SonyRumors

Sony Prepares to Take on Apple, Revolutionize TV

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 11, 2011 | 0 comments

The television has been an integral part of the human story for the last 60 years and has seen a considerable amount of change come to it. The evolution from black & white to color; from color to Dolby surround sound; followed by the transition to 1080p HD with 5.1 surround sound and now, full HD with 3D. However, much like the computer industry, which has seen sales slow down in the last few years (minus Apple), the problem has been that everything has happened on a evolutionary bases. Does this year’s Sony XBR look better than the XBR from 3 years ago? It sure does, but beyond small things like better quality and thinner television sets, nothing major has been accomplished. One could say that 3D was to be that revolution and I’m a staunch believer in the technology; however, I don’t believe 3D will truly drive growth in that sector till we loses the biggest barrier, the 3D glasses, and I believe that we are still 3-5 years way from that.

For many in the electronic business, Google had them believing that the Google TV standard, running on Android, would be that shift that the TV industry needed. Sony, who was in need of something different, went as far as creating an entire lineup of televisions running on Google TV with a standalone setup box as well, much like Logitech did with Revue. Now, just a year later, The Google TV platform has been a complete bust with nearly zero consumer interest. According to Logitech CEO Guerrino De Luca:

To make the long story short, we thought we had invented [sliced] bread and we just made them. [We made a commitment to] just build a lot because we expected everybody to line up for Christmas and buy these boxes [at] $300 […] that was a big mistake.

With Adobe now killing mobile Flash for all Android, devices, including Google TV, this may have been the final blow to the platform that tried to bring something different to the television, including the “full web” with Flash support. With Sony’s TV business losing money for the 8th year in a row and the Google TV platform all but dead, Sony is in a dire position and the only way out is to reinvent the television set. The problem lies, however, in the fact that another company might also be in deep in the labs working at this, and that’s Apple. For the last several years, rumors have come and gone that Apple would be developing some sort form of a television set. Although an AppleTV already exists, the device is much like the Logitech Revue setup box that, although to its benefit, works with any television, it’s still not the full experience. Priced at just $99, Apple has, however, had success with the box and been able to sell millions of them and this is due to the power of iTunes which powers the AppleTV, giving users access to their music, videos and photos, as well as the option to rent additional content. The lesson here is that content wins, something that Google TV never really had and of the reasons that all Android Tablets have failed: lack of content (in the case of the tablets, dedicated Apps).

If all indications are true, it seems that Sony has learned this lesson. For years, the company has been building up its digital arsenal with the PlayStation Network which is now coming to all Android devices via the PlayStation Suite. The company has also long been working on an iTunes competitor and has recently revamped their entire digital catalogue with Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited, with the former, giving users access to stream millions of Sony from any compatible device like the PSP, PS Vita, PS3 and all Android devices and Sony television sets and Blu-ray players. So why the focus on Apple? In Steve Jobs’ biography, it was revealed that the former Apple CEO had “cracked” how to develop a revolutionary interface for an integrated television set, a disclosure that has led to claims of Apple working to launch a Siri-enabled television set by 2013. Sony CEO, Sir Howard Stringer:

Sony has a “four screen” strategy of offering network services on mobile phones, tablet computers, personal computers and TV sets. “I spent the last five years building a platform so I can compete against Steve Jobs,” Mr. Stringer said. “It’s finished, and it’s launching now.”

Artist Rendering

It’s quite clear that, when the television revolution happens, no matter if it’s Apple or Sony at the helm, that content will will be a big part of it. This means that instead of additional devices to turn on and navigate to, one can simply enjoy the music they’ve purchased or download and stream the movies that they want, all from one interface. However, content will only be part of the battle although it is not one to be underestimated. Part of Apple’s success has been taking what exists and making it better. Long before the iPod, iPhone and iPad, there existed MP3 players, smartphones, and tablets. However, no one seemed to get them right with hard-to-use interfaces and more and more specs with little meaning to consumers. Many have seen the Android tablets make the same mistake, with manufacturers claiming dual core processors and 1GB RAM, something that the iPad 2 lacks with only 512MB Ram. However, Apple has not once mentioned the processor or RAM inside of their units. Instead, they’ve focused on the ease of use of the device and sold millions while most Android tablets have yet to be able to sell in the thousands. The television market has now entered that same rut where, as I expressed before, we have televisions with 120Hz versus 240Hz and so on. However, outside of better picture and additional weak add-ons of Netflix and Hulu, not much has changed. The interface is still the same with lots of buttons for different aspect ratios, inputs, outputs, and submenus. You can expect that when/if an Apple TV television set appears, all that will go away. Sir Howard Stringer went on:

“There’s a tremendous amount of R&D going into a different kind of TV set.” He added that he has “no doubt” Apple’s late leader Steve Jobs also was working on changing the traditional TV set.

“That’s what we’re all looking for,” said Mr. Stringer. “We can’t continue selling TV sets [the way we have been]. Every TV set we all make loses money.”

No time table was given for when we would see the fruition of this R&D but with Sony having recently kicked off a major restructuring plan for their television division and Sir Howard Stringer believing that their content portfolio is now complete, this reality might be sooner then later. Fingers crossed for CES 2012. After the jump, a commercial for Sony’s take on the Google TV that might best show what we really need next and where we are headed.

