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Engadget Giveaway: win a Sony 40-inch 1080p HDTV, courtesy of The Grey on Blu-ray and DVD
It's movie time, folks. The bad news is that you have to bring your own popcorn. The good news, on the other hand, is that the feature film and the TV are on us! Thanks to the folks at Universal Studios Home Entertainment, there's a 40-inch 1080p HDTV up for grabs. The occasion is the studio's release of The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, on Blu-ray this coming Tuesday May 15th. If you're the lucky winner, however, you won't even have to venture out to stores to pick up a copy of your own -- one will come included with the TV! Unfortunately, there's one additional restriction this time around: only US residents are able to enter. But if you qualify, head below and leave a comment, and good luck!
Report: Google TV coming to Europe in September
Sony is making some more definitive statements on its plans to bring Google TV across to Europe. According to financial paper, Les Échos, Sony France's marketing director said that two devices, a set-top box, priced at €200 ($266) and a Blu-ray player, selling for €300 ($399), will launch in France this September. The paper reports that it could launch across the UK, Spain and Germany at the same time. Sony's Stephane Labrousse added that remotes for the new devices would also include a dedicated Android Market Google Play button to access the Android progenitor's apps and media content. The Japanese manufacturer's own Music Unlimited service will also be baked inside. Phew. There's no word just yet on whether these are the older Intel-based models or the new, possibly cheaper, ARM range set to ship later this year. However, we expect to hear plenty more noise from Sony on its Smart TV intentions over the next few months.
Sony teases Dot Switch: Multi-display future coming in February (video)
There's only so much Sony could show off at the world's biggest consumer electronics show. According to the video embedded below, the company's looking to tie together all of your (presumably Sony-branded) screens with a single "Dot Switch". On the concept demo, a pair of ethereal arms are able to control music, TV, lights and a confetti shower through what appears to be an Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. The company's keeping pretty vague on the technicalities of it all at this point, but it looks like it would forgo the typical infra-red communication seen on other devices. Expect to hear more on this in just over a month away. Until then, let the delicate chiploops of this teaser ameliorate that post-CES come-down.
Rumor: Microsoft in 'early stages of licensing' with Sony for Kinect TV
Microsoft has embraced hacker culture for Kinect, and it now sees the vast possibilities offered by a machine that requires people to just twitch or shout for it to function. Microsoft is now planning to integrate Kinect into next-generation televisions, The Daily reports (citing anonymous "sources familiar with the subject"), completely destroying the all-American pastime of searching for the remote. But that's not the most shocking part -- The Daily says Microsoft may be in "early stages of licensing" its Kinect tech to Vizio and Sony, whose Electronics branch produces high-def hardware. Sony Electronics, in charge of Sony TVs, is a separate entity from Sony Computer Entertainment, which handles its video-game business, but this potential partnership seems awkward at best, and ludicrous at best-er. We won't believe it until a tangible product materializes, but until then, we're going to imagine the ridiculous company parties that could result from this rumored venture.
Sony to divide TV division into three-headed monster, looks to bounce back
Looking to make a rebound in the ailing TV business, Sony has announced that it will split its television division into three. According to Reuters, the company is looking to keep operations in check with separate departments for LCD TVs, outsourcing and next-gen TVs. The company is wasting no time, as the move will take place on November 1st. The announcement also comes in advance of Sony's quarterly earnings report this Wednesday which is predicted to be a quite a few eggs short of the full basket that was hoped for -- due in part to its inability to compete against Vizio and Samsung. There are also rumblings that the company could be looking to sell off its almost 50-percent share of a liquid-crystal display collaboration with the aforementioned Sammy. It appears moves are being made to stay in the TV game, but the real question is will Sony be able to stop the bleeding (or, perhaps more appropriately, melting)?
Sony's AR tool lets you put big screens in small apartments (video)
It may not be a slick as Panasonic's dream-TV AR app, but at least Sony's keeping up with the competition. Live from the company's UK outfit is an online AR tool enabling you, dear reader, to visualize all sorts of boob tubes you can (and can't) afford. After printing, affixing and photographing a marker, prospective buyers can get a better sense of what sets fit in their humble abodes. Interested in giving it a go? Mosey on past the break for PR and a video, and then hop beyond the source link to begin your adventure. [Thanks, Matt]
Yahoo! Connected TV watches with you, delivers a more personal ad experience
For a medium heavily ridiculed for its zombie-making capabilities, television is certainly taking on more of an active role courtesy of Yahoo! Connected TV. Coming later this year to select Sony and Toshiba models, the interactive software that's already in eight million homes gains two new features destined to either creep you out, or snag you a twofer on those wings -- broadcast interactivity, and device control. While the latter enhancement merely transforms your smartphone or tablet into an extended remote, it's the former that'll turn your TV choices into a game of peeping Tom, delivering ads custom-fit for you. But the old, yodeling tech giant's not stopping there -- the company also plans to trot out an app store by the years' end, which is currently in pilot testing with Ford and HSN (among others). If widget-based ads are your thing, you might want to hold off until the big manufacturer roll-out next year, or you could always consider that Google option. Brain-rot, please meet the tech loop.
