Between all the things that were and weren’t announced by Sony at CES, the biggest news of them all is easily their entry into the 4K OLED market – and they’re not going at it in a small way or in the form of a prototype that will eventually/hopefully materialize into a real product.
What Sony instead showed with the XBR-A1E was a fully-functioning 4K OLED TV that will be shipping in Spring 2017, but before I write a more in-depth piece on the gorgeous TV, here is a video preview.
Just a quick heads up: Sony has officially unveiled their CES 2017 keynote date and time. Like years prior, we’ll be attending CES and the keynote so make sure you follow SRN on whatever social channel that fits you.
One of the major takeaways from the Sony keynote at CES 2016 was when Sony Electronics COO and President, Mike Fasulo, took to the stage. Beyond a handful of jokes that never landed properly with the crowd and some dazzling product announcements like the X930D series of 4K HDR TVs Sony would be releasing this year, Fasulo was keen to point out the direction of the company in 2016.
We’re not after marketshare. We’re after delivering to the customer the best experience through audio and visual quality, and by doing so we’re making money.
Nearly 3 weeks later and I’m still not sure what I make of this.
It’s no secret that Sony hasn’t been doing well for some time now. PlayStation aside (and even that was turbulent for the company during the PS3 era), Sony hasn’t had a hit consumer electronics product for over a decade. I mean really, think about it. During that time, its competitors have been able to bring to market a plethora of hit products from established companies like Apple and Samsung to much smaller ones like GoPro and Sonos. What these companies have in common is that they’ve been able to knock Sony out of a field they were once dominant in – or at least known for, or should have been known for.
When you think of phones and tablets, Apple comes to mind. If your friend or family member is getting a new TV, it’s likely a Samsung, and everybody who wants to do some extreme and record is likely purchasing a GoPro. Though this is not always true, perhaps worse for Sony is that in many of these product categories, they make the superior product and yet they’ve completely fallen out of the consumer psyche when it comes to electronic purchases.
Sony knows this and has referenced it during their last two CES keynotes, but only this year did the company make a statement that took the problem head on. In short, Sony is no longer interested in chasing the entry level consumer market where price is the only sales driver. This is a market that was once flooded by Samsung and now by Vizio where the only way to a make a profit (and that’s oftentimes not guaranteed) is by selling units in large volumes.
Sony instead now wants to target the more premium market where they know unit sales will be lower, but hope that in turn, margins can be higher. After all, wealthy clientele are usually more willing to pay the extra premium on the devices that have been stuffed with new and innovative features. But hasn’t Sony always been doing this?
Sony certainly had quite a lot to say at CES 2016. From laying out their company vision of Kondo to a few surprise announcements like the Hi-Res turntable, their keynote was certainly was packed, including the always awkward banter between execs and terrible, terrible dad jokes. If that’s your kind of thing, the entire Sony CES 2016 press conference can be found after the jump.
We’ve previously covered many different aspects of the 2016 4k HDR Sony X930D Android TV like its lack of Magnetic Fluid Speakers or how its picture-frame-like wall mounting looks. Now, here is a preview that looks at everything the latest flagship TV from Sony has to offer.
Thanks to a highly thin profile – via an optional wall mount – the 4K HDR Sony X930D Android TVs can be hung like a picture frame and sit at just 1.5-inches away from the wall. However, not everybody wants to or can wall mount their TVs which can then typically lead to a sea of cables behind the TV. Fortunately Sony has a new cable management system that allows you to cleanly tuck all your cables behind the X930D.
Just a quick video from the Sony show floor at CES 2016 showing off the new X930D 4K HDR Android TV. You can read a more in depth piece about Sony’s new flagship TVs here.
Besides looking aesthetically remarkable, especially when you look at the X930D as it spins around, you’ve likely noticed that the 4K HDR TV has shed some weight when compared against the 2015 X930C. That’s because, unlike Sony’s 2015 lineup of 4K TVs, which included the ultra-slim X900C and the flagship X930C with its built-in Magnetic Fluid Speakers, the 2016 lineup is just the X930D.
Instead of creating two different high-end televisions that cater to different consumers, Sony has combined the two lineups, offering us one of their best looking televisions ever with deep blacks and bright whites while also playing into what consumers feel they want: even slimmer televisions. As someone who was a huge fan of the X930C, I truly appreciated the Magnetic Fluid Speakers which made setup far less complicated, that is to say that in our condo, we could have a TV that not only looked stellar, but one that provided audio that rivaled many surround sound systems without the hassle of dealing with all the wires.