Sony Officially Confirms Production of iPhone 4S Camera Sensor

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 24, 2011 | 14 comments

During the latest All Things D Asia event, Sony’s executive deputy president, Kaz Kirai, sat down with Walt Mossberg to discuss all things Sony. During the interview, the two touched on all of the different business categories that Sony competes in, including the mobile space with smartphones. The conversation naturally lead to reports of Sony producing the camera sensor, found in the latest from Apple, the iPhone 4S.

Walt: Why did you sell your camera sensors to Apple?

Hirai: Can you really define who your competitors are, these days?

We sell to Apple. We buy from Samsung. We sell to Samsung.

Though a simple logic, this simple thought process tends to allude many, including Sony’s own CEO who when asked about this very question, responded with:

It “always puzzles me,” he said. “Why would I make Apple the best camera?”

What Kaz is getting at is the same thought process that we’ve been championing out for months. For a company like Sony who is behind in so many markets and is low on cash flow, they need to strike every component deal that they can. Especially, if it’s with a company like Apple who famously does high volumes (the iPhone 4S sold over 4 million units in 3 days). This ensures a proper cash flow to Sony who can in turn, take the money and reinvest it into their own product lines. Samsung, who is now competing with Sony in the camera and television industry while also battling Apple in the smartphone and tablet industry, is able to perform this because you find Samsung components in almost every device. Even Apple, who is currently in vigorous lawsuit battles with Samsung, still buys their flash memory from Samsung and has the company produce their A4 and A5 chipsets that power the iPhone 4, 4S and iPad 2.

So why give Apple the best camera? So you can make a ton of money and in return, properly fight them back. If Sony’s next smartphone and the iPhone were the only game in town, then yes, maybe giving Apple a key component might not be the wisest choice. However, a phone’s camera is hardly the reason why someones chooses an iPhone over a Sony Ericsson Xperia and it seems like Kaz Hirai gets this.

Editorial: Steve Jobs Wanted Apple to be like Sony

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 11, 2011 | 2 comments

In my mind, the debate isn’t whether Steve Jobs is the greatest innovator of our time, but whether he is the greatest innovator ever. Never has one person been able to touch so many different mediums, offer so many different products, and change the way we see and use technology. iTunes has paved the way for so many other digital services to thrive, though it still remains king by offering music, TV shows, and movies for download; something that most studios and record companies did not want to offer. The iPod helped propel iTunes and changes how we all carry our music and videos around while the iPhone changed how we communicate with others. The iPad, the latest from the team at Cupertino, has forever changed computing and how we view websites, read emails, and interact with the world. Behind all this innovation was the start of computing and the first ever personal computer, the Macintosh. Throughout its long history, the Mac lineup has grown and blown us away with models like the iMac, which incorporated the entire computer and monitor into one box. The MacBook Air would show the world that the optical drive is dead and that notebooks can achieve a level of portability not thought of before.

And that’s because Mr. Jobs didn’t buy into focus groups, groupthink or decision by committee. At its core, Apple existed to execute the visions in his brain. He oversaw every button, every corner, every chime. He lost sleep over the fonts in the menus, the cardboard of the packaging, the color of the power cord. Apple famously does not deal with focus groups or committees because Steve believed that you cannot ask the opinions of the consumer on a product that does not yet exist and that it was his and Apple’s job to create new ways and technology for the world. After all, the consumer would have never come up with the iPhone or MacBook Air. As brilliant a man as Steve was, there were precedents before him and companies that he envied and wanted to Apple to strive for and be like. One of those companies was Sony. John Sculley, who would become Apple CEO when Jobs was famously pushed out of the company in the mid 80s, saw Steve’s passion and admiration for Sony.

“It was very nearly fetishistic, in fact — he even had a collection of Sony letterhead and marketing materials.” He wen’t on to say “Sony was a company that Jobs instinctively admired and saw as model from the very beginning. So it’s been an interesting transformation over time, to see Apple supplant Sony as the center of the consumer technology universe.”

The 80s were a time when many large companies and almost empire-like corporations that are household names now would be starting their growth period by building their cultures, technology, and vision for the future. Yet among them all, Steve was really only focused on Sony.

“Steve’s point of reference was Sony at the time. He really wanted to be Sony. He didn’t want to be IBM. He didn’t want to be Microsoft. He wanted to be Sony,” Sculley adds.

Apple Retail Stores would use color shirts to distinguish between different roles

Sculley was referencing Sony factories, which were state-of-the-art for their time. Sony factories were not only state-of-the-art, but efficient as well, capable of producing the wonders of the 80s and 90s like the Trinitron and Walkman which changed the television landscape and portable music market. Such efficiencies also allowed Sony to be a profitable company which could provide competitive prices on their products. This led the company to high market shares in any given segment.

He was fascinated by the Sony factories. We went through them. They would have different people in different colored uniforms. Some would have red uniforms, some green, some blue, depending on what their functions were. It was all carefully thought out and the factories were spotless. Those things made a huge impression on him.

The above example can be seen implemented in Apple retail stores. Nearly 30 years later, the above description couldn’t be further from Sony, who has struggled to keep their factories competitive and has continued to reduce their labor force and close factories. Sony has also been unable to to top any given market share, falling behind in TV manufacturing, a field in which they were once king, while the PlayStation franchise is now in 3rd place after toppling both Nintendo and Sega from the mid 90s to 2005. Sony has also been unable to make a large dent in the smartphone market, something which they hope to change though their camera division has made large strides against competitors, a field that was once dominated by Nikon and Canon.

