Sure, 2011 might be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean that Sony’s forgotten about all the Bravia TVs the electronic giant has sold. Via a new firmware update, all 2011 Bravia TVs are gaining a host of new features, free of charge. Sticking with all things video, YouTube HD is making its way to the television set, giving you access to all HD content thats found on YouTube which beats stretching a 480i video to a 1080p resolution.

For those who like to be a little more social with their photos, Facebook is now being integrated via a dedicated app. This new app is designed to give you access to your Facebook account to view your shared photos and videos. Of course, features like sending messages and status updates are there as well. Twitter fans will also rejoice in what seems like such a logical, yet, till now, non-existent interface design. As you would expect, you can update your Twitter and view your feed but how about sharing the content that you’re viewing? This is something that many tend to tweet about. Sony has now made that easier with Track ID, which allows you to, with a touch of a button on your remote, find the title and artist and quickly post it to Twitter. Furthermore, your news feed will be scrolling along the bottom of the screen, giving you a live feed while not taking away from the content on screen.

Speaking of remotes, Sony VAIO and Xperia smartphone owners will be getting a new Bravia app which will allow you to control your TV with your smartphone and use the keyboard to type, making hunting for the remote a less frequent event. Not a bad way to end the 2011 Bravia season if you ask us. Now tell us what you think, after the jump, where you will also find the full press release.

 Enjoy higher quality online content with our latest firmware update 30 November 2011

From High Definition YouTube™ to Twitter Ticker™, the evolution of our BRAVIA TVs brings even more entertainment to your home

Watch YouTube™ in High Definition and enjoy Facebook™ videos and photos in full screen
Stay in the loop – Twitter Ticker™ shows rolling updates of the latest tweets while you’re watching TV
Share your TrackID™ song search results straight to Twitter™

Experience YouTube™ as never before
Watching the latest Internet sensation on a smartphone or laptop simply doesn’t come close to the big screen experience. Now with our latest firmware update you can enjoy High Definition videos from YouTube™ in crisp, clear quality on your BRAVIA TV. What’s more, YouTube™ videos are further optimised by the advanced image-enhancing technologies already built in to your BRAVIA TV. From sports clips to music videos, YouTube™ has never looked better.

See the bigger picture
Expanding your social network will take on a whole new meaning too with our new firmware update. Log in to your Facebook™ account and view shared photos and videos in full screen on your TV – so friends and family appear larger than life. Follow any URL links posted by your friends direct from your TV screen, as well as updating your status, sending messages and more.

Let the news follow you
Another feature new to BRAVIA TVs is Twitter Ticker™. Follow a real-time Twitter™ newsfeed scrolling along the bottom of the screen and keep tabs on your favourite tweets without missing a moment of your favourite TV show. You can share Track ID™ results straight to Twitter™ quickly and easily too. Heard a song you like on an advert? Just hit Track ID™ on your remote to find the title and artist, then pass on the results to friends and followers on Twitter™ at the touch of a button. Simple.

Put your laptop to good use
You can already use your smartphone or VAIO keyboard to control your TV and surf the web – and now you can use other laptops too*. From typing a web address to searching for information about the latest movies, it makes entering text on-screen even easier than using your TV remote.

Never miss an update – connect your TV to the Internet
We are always coming up with new and innovative features to enhance your Internet TV experience. So it’s important to make sure the firmware in your TV is up-to-date. The easiest way to stay up-to-date is to connect your TV to the Internet, either with a cable or through a wireless network. Whenever you switch on your BRAVIA TV, you’ll be automatically notified of any available firmware updates.

Firmware updates are also available from the Sony Support website and can be transferred to BRAVIA TVs using a USB memory storage device. 

Discuss:

Do you find these new features useful and what features would you like to see come to your Bravia television?