Sony have announced that they will be introducing two new PVR’s to the market allowing consumers to control their TV watching habits in style with one of either a 500gb or 1000gb Freeview and HD capable models.

From the press release:

· Watch and record subscription free, High Definition TV with Freeview HD built in

· Record one channel whilst watching another using twin Freeview HD Tuner

· Pause and rewind live TV with time shift

· Available in 1TB (1000GB) for up to 600 hours and 500GB for up to 300 hours recording

· Back up recorded programmes to an external storage hard drive

Never miss your favourite programs

The new SVR-HDT1000 and SVR-HDT500 personal video recorders from Sony will redefine the way you enjoy TV in the home.

With features that include subscription free HD TV and access to Freeview HD programmes, its twin Freeview HD tuner allows viewers to record one channel whilst watching another. Enjoy the ability to pause and rewind live TV, meaning you never need to miss your favourite TV moments again. You can even record 2 programs at the same time whilst watching something you have previously recorded.

The built in 1TB hard disc allows you to record up to 600 hours of standard definition video or up to 250 hours of high definition video onto the drive – plenty to keep you and the whole family entertained for months.

Expand the capacity or back-up your favourite TV moments for a lifetime

If you do ever run out of space, you can back up your recordings to an external hard drive, then free up the space on your SVR-HDT1000 or SVR-HDT500. You can watch your backed up programmes whenever you choose, by simply connecting your external hard drive via the USB connection and get full access to your saved programmes.

All your photos and films on a big screen

Hosting two USB 2.0 ports, the SVR-HDT1000 and SVR-HDT500 make it easy to view digital photos and videos on a large screen TV or listen to music. Simply plug in a USB stick or external hard drive and access JPEG images, MPEG movies or MP3 music and enjoy this convenient way to share entertainment with friends and family.

Elegant design

Styled for contemporary interiors, the SVR-HDT1000 and SVR-HDT500 feature a black fascia and stunningly minimalist look in keeping with latest televisions and home entertainment products from Sony.

“The new PVRs for 2011 offer up to 1TB of storage, giving you a greater choice in the way you enjoy your entertainment,” says James Forrester, Category Marketing Manager, Sony UK Ltd. “It’s also perfect for a second room, especially with increasing numbers of people opting for television to work around their schedule, meaning PVRs are becoming an essential part of home entertainment kit.”

There is no firm release date or pricing news however the models are expected to be released in April 2011.

via Sony

The official UK release of the Sony Bravia SMP-N100 set-top ‘media streamer’ has been announced in a press release from the company. The SMP-N100 will go on sale in UK stores next month.

Through the N100, it is possible to access the Bravia internet applications which include Blip.tv, Daily Motion, LoveFilm and Youtube and to connect to the internet via your home WiFi or ethernet connection to stream media directly. Access to Sonys own music and video service Qriocity is also available through the N100. The N100 also features a USB port which can be used with external media devices to play back AVCHD, DivX HD, MKV and some DIVX/AVI files.

• BRAVIA Internet Video for access to a wide range of online content
• Wi-Fi connectivity: watch content in any room without cabling
• DLNA network audio/video capability: content can be streamed from network storage (as well as viewed from USB devices)
• IP Content Noise Reduction to clean-up streamed video
• On-screen GUI, plus free iPhone/iPod Touch/Android control appsControl of the N100 is gained through the Sony XMB menu system and the device can also be accessed through an iPhone or an Android handset.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed however, we expect the cost of the SMP-N100 to be between £100 and £150 on release.

via press release

Yahoo have issued a press release announcing the exciting news that they are bringing their Yahoo! TV Widgets to Sony Bravia LCD TV’s in partnership with Sony.

“Sony is the world leader in entertainment with the unique position of not only creating content, but also delivering highly advanced devices that allow consumers to view that content in their homes,” said Toshifumi Okuda, senior general manager, Home Entertainment Business Group, Sony Corporation. “Extending our relationship with Yahoo! is another example of how Sony is focused on delivering attractive features to worldwide consumers.”

Bravia Internet Widgets powered by Yahoo! is a service available in over 100 countries worldwide and brings on demand access to entertainment, sports, shopping, social networking, games and video’s to Bravia owners, through the use of the widgets on their television sets.

Sony UK has started promoting the new Bravia which comes with 3D technology with an interesting and unorthodox commercial. The ad is just a blur as it is entirely in 3D. The new 3D glasses which use advanced Active Shutter technology are needed to view the commercial.

The commercial features football star Kaka and runs in a fake 3D style. The ad shows shots of a teams training session which goes all wrong , scenes of excited women running, a grimacing bodybuilder, a sports car doing a burnout and a shattering trophy cabinet. This is then followed by a shot which shows Kaka shooting into an empty goal which explodes.

With this ad, the electronic giants are promoting their 3D technology which will feature in both, the Bravia as well as the PS 3.

“Do not adjust your set. Maybe it’s time to get a 3D TV.”

Source

Sony Corporation today announced the launch of Sony Internet TV, the world’s first TV to be based on the Google TV platform announced by Google Inc., Sony, Intel Corporation and Logitech today.

Sony Internet TV is a new generation of TV that offers new forms of TV enjoyment and it will provide consumers with easy access to a range of rich and attractive content.

Sony will sell HDTVs and Blu-ray players with Google TV capabilities. One of the interesting features is the ability to use an Android-based phone as a remote. Users can talk into the phone and get results on the TV screen.An Intel Atom processor will power the TV.

Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer said the company was “fairly giddy with excitement” about working with Google and pledged to “expand into other hardware and beyond.”

The TV is set to release in fall this year. There is no news on pricing yet.