Steve Jobs and Sony's then President

However, what probably impressed Jobs the most at the end was the finish and quality of Sony products. Sony has long stood for a quality brand and a company who doesn’t make products for the sake of products. Apple has long held such a view, being very careful of which markets they enter and only creating products that they feel like will have an impact. This can be seen with the company’s select products which only recently has seen 3 different iPhones offered at a given time (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S) while the Mac line only consists of the iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and the iPod line which includes the iPod Shuffle, Nano, Classic, and iPod Touch. Again in contrast, Sony, who holds a forgettable smartphone market share, offers over 15 different Android handsets and over seven different computer lines, not including their signature series which includes another five to six models. Now, take into consideration that Sony makes cameras, camcorders, digital frames, televisions, and much more with as many, if not more, offerings (though in certain segments, it makes sense to have a higher number of models). You can see why, instead of consumers being drawn towards Sony, who offers all sorts of products at all sorts of prices, they are turned off as the massive amount of selection and offers can bring forth a lack of uniqueness or competitiveness that another company can offer. Steve would eventually be able to meet with Akio Morita, the co-founder of Sony.

“We used to go visit Akio Morita, and he had really the same kind of high-end standards that Steve did and respect for beautiful products,” Sculley recalls, “I remember Akio Morita gave Steve and me each one of the first Sony Walkmans. None of us had ever seen anything like that before because there had never been a product like that. This is 25 years ago and Steve was fascinated by it. The first thing he did with his was take it apart and he looked at every single part. How the fit and finish was done, how it was built.”

Sony, who broke the mold with the Walkman and Trinitron, changed the way we play games by challenging Sega and Nintendo with the PlayStation and started the evolution of premium designed laptops and desktops where competitors would be busy making boring boxes, is now at a crucial point. Just because they are offering products in the eReader, smartphone or tablet market does not mean that Sony “gets” the new consumer-leading landscape that we live in. The current world is ruled by Microsoft, who has what seems like an unlimited cash supply behind the Xbox 360, Apple, who is able to create groundbreaking products that are unique, advanced, and user-friendly which garner them blockbuster after blockbuster, and Samsung, who continues to enter every market that Sony once was dominant in by offering sleek devices at a more affordable price (notice I didn’t say quality). In such a world, Sony cannot simply survive. A company who once was the champion of cutting edge has for far too long stuck its head in the sand and lived in the past by continually stating that Sony stands for quality while pointing towards old sales figures and assuming current products will reach that level.

Does this mean that Sony doesn’t and isn’t producing quality products? No, but in today’s world where marketing, vision, connected products, and consumer leading technologies are king, Sony continues to enter too many markets for the sake of being in them instead of defining them. Apple, on the other hand, has never been the first to any market with the exception of the personal computer, which they invented. Instead, the iPod, iPhone, iPad and MacBook/iMac line all entered a pre-exisiting market and defined them with a grand vision while its leaders, primarily Steve Jobs, would take the smallest of details into consideration, like the coloring of Google’s logo on the iPhone app screen which had the company’s CEO call Google days before the iPhone launch.

“So Vic, we have an urgent issue—one that I need addressed right away. I’ve already assigned someone from my team to help you, and I hope you can fix this tomorrow,” Jobs told Gundotra. “I’ve been looking at the Google logo on the iPhone and I’m not happy with the icon. The second O in Google doesn’t have the right yellow gradient. It’s just wrong and I’m going to have Greg fix it tomorrow. Is that okay with you?”

The Trinitron was a Sony product that Steve adored

In the end, it’s easy to see why Steve Jobs wanted Apple to be like Sony and it’s time for Sony to take a cue from Apple. This statement also needs clarifying: Sony being like Apple does not mean they should copy them. As the above examples show, Apple did not copy any Sony products or enter the many fields that Sony is in, no matter how successful they might be in them. This instead means that Sony now needs to use Apple as an example of a company who creates select products with specific visions that have high consumer adoption rate and a high profit margin which can lead to future ground breaking products. Such a shift cannot come from the bottom of Sony and instead must be enforced and practiced from the top down, starting with their CEO.

In part two of this article, I’ll argue why the next or even current Sony CEO must opt out of a normal salary and become a dollar CEO.

Share your thoughts with us, after the jump.

Sony Pictures Will Stop Paying for 3D Glasses in May 2012. Who Will Now Fork Over the Cost?

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 30, 2011 | 27 comments

You cannot imagine the level of frustration I had when I first read this story and continue to have as I cover it in this article. Because Sony hasn’t had a rough PR year, let alone few years, their movie division, Sony Pictures, has decided that, as of May 2012, they will no longer provide movie theaters with free 3D glasses. As current contracts go, Sony and other movie studios like Warner Brothers, Disney, Paramount, Fox, and Universal provide each movie theater with a stock pile of 3D glasses when they release a 3D film. Between giving them more than the number required and many theaters having a recycling program, this deal worked out fairly well.

This deal originally came into fruition when Disney, in order to promote the 3D format and transition to digital and modern projection systems decided to cover the cost of 3D glasses if theater owners would make the transition. Soon, other movie studios like Sony Pictures followed suit. It is believed that, for smaller 3D films, glasses costs range from $1.5 million to $2 million which roughly translates to 50 cents per ticket. This loss is even greater when you consider larger films like Sony Pictures upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man and Men in Black 3 which are being shot in native 3D.

“This is an issue that has to be resolved between us and our exhibition partners. We are trying to give them a very lengthy lead time in regards to the change in policy,” Sony worldwide president of distribution Rory Bruer said.