The reality however is that in that equation, I’m the outlier and that Sony’s flagship series is primary targeted at home theater enthusiasts and wealthy consumers who likely already had surround sound or would have purchased one along with their new TV.
This meant that the X930C was priced higher than its competitors and was even seen as less aesthetically attractive, due to its bulkier design. Making matters worse, a segment of the community also complained that due to the speakers on the side (which were not removable), the X930C was harder to mount as you had extra inches on each side (pictured right). This is especially important for TVs that are mounted inside cabinet like fixtures or bedroom walls with limited space.
Though perhaps now a little less unique, Sony dropping their Magnetic Fluid Speakers is likely the right thing to do. More after the jump.
It’s nearly impossible to compare the Sony FES Watch against the Apple Watch. While one is designed to simply tell time and be a fashion statement, the other (Apple Watch) is a full-fledged watch with a host of features built in. So instead of comparing the two against each other in terms of functionality, I instead wanted to put the size of the FES Watch in context and compare it the Apple Watch Sport 38mm and Apple Watch Space Black 42mm.
If you want to know a bit more about the new E Ink watch, you can watch my Sony FES Watch preview here.
The Sony FES Watch is something we haven’t really seen from any other electronic company. Fully digital yet lacking any ‘smart’ functionality. Completely electronic with 24 different faces and band screens yet it lasts for two years. As I’d previously written, the Sony FES Watch targets
the fashion-conscious consumer who wants something simple and elegant with just a bit of flare. To that point, Sony is launching the e-paper watch next month in Japan at MoMA Design Store on Omotesando and Isetan in Shinjuku. The last one is most notable because that’s where the Apple Watch was also launched in Japan.
Here is our preview from CES 2016.
Sony has posted a short but neat time-lapse video from CES 2016 which can be found after the jump. At CES, Sony revealed an array of new products which you can read about here.
Go behind the scenes at the Sony stand at CES 2016 and get a glimpse of how we present future technology to the world. Watch how the stand came together and see how people reacted to seeing our latest products for the first time.
At its thinnest point, the 4K HDR Sony X930D is just .19-inches thick thin. For reference on how insanely thin that is, just look at the picture above. Though quite obvious when sitting on a stand, the X930D can lose its charm when wall mounted if typical mounts are used. That’s because most solutions found on Amazon or Best Buy usually result in your TV sitting a few inches away from the wall.
This usually isn’t a problem for most TVs but when one of the major selling points of your TV is how thin its design is, it becomes a bit of a letdown when once wall mounted, it can look like any other TV. Lucky for would-be owners, Sony has a solution. Enter the optional SU-WL810 wall mount which allows the 4K HDR TV to only sit at 1.5-inches away from the wall.
In late 2014, the Sony Qrio Lock was revealed. Part of the company’s internal crowd funding projects, the Qrio is designed to attach to any deadbolt lock and be locked/unlocked via an iOS device such as your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. At CES 2016, Sony was showing off the Qrio Lock which is only available in Japan. Here is an overview of how the lock looks and works.
Before we get too far along into this piece, please note that this is a 4K upscaling Blu-ray player and not a 4K Blu-ray player. With that out of the way, the Sony BDP-S6700 4K upscaling Blu-ray player was revealed at CES alongside their Hi-Res Audio and Video 4K upscaling player. Though lacking a lot of the audio features of its higher-end counterpart, the Sony S6700 is still a worthy player and costs considerably less.
Details after the jump.
Wow, another Sony product with a mouthful of a name. That aside, at CES 2016, the Sony UHP-H1 High-Res Audio and Video Player made its debut. So what the heck is it? Something that the audio- and videophile in your family might just want.
Great-looking movies on Blu-ray Disc are only the start with the brand new UHP-H1. Sony’s first High-Resolution Premium Audio and Video Player puts audio centre stage, with an engineering philosophy that’s focused on matching the finest viewing experience with the finest listening experience.
In short, the Sony UHP-H1 is the company’s newest 4K upscaling Blu-ray player that also packs in a host of audio features like online music services, wireless multi-room setup, and of course Hi-Res Audio support. Details after the jump.
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