Opera browser headed to Sony TVs and Blu-ray players
Opera has officially announced its much-loved web browser will be appearing on Sony TVs and Blu-ray players. There's no specific details, but it given its low-key presence at CES a few weeks ago (Sony Insider grabbed a video of it in action on the show floor -- embedded after the break -- unfortunately hampered by slow connection speeds) it will spread at least across the company's 22 new connected HDTVs. Since the browser is based off of the Opera devices SDK backbone, it's also not a stretch to imagine that Opera-enabled web applications, widgets, or other content using standards like HTML5 (no Flash, at least not yet) could piggy back onto Sony gear at some point. The real elephant in the room though is how this move relates to the Japanese tech giant's Internet TV initiative that's powered by Google TV. While we can't imagine it signals Mountain View's solution is destined for a dumping, between this and a similar move by Samsung including a browser in its own Smart TV platform, a little bit of jealousy could be just the kick Google needs to fix some glaring issues -- which we're all for, especially if it spawns a new round of potato based cajoling.
Sony 'Hybrid FPA' liquid crystal alignment technique sets LCD issues straight
Sony has announced a new LCD display technology called Hybrid FPA (field-induced photo-reactive alignment), which it claims provides a bevy of improvements for LCDs in the areas of response time, contrast, panel stability, and production speed. For those of you who slept through display science in school (no shame), this boils down to Sony finding a better way to wrangle unruly liquid crystal molecules (LCMs) into more optimal alignments -- which is important since this affects how light passes and therefore how images are resolved. The new technique builds on earlier work, which focused on the vertical alignment of LCMs via an alignment layer. As the left diagram shows, through pre-tilt positioning at the substrate layer, LCMs were forced into a more stable vertical state, which made shifting them quicker and more precise while requiring less voltage. In other words, images resolved faster and more evenly, resulting in "cleaner" whites and blacks with less motion blur. Hybrid FPA simply improves the situation by aligning LCMs even more vertically, which produced response times of less than 3ms in tests. That's great news for 3D lovers and gamers, and should help Sony at least move units off of retailer shelves at some point, particularly if its plans for rapid commercialization of this tech hold true.
Ask Engadget: best method for getting the internet on your HDTV?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Troy, who clearly longs to relive the glory days of WebTV. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but I've got a curious desire for a good-to-great web browsing experience on my television. I know there are countless connected HDTVs out there, a few new Google TV options and the idea of using an HTPC. I'm not afraid of putting the legwork into hooking up a full-blown computer, but I'm trying to keep everything under $400 or $500, so that eliminates the high-end rigs with Blu-ray, CableCARD, and the like. I also am leaning towards the HTPC so I can have a standard user agent for viewing Hulu content, etc. Anyone in the same boat with any opinions?" With Google TV just hitting the marketplace, you've got more options than ever before. Hard to say just yet if that's a boon or not, but surely a few readers have a couple pennies each to share on the matter. Toss out yours in comments below.
Sony considers incorporating Android into more (as yet unnamed) products
At a Google TV press event in Tokyo recently, Sony TV division head Yoshihisa Ishida told reporters that the company is, indeed, "thinking about using Android in more consumer electronics products." Of course, he didn't say exactly which products, although we do have it on good authority that Sony Ericsson has an Android 3.0 mobile gaming platform in the works -- which probably explains why the PlayStation division is on the lookout for Android developers as well. We'd contact Ishida directly, but our sources tell us he is too busy watching re-runs of Friends on Netflix to take the call.
Sharp slowing larger LCD panel production, but Sony to feel the squeeze
Reports have surfaced that Sharp will be lowering the production capacity of its new Sakai LCD panel factory by 20 to 30 percent for the next two months, apparently in response to piling inventory in the US and China as production outpaced demand. Sharp however hasn't verified these claims and dutifully reiterated its expectations to meet sales forecasts for the fiscal year of 2010. If true though, the decision is unlikely to affect production of Sharp's own panels anyway, since they're made at the Kameyama plant in Mie Prefecture, which in contrast to 2008, will supposedly maintain its current production rates. Instead, other TV manufacturers like Sony will experience the pinch, as a result of billion dollar joint venture deal inked last year, which moved production of their 40-inch and above panels to the Sakai facility in question. Philosophically though, if a few less Bravia panels roll off the production line, and no recession-burdened consumer is around to mourn them, would we even care?
Sony selling 3D bundle deals for a limited time
In a rare move, Sony has deviated from their pricey reputation to offer two special 3D bundle promotions until July 17th -- or while supplies still last -- with the clear intention of enticing wavering adopters to veer whole-hog into 3D. The options boil down to either a 46-inch or 54.6-inch Bravia HX8000 for $270 / $340 off their retail prices, respectively, and as a bonus, buyers will receive a variety of 3D accessories valued at $899 for free. Rolled into that $899 goody basket are two pairs of 3D glasses, a 3D sync transmitter, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and IMAX Deep Sea 3D, as well as four 3D games for the PS3 (two are demos); and finally the BDV-E570 3D home theater in-a-box. Depending on how you define "savings," this deal amounts to around $1,200 greenbacks you won't have to shell out for a complete 3D-ready package. At $2,429 for the 46-inch and $3,059 for the 54.6-inch package though, you'll still be required to dig deep into your wallet to bring either of these promotions couch-side.