With Sony Pictures deciding to back out of payment, this gives other major studios a way out as well, something that they’ve all be looking for. Reportedly, Fox also tried such a tactic but was forced to reconsider when they were met with heavy resistance from theater chains.

It’s Time for Sony to Reconsider Their eReader Strategy

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 29, 2011 | 27 comments

If you follow the tech industry in any shape or fashion, you will have heard by that now Amazon, the king of eReaders, has just launched a new flagship eReader called the Kindle Fire. Unlike most news sites who think the Kindle Fire is meant to compete with Apple and the iPad, I see it as a different product. First, it’s not a true tablet. You can’t access the Android Market (only Amazon’s), it lacks 3G, lacks cameras, calendars, mail apps, and is not meant for creating content. Instead, it’s meant for consuming Amazon products like the Kindle bookstore and Amazon video, hence the $199 price point. However, the focus of this story is not the Kindle Fire and is instead what the Kindle Fire has done to the rest of the Kindle family. Amazon has now dropped the base Kindle to $79, the Kindle Touch to $99, and the Kindle Touch 3G to $149. This makes the Kindle family the cheapest it has ever been and far lower than the price of the Nook Wi-Fi ($139), Nook Color $249 and Sony Reader Wi-Fi $139. Now one small disclaimer to note from the Amazon price point is that all of the given prices are for their ad-enabled devices which will periodically place ads on your screen. If you want that feature gone, you will have to fork over an extra $30-40 on each device.

This puts Sony at an odd intersection where it’s frankly been from the inception of their eReader products called the Sony Reader. Like many Sony products, they tend to have a higher price point than competing devices. Generally, the premium tends to be for extra features and quality which I will attest to, by all means, the Sony Reader Wi-Fi is superior to the Kindle and Kindle Touch. With a price twice as much as the Kindle, will consumers really care about the advanced Dual Touch technology or that it’s the world’s lightest eReader? The easy answer to that is to ask your friends who own eReaders to reveal their device brand.

Now, one could argue that Apple is the counter example to all of this. They make better computers and iPods, charge more for them and plenty people still buy their products. However, I think that this information is outdated, especially if we consider that the iPhone 3GS can be purchased for $49 and the iPhone 4 is priced at $199, same as most competing and new smartphones. The iPad had yet to have a serious competitor, mostly due to the lack of Android quality when it comes to tablets, but also because no company has been able to offer a price point that Apple is. Part of the reason Apple can sell the iPad at $499 is due to their vertical integration where they create the software and hardware and sell mainly through their own stores which reduces a lot of access costs that other companies have to face. But even if we were to take the argument that Apple sells more expensive products, which are better in quality than their competitors’, something that Sony reaches for as well, why is it that Apple can push large volumes into consumer hands and Sony is not?

The simple answer is lack of product awareness from Sony. When Apple makes a product, the whole world knows, due to their impressive advertising strength. But let’s again say Apple is a unique company and an outlier in this circumstance, which brings us back to the Kindle. Now Amazon, who has millions of shoppers everyday on their online store, is able to captivate them by placing the Kindle front and center of their home screen. The Nook is able to capture audiences through their Barnes & Noble stores and both companies offer a lower price point than Sony. In the case of the Kindle which sits as the king of eReaders (unless we take tablets into account, in which case Apple becomes the number one seller), not only does Amazon offer a lower-priced entry model, but also backs the device with a marketing campaign.

All of this begs the question: Why is Sony even in this market? If they believe they have a superior product to the Kindle, which I believe they do, then fine, stay in the market. However, don’t think that by just offering a superior product which only those who read a site like ours or Engadget will be enough to win over the consumer who will see an ad for the Kindle once a day and find the price point to be half of your model in stores to choose a Sony product and not another brand. In the current state of the tech industry where anybody can make a name for themselves and consumers who are knowledge-savvy and price-aware, don’t think that by just releasing a product with a press release will do anything but collect dust on store shelves. Anybody remember the Sony Tablet S that was released 2 weeks ago? Neither do I, because I’ve yet to see a single advertisement or marketing campaign outside of Twitter and Facebook.

Discuss:

Should Sony continue to stick in the eReader market or is it time for an exit? If they should stick around, what should they do differently?

Sony Kills off Qriocity Brand, Regroups Digital Groups Under Sony Entertainment Network

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 1, 2011 | 26 comments

Sony Corporation is a double-edged sword in some ways. The electronics giant is the maker of such brands like Bravia, VAIO, and PlayStation, while their reaches are felt in the entertainment industry with branches like Sony Pictures and Sony Music/BMG. The fact that Sony has so many branches means that they are able to influence and penetrate many different markets with potentially unique offerings. On the other hand, with so many different brands, managements, and content offering, it can be hard at times to create a unified product, let alone brand and message. Qriocty was no different; the new service launched from Sony earlier this year was officially called Qriocity Music Unlimited and Qriocity Video Unlimited. The music aspect of the service revolved around streaming unlimited music to Qriocity-enabled devices like the PlayStation 3, PSP, Bravia televisions, and compatible Android phones with a subscription cost of either $3.99 or $9.99 while the video side relied on a-la-carte-style shopping, much like video through iTunes.

