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New Sony Grand WEGA HDTV
Just the ticket for summer TV sports viewing
BY OUR TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT
23 June, 2005: Delivering on the excitement of action-packed sports in high-definition and affirming its market leadership position in the micro-display projection television category, Sony's new Grand WEGA 3LCD HDTV models are now shipping throughout the United States.
With broadcasters committed to delivering more HDTV sports action this summer, the season promises to be a benchmark for high-definition programming. Just in time, Sony's new Grand WEGA HD models -- the KDF-E60A20 (60-inch), KDF-E55A20 (55-inch), and KDF-E50A10 (50-inch) -- begin shipping this week. Additionally, the KDF-E42A10 (42-inch) model will ship in late July.
"If you're even a casual sports fan, the coming year is going to be amazing from an HD standpoint," said Greg Gudorf, vice president of television marketing for Sony Electronics. "Broadcasters are offering thousands of hours of high-definition content, including baseball's All-Star game and pennant races, auto racing, and golf this summer while the fall and winter seasons bring professional and college football and basketball seasons. And, if you're a fan of HD, our latest Grand WEGA TVs continue to lead the microdisplay category thanks to incredible picture quality and tremendous overall performance."
NPD Techworld's latest update from June 4 shows Sony's Grand WEGA dominating the high-definition micro-display product category with nearly 40 percent dollar share and almost 35 percent unit share. Having led the category since it was established in late 2002, Sony's 37.1 unit share average for the last six months was more than double the unit share average of seven of the top nine competitors combined during this period.
"In fact, since 2002, the nearest competitor's DLP (Digital Light Processing) micro-display television has only reached 30 percent unit share once," Gudorf said.
Looking to continue this leadership, Sony's KDF-E42A10 (42-inch) and KDF-E50A10 (50-inch) models feature a new design with a thin dark black bezel, a compact body (approximately 14 - 16 inches deep) and, for the first time, invisible speakers located at the bottom of the set.
As a result, these new sets now fit into space that previously may have been too small. For example, the new 50-inch model can be stored in a cabinet that previously held a 42-inch television and the new 42-inch model can be stored in a space that used to house a 36-inch TV.
Even more impressive than the fresh cabinet design is Sony's crisp HD picture quality. Compared to enhanced definition televisions and other technologies, the Grand WEGA TVs deliver natural color reproduction and exceptional brightness levels due to 3LCD technology with 1280 x 720 native 720p resolution. Additionally, since 3LCD technology simultaneously projects three full-time red, green and blue images, there is no color breakup or "rainbow effect" that may cause eyestrain or visual fatigue.
Along with the WEGA Engine(TM) system exclusive circuitry technology, these new models also deliver excellent contrast with Sony's Cinema Black Pro technology. This process enables the displays' advanced iris shutter to automatically open and close according to the incoming signal level. This creates brighter whites and better contrast in dark scenes.
The other new Grand WEGA models -- the KDF-E55A20 (55-inch) and KDF-E60A20 (60-inch) -- utilize a proprietary LCD Optical Engine with Sony's WEGA Engine(TM) system to deliver detailed picture quality from any compatible video source by minimizing the digital-to-analog conversion process. These models also incorporate 3LCD panel technology and deliver 1366 x 768 screen resolution, which is more than a native 720p capability.
For added convenience, all four new models provide access to Sony's WEGA GATE(TM) on-screen guide, which with a push of a button enables you to perform a variety of tasks intuitively on a simple control panel. This easy to use on-screen guide provides direct access to favorite channels, external inputs and the TV menu.
Shipping now, the KDF-E60A20 is available for about $3,500 and the KDF-E55A20 for about $3,000. In July, the KDF-E50A10 and the KDF-E4210 will be available for about $2,800 and $2,300, respectfully. The models will soon be available direct from www.sonystyle.com and at SonyStyle stores found in select shopping malls nationwide.
BY OUR TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT |
