8:21PM Sony Ericsson is now: Sony Mobile Communications

8:20PM Netflix is coming to the PS Vita - netflix is "working towards" launch on day 1.

8:20PM If you've heard bad news about PS Vita sales so far, don't tell it here, millions sold and still moving according to Kaz

8:18PM Next up is the Soy Tablet -- PlayStation Certified for your classic PS and PS Suite gaming pleasure.

8:17PM PlayMemories Studio for PS3 uses the PS3's horsepower and controller to "almost make photo viewing like a game".

8:16PM Cloud based photo sharing across camera, pc and mobile device -- stop us if you've heard this before. Works on iOS and Android alike.

8:16PM Next sync software service up is PlayMemories Online

8:15PM Music Unlimited will be available on the Vita day 1 when it launches in the US. Will all Music Unlimited users please stand up?

8:14PM New features for Music Unlimited include an "Artist Channel" option, which creates a playlist of content similar to whatever artist one is listening to. We're not unimpressed, but this is pretty standard fare for online music players in 2012

8:12PM Sony's premium music service is front and center after literally being shoved out onto the stage, with a cart carrying all the Sony hardware that is able to access it.

8:11PM Music Unlimited: now available in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden

8:10PM It's time to talk Video Unlimited, nee Qriocity. (No mention of its tangential connection to the hack/outage early last year -- we've moved on too.)

8:09PM Play. Watch. Listen. Share. - Kaz is promising the whole line of a/v products you're used to, but this time around the highlight is how they complement each other. Has Sony figured out what an ecosystem can do for you?

8:08PM Kaz Hirai takes the stage talking TVs, laptops, phones and tablets. You know, Sony stuff.

8:06PM Remember the Pop using a Tablet S? You can bet Sringer does, that pic just flashed on the screen too -- he's going away for a bit, but promises "very special guests" to close out the presentation.

8:05PM Peter Molyneux is in the house (Where's London at? -- we didn't say it, but we wanted to.)

8:05PM Referring to his company's vertical integration, Stringer notes Sony has a stake in every level of entertainment as it comes home to us, and "where the rubber truly meets the road" is user experience -- this year we'll see if Sony has truly learned its lesson

8:04PM Sony plans to sell 300 million IP connected devices over the next three years, opening up TV and movies "whenever, and however"

8:03PM 900 million sony devices sold...and they're not done. As he clicks them off we just want to hear Sir Stringer say "Vaio Zed" again.

8:02PM After a highlight reel featuring Nathan Drake and Will Smith, say hello to Howard Stringer, but where are his 3D glasses?

8:00PM Nope, the pics didn't get blurry, that's just 3D.

7:59PM Lights going down, it's time!!

7:59PM You can live the dream too: the live stream should be available here, http://www.ustream.tv/SonyElectronics Protip: Hit mute on the music.

7:55PM 5 minutes to start time...

7:54PM 3D glasses? Check. 4G card? check. 4G tethered backup phone? Check. Tonight's images are being brought to you by the illustrious and deadly Brian Heater BTW.

7:52PM Now Playing: Hot Chelle Rae - I Like It Like That. Can someone pass Sony a new Spotify playlist please?

7:50PM 10 minutes to start...

7:34PM So, any guesses what we're in for? New Vaios and a cheaper Vita for the US have been suggested. We're ready for anything from an autostereoscopic Vita 3D to news that the business is being drawn back to Sony's (apparently very profitable) life insurance operation

Now playing: Pink - Raise Your Glass

7:29PM Actually, we're listening to a rotating roster of Sony artists pounding through thr stage speakers. Currently playing : Da Baddest.

7:26PM We're seated up front and in position, the conference should get underway in just a few minutes. Use this time to prepare yourself spiritually and emotionally -- we are.

6:55PM
Live from Sony's CES 2012 press conference!