Another digital service from Sony is the PlayStation Network, which powers the PlayStation 3, PSP, and the soon-to-be-released PlayStation Vita. Till now, Qriocity and PSN have lived and operated independently of each other, though money added to either account was shared in a unified wallet. Now, Sony is dumping the Qriocity brand and instead calling the services Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited. In addition to that, both streaming services and PSN are being unified under a new group called Sony Entertainment Network. Though not owned by Sony, Hulu Plus, Netflix MLB.tv, and Pandora are also joining and being bunched under this category which is designed to streamline Sony’s online services and e-wallet. Think about how, in the Apple ecosystem, content bought from iTunes or App Store on any iDevice or App Store on the Mac are all reaching into the same wallet/credit card account, instead of having users sub-manage 3-5 different accounts. Under the Sony Entertainment Network, PSN will still retain its branding and therefore, the surface, you won’t see any changes there.

While I’m all for a more streamlined offering from Sony and cannot disagree as a whole to their move, I have to wonder if simply rebranding Qriocity will make it any more successful than before. Previously, it was outright silly that Qriocity was fully called Qriocity Music Unlimited. Yes it gave you an idea as to what you were getting, but a brand has to be catchy and Qriocity Music Unlimited was/is not. As clean as Music Unlimited sounds, it still doesn’t function in a conversation. For example, brands like Pandora, Hulu, and to a degree, Netflix didn’t have much meaning prior to their rise. However, as the services caught on, so did their names, which became synonymous with what they offer. I believe instead, Sony should have dropped the Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited part of the branding and focused on a marketing campaign which got the word out that a service called Qriocity exists. As long as the offerings of that service are compelling to the consumer, the name will also catch on, i.e.: Pandora, Wii, Kindle, etc., which at first glance have nothing to do with the actual product.

Discuss:

Are you currently subscribed to Qriocity or have you used the service in the past? If not, what would motivate you to use the service?

Sony Announces the DEV-3 and DEV-5, a Digital Recording Binocular. We Wonder Why (video)

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 19, 2011 | 11 comments

Today, Sony unveileved a new and interesting product, a pair of digital recording binoculars called the DEV-3 and DEV-5. However, unlike your traditional binoculars which are only good for viewing, the Sony DEV-3 and DEV-5 have one big trick of their sleeve; to record as well. Both units are capable of recording 1080p HD video while capturing stills with a 7.1 megapixel camera. It also wouldn’t be Sony without them incorporating their Exmor R CMOS sensors which are designed to provide noise free images, even in low light situations. But once again, this digital recording binocular has a trick up its sleeve—or maybe two tricks. Sony opted to include not one, but two Exmor R CMOS sensors in both the DEV-3 and DEV-5, allowing for native 3D 1080p video recording with dual f/1.8-3.4, 0.5-10x optical zoom lenses, and a pair of 1,227-dot viewfinders. Other features include manual focus, SteadyShot, and Image Stabilization. All this puts you at a $1,399 price point for the DEV-3 while those who are looking for some more features can look towards the DEV-5 for $1,999. The extra $600 in this case will get you 10x digital zoom, GPS, a carrying case, and neck strap. Both models will come equipped with Memory Stick Pro Duo and SDXC support for capturing your content, a stereo microphone with an audio input jack, and HDMI-out for playback on other devices.

While all of this sounds fine and I’m sure the device will be more than capable with traditional build quality that Sony provides, I have to wonder why Sony has decided to make such a device in the first place. As I noted, the concept is pretty cool and it seems like a great device to use but I doubt too many family members will opt for a binocular to record their next kid’s birthday party or vacation, and forget business, unless they are in the espionage market. This automatically greatly reduces the market share to a very small niche community who enjoys the great outdoors and has disposable income. The great question in this case than becomes, can Sony, who is notorious for creating great devices but is always been poor at marketing them, really sell enough of these to be worthwhile? Outside of the cost of building one of these, boxing them, shipping them to retailers which will of course be only a limited few providing some form of support, there is still the R&D to take into consideration. When we add all these costs and consider the limited market that will take interest in this device, unless Sony had a 50% profit margin on these (which they don’t), I cannot imagine them ever making a profit on such a device. In a time where many of Sony’s core businesses are hurting, unless I’m missing something about this device and the targeted market, it seems that Sony needs to kill off all niche market products and strengthen their core business. After which, I would be more than happy to see them work on side projects like this which are catered to the small crowds out there. However, till then, Sony has an obligation if not to itself, then to its shareholders, to increase profitability and market share and I don’t believe such devices are the answer to that.

After the jump, a press release, video overview and additional pictures await you.

PlayStation 3 Drops to $249. What This Means For You

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 17, 2011 | 20 comments

Yesterday, during Sony’s PlayStation press conference at gamecom, Sony pulled the rug from underneath the press in the best way possible and announced a price drop for the PlayStation 3. The PS3, which till now has been selling at $299, can now be purchased for $249, effective immediately. This of course makes the PS3 160GB the most affordable that it has ever been while the bigger brother, 320GB unit which had previously gone for $349 has now dropped to $299. That’s not all though; for a limited time, Sony will also produce a 320GB PlayStation 3 package which will include inFamous 2 and a 30-day PlayStation Plus membership for $299, which should be pretty popular this holiday season. So what does this mean for you, the gamers and media junkies out there? Quite a lot, actually.

With the PS3 being at its most affordable price point ever, this means that consumers can once again get the best Blu-ray player out in the market for a low price. Even though the PS3 is now 5 years old, it’s still the unit to beat as Sony continues to pump new features and updates via their free system updates. Some highlights of the PS3’s Blu-ray capabilities include:

Full 1080p
Full 1080p 3D Movies
DVD Upscaling
BD Live Functionality
LPCM 7.1ch, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, AACD

This alone puts the PS3 at the center stage of a home theater but there is a ton more for the media junkie in you. Sony knows that DVDs and Blu-ray films can bring only so muchto your home theater experience and that streaming is a big part of everybody’s lives today. Because of this, the PS3 also features an array of streaming services from all the popular providers with unique apps, designed to give you the best experience possible. Which apps can be had for your streaming pleasure?

PlayStation Store (you can both buy and rent movies/tv shows which can also be transferred to the PSP or PS Vita)(2D and 3D movies)
Netflix
Hulu Plus
Vudoo (2D and 3D movies)
MLB.TV
NHL Game Center
NFL Sunday Ticket
BBC iPlayer (Europe)
LoveFilms (Europe)
Qriocity Movies (Coming Soon)
Qriocity Music Unlimited

If that’s not enough for you, rumors even peg Best Buy and Amazon’s streaming service for the PS3 at some point. For you server junkies, the PS3 can also access any home server in the household and stream your videos directly to your television. But if you’re like me and just watched an Indiana Jones flick and now have an itching fever to live the life of Indy, then the PS3 again has your back with the biggest game exclusives ever. Just to give you an idea of what is in store for PS3 users, the following list will revolve around a 14-month time table.

Gran Turismo 5 (3D)
LittleBigPlanet 2 (3D, Move)
SOCOM 4 (3D, Move)
Killzone 3 (3D, Move)
MLB: The Show (3D, Move)
inFamous 2 (3D)
MotorStorm: Apocalypse (3D, Move)
Dead Nation
DC Universe Online
Resistance 3 (3D, Move)
Journey
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One (3D, Move)
Uncharted 3 (3D)
Twisted Metal

With free online games and PlayStation Store access, PlayStation Home community, trophies, web browser (yes, it could be better but who knows what updates await us), digital camera support to display your 2D/3D photos, PlayStation Move, PSP and PS Vita compatibility, and more, it’s easy to see why those who purchased the PS3 at $599 five years ago got an ever-expanding machine that has continued to offer them new features with the changing times while anybody who is getting a new unit for $249 is simply getting a bargain. So no matter if you are a gamer or a media junkie, the PS3 is the de facto machine that should be centered in your home theater room, bedroom or dorm room and with the next system update, who knows what Sony might add.

Update:

As soon as this article went out, Sony just announced a new partnership with DirecTV which will bring their NFL Sunday Ticket to the PS3.

Meet Our Newest Staff Member, Jan!

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 3, 2011 | 52 comments

It’s long been my goal to create one of the most compelling websites for Sony and tech fans alike. The goal of SRN has always been a singular place for you, our readers, to collect and discuss different news pertaining to Sony’s many vast divisions. During this time, the site has grown from an article a week to multiple articles per day. Also, where we once only had a presence on this site, we now are reachable via Twitter, Facebook, and our hotline at 661-750-BLOG. This also means that our content has expanded too, with our dedicated YouTube channel, Flickr feed and iTunes podcast. However, all this means that more work is required of me while I’m able to give less time to the news. So with that, it’s my pleasure to announce our latest staff member, Jan, who will be heading our PlayStation coverage from now on.

Jan is a recent graduate of Royal Roads University in British Columbia, Canada; he earned a BA in Professional Communications in July 2011. He started gaming at the age of five, starting out on his first game console, the Nintendo Famicom (known as NES in North America). Ever since then, he’s become a console and game collector. From the Game Boy, to the Dreamcast, to the Playstation 3, Jan has a knack/obsession for finding the best deals on games and systems online and locally. He recently started his own gaming blog and hopes to one day be part of the video game industry. A Sony Playstation follower from its humble beginnings up to this day, Jan is excited and proud to be part of the SonyRumors team.

You can find more information about Jan by visiting the staffing profile section of the site. Remember, we are always looking for fresh talent to join our ranks.

Is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Selling Poorly? UK Retailers Believe So

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 20, 2011 | 8 comments

Sony Ericsson, which was a supporter of Windows Mobile and the CLEO, came late to the Android game and when it did finally, enter, the company was slow to update their devices with the most recent builds of Android. While companies like Motorola, LG and Samsung were fighting tooth and nail for market share, Sony at times would release a phone like the Xperia X10 with a 6-month-old Android-build. All that changed in 2011 as the Japanese and Swedish partnership began to grasp the format. The company who was once behind the times with Android is releasing the second Android 2.3 phone available for AT&T while other Android phones all hold older builds. New phones from Sony Ericsson are unique, like the Xperia Play which has the capability to play PlayStation-Certified games and all other Android Market games with a sliding gaming pad. The Xperia Arc, on the other hand, is capable of capturing beautiful photo and video, thanks to Sony’s Exmor R camera and play them back with vivid details, again thanks to Sony’s Reality Display powered by Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine.

With so much unique and state-of-the-art technology not found in other Android phones, it would be foolish to think that these devices haven’t garnered Sony Ericsson some market share and sales volume. However, things don’t seem to be so rosy, at least according to UK retailers who complain that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is targeted at the wrong crowd. Whether it be the European commercials or US ones, Sony marketed the Xperia Play as the Android phone for the businessman who wanted to play as well.

Past the jump, you’ll find examples of Sony’s marketing and the UK retailers response.

Nikon D4 DSLR Uses New Sony Sensor

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 6, 2011 | 10 comments

When conversations tend to go down towards brand royalty, they tend to turn humorous as fans of particular companies will line up in the crosshairs and defend one company while completely destroying the opposing company with no regards to the actual dealing behind the scenes. What many don’t realize though is that outside of competition, many of these companies in part work with each other in different aspects and divisions. Sure Apple and Samsung are in a bitter patent battle but Samsung also provides many of the parts for the iPhone and iPad. In the gaming world, the PS3 and Xbox 360 tend to be a case of water and oil yet Sony and Microsoft have recently worked on a new DRAM format together and Sony computers use Windows and Microsoft Office which is where Microsoft makes its majority of its income.

The camera world tends to be no different as Sony, Nikon and Canon continue to battle each other out. So although there are plenty of reports praising Sony and their DSLR strategy and studies showing that Sony currently holds the second highest camera market share and is closing in on the number one spot, fans of other brands will still find some way to skew the reality of the situation and form a narrative that best feeds their mindset. Because of this, it’s always refreshing to find reports where a company is actually using parts from their competitor. In this case, the current Nikon D3X uses a Sony 24 megapixel sensor, a part that can be found in the Sony Alpha A900. Nikon also plans on using Sony sensors in their upcoming D4 DSLR which is rumored to be the same 36 megapixel camera sensors that will be making their way into Sony 2012 FF translucent cameras. So the next time that you want to completely lay waste to a company that you might not be fond of, it might do you well to do some research and see what parts are in your own product and even better to remember that there are people on the other end of that product, not just corporate bricks.

[via SonyAlphaRumors]

Sony Responds to Active Vs. Passive 3D and LG’s Marketing Scheme

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 5, 2011 | 20 comments

LG has recently kicked off a new marketing campaign in which the Korean electronic maker claims that 4 out of 5 people in a 3D TV test chose LG over Sony and Samsung. Of course, with such a bold claim, it’s only reasonable for Sony to respond back, and that’s exactly what they have done. Outside of the nature of the claims lies another debate however: the difference between Active 3D, which both Sony and Samsung use, and Passive 3D, which companies like Vizio and LG use.

Sony starts of the rebuttal by rightly pointing out who the survey was conducted by, which happens to be LG, who is trying to sell you their product. This is like going to a plastic surgeons office and expecting them to tell you that you don’t need something done. Of course LG will do what it can to sway the survey results into something favorable for them. This doesn’t mean that LG is somehow evil and the only company doing this, but it is a factor none the less. On the other hand, Sony points readers towards an NPD study conducted in May 2011 in which “people who walk into a store choose active technology from Sony, and even Samsung, six times more often than they select passive technology like LG’s.” Both Sony and Samsung were quick to note that NPD retail sell-through numbers for last month showing that nearly 90 percent of 3D TV purchases were of the active-shutter variety. Sony goes on to say,

Now, that type of independent research paints an entirely different picture than the claims made by LG. So let me take this opportunity to share some facts about why active 3D provides a better viewing experience than passive 3D.

So what is the difference between active and passive 3D? Passive 3D glasses are generally the 3D eyewear you see at movie theaters with polarized screens and plastic housings. Using filters to split the image, passive glasses are capable of receiving 1080p video, with one caveat. Your eyes receive a total of 1080p, meaning that only 540 lines are delivered to each eye, thus bringing the image quality under what is HD (and 720p of that) and very close to SD which is 480i. With a filter in place, you will also notice a reduced image brightness and clarity. On the other hand, active 3D glasses are capable of and do deliver 1080p to each eye, thus doubling the resolution. With the lack of filter in place as well, your video is brighter and much more crisp. As CNET reported in their own findings,

We expected this difference because, as Vizio, LG, and other purveyors of 2011 passive 3D TVs admit, the system they use halves the effective 1080p resolution, delivering only 540 lines to each eye. We just didn’t expect it to be so obvious. As Matt said, it makes you appreciate how good “1080p to each eye” looks.

Passive 3D

With the lack of resolution, you can surely expect to see a difference in your 3D viewing experience, whether it be playing games in 3D, watching movies or viewing a sporting event like the U.S. Open.

Graphics like the Imax 3D logo also had jagged edges along the curves, and we saw the effects of the jaggies in numerous other areas that included any semistraight moving lines. A tennis match from the U.S. Open provided an even more glaring example: the lines of the court were jagged and the jaggies moved distractingly as the camera tracked player movement.

So if there is total proof that active 3D looks better than passive 3D, why would companies like LG and Vizio adopt it in their televisions? The simple answer is price of the technology. In some ways, passive is already out of date, which makes the implementation of the technology in 3D televisions cheaper and the price of the 3D glasses even cheaper. This means that consumers can expect to pay less for their television set and additional glasses. However, the flip side of this argument is that if you are looking to jump into a new technology, why would you handicap yourself from the start by buying into older technology. Especially if we consider that just last year, Sony’s Active Shutter glasses were priced around $150 for one and today, you can purchase a pair for $139 and the new glasses which are lighter, thinner and rechargeable, compared to last years model for $69. My point is that the cost around 3D continues to drop. Last year, you couldn’t purchase a 3D set from Sony for under $3,000, and you can now find sets that start just over $1,000 and Sony will be releasing the PlayStation-branded 3D TV this fall for $499 which includes active shutter glasses, a copy of Resistance 3, and can play back 2 different 3D images at once. None of this would be possible in the passive shutter world.

Hit the jump to see additional picture comparisons of active 3D vs. passive 3D.

Technical Difficulties: Links Have Now Been Fixed

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 19, 2011 | 0 comments

Hey everybody, sorry if you’ve been having trouble accessing our links in the past two days. A part of our permalink system went nuts and was inserting the wrong URL for the posts. Everything has now been fixed. For some, depending on your cache settings, it might take a bit longer to see the fix, unless you reset your cache and cookies. So please give the links and commenting section another run and let us know if you are experiencing any more issues.

We Will Be Attending and Live Blogging from Sony’s E3 Press Conference

by Sohrab Osati | May 31, 2011 | 11 comments

This year is already shaping up to be a great year for us when it comes to live Sony events. We’ve so far have had the pleasure of attending CES and Coachella. Next week, we will be crossing off E3 from our to attend list and follow that up the next month by going to ComicCon. So although you typically get some great insight for those who will attend E3 during the normal 3 days, we ironically don’t have an in for that. Instead, will be attending Sony’s E3 press conference this Monday, June 6th which kicks off at 5PM (Eastern time), which is the event where real news is made. But there is more; we won’t just be there to attend, gather information and report back the following days. Rather, we will be there equipped with our laptop while we live blog the entire press conference! So if you have some questions, please drop them below in the comment section or check back with us the day of and we will try to answer them for you, during our live blog which will allow you to comment and interact with us. Gotta say, with CES under our belt and our new site design which will allow us to provide some very cool live blogs, I’m pretty damn excited about this.

Welcome to SRN 2.0 Our Entirely New Site Design

by Sohrab Osati | May 31, 2011 | 20 comments

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to SRN 2.0, the most significant change in the Bebi Corp. site design of SonyRumors.net since our original launch back in early 2008. During that time, the site launched as an independent channel of news, rumors, and talk, covering all topics Sony. The goal back then was and continues today to be to provide a singular destination for fans of all things Sony and to create a community based on that. Today, we cover all topics and events related to Sony and its many divisions like Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures, PlayStation, Sony Ericsson, and the many sub categories under them like the Alphas, VAIOs, Dash, NGP and more.

Over the last several years, we’ve grown our presence beyond our website in order to interact with our fans and expand our scope in any way possible. We have ever-growing Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Vimeo, and YouTube pages that we constantly feed with video unboxings and coverage of events like CES, Coachella 2011 as well as the upcoming E3 and ComicCon. Now we are looking to once again venture into new territories with a weekly podcast and forums section to let you further discuss Sony and their products.

However, with our previous design, as dear as it continues to be to my heart, it could not accommodate our ever-growing features, nor did it provide an adequate way for you to comment on our stories, unless you had a WordPress login. Now, with the SRN 2.0 design, you can comment with your Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, or OpenID account, making commenting far easier and more convenient for you. Commenters will also note that you can now sort the comments in ways such as “Popular Now,” “Best Rating,” “Newest First,” and “Oldest First,” making it easier for you to see the comment section as you wish. Hand in hand with that is the new sharing feature which gives you access to many popular destinations such as Blogger, Buzz, Digg, and of course Twitter and Facebook.

Another change you can take note of is the much wider design, making the site perfect for those of you who own larger screens with higher resolution, and yet it’s still designed to scale for anybody who is accessing our site with any setup. With a wider and higher resolution, we can now also display higher resolution pictures and videos, without the need for you to open new browser pages, allowing you something like HD experience of our site. We also have some 3D ideas cooking up but nothing to report yet on that. Moving on, without ever leaving the site, you can also view our tweets and Facebook comments on the right hand side as you scroll our pages and posts. We have a fully mobile version as well, perfect for those of you who want to stay in touch with us on your smartphones like the iPhone, Android and Blackberry platforms. We are also working on a specific and optional iPad design that, though just like our mobile platform, will be optional and users can always switch to the full desktop version.

Of course, there are behind the scene changes for us as well. Moving away from WordPress.com to WordPress.org allows us to have full access to custom widgets and a full CSS stylesheet which makes for powerful configuration and customization, like the many features I discussed above. This also allows us to design our site to be much more Google-search friendly, in hopes of reaching new audiences. I have to also point out that this new design also allows us to introduce Google Ads and Amazon deals which we hope will both help you save some money and also gain us some cash-flow. Throughout the site’s many years, hosting, server fees, event entree and hotel fees have all continued to stack up. As we continue to keep our independent views, this means that there is no corporation behind us that funds our site or our views. This of course means that the rest of the staff and I work out of passion for SRN and so I hope that these new advertising avenues will help balance out the site’s many fees.

Another thing I would like to highlight is our new tip box. You will note that both on the right hand panel and in the drop down menu, under About, there is a new link for you to click. Here, you can submit news stories, give us tips and leak us any information, if you deem it appropriate. But the concept is not the thing I want to point out. Instead, how the system is powered is the real difference from the SRN 1.0 site. Once you click the link, you will be taken to a secure and encrypted website where you can fill out the information you wish to share with us and have it securely sent to us. Powered by a company called Wufoo, this system allows tipsters to fill out as much information about themselves as they want or stay 100% anonymous, unlike our previous system which required you to have an email. This way, we hold no email for you (unless you decide to offer it) and there will be zero IP trace, making your interaction with us 100% safe and secure. Wufoo also powers our back end hiring system as well for those of you who wish to join our team. You simply need to click the links, which again are located on the right hand sidebar or top drop down menu under About, and you will be taken to a new form which is encrypted and transmitted to us. On this page, of course, we will require a tad bit more information from you for obvious reasons.

In the end, I want to express my deepest appreciation for you, our readers, because we wouldn’t be doing any of this had you not stuck around with us during the last three years. We hope that the new site design furthers your experience with us as we continue to grow and bring in new readers and services to our site. As always, your thoughts are appreciated so hit our new commenting section and let us know what